An “ethnic” name for my inevitably tan-skinned, dark-haired - TopicsExpress



          

An “ethnic” name for my inevitably tan-skinned, dark-haired son would raise eyebrows at every security checkpoint. His name would headline every job application, and stereotypes would ensue; some people would assume he was a programmer or engineer, lacking creativity, or interpersonal skills. Perhaps they would sidestep his résumé altogether because of his difficult to pronounce name. The thought of my unborn child facing a life of prejudice made me furious. The one-step solution to my problem would be to settle for a “white” name for my “brown” son. It would level the playing field in a world that lacks face-to-face interaction and relies so heavily on communication via a screen of some sort. It would open up a few more doors, bring to light a few more opportunities in his life. Right? What it wouldn’t do was fix the larger problem: the deep-rooted, widespread racism and intolerance in our society. It would send the implicit message to the universe that I had bought in, somehow, to the need to at least accept that world. That simply is not true.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 13:25:32 +0000

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