Names hold significant power. They are more than just identifiers; they carry cultural, social, and personal meanings. The act of naming people, places, or things carries ethical implications such as cultural appropriation, respect, and the consequences of labeling.

Examples:

  1. Imagine a non-Chinese individual choosing a Chinese-sounding name
  2. A teacher taking the time to learn and correctly pronounce each student’s name.
  3. Media outlets using specific labels to describe a protest can influence public opinion. If a peaceful demonstration is labeled as a “riot” rather than a “protest,” it can shape how the public perceives the event.

How do you see these ethical issues and can you think of any other? (Other than naming your kid adolf hitler)

  • @theUnlikelyEnglish
    4•8 months ago

    Yeah I wouldn’t say there’s actually anything wrong with it.

    But imagine a hypothetical situation for a moment: a white person in the west with a Chinese name. People would probably stereotype or make odd assumptions about their life based on just the name. They’d be in a constant loop of explaining the origin of their name. Many might butcher the pronunciation, leading to awkward corrections. Official documentation? I bet there’d be issues and extra verification steps due to the name-appearance mismatch. There’s also the potential uncomfortable surprise during face-to-face meetings after email introductions. And, sadly, they might even face discrimination in areas like job applications. All these based on just a name, crazy, right?

      • @theUnlikelyEnglish
        2•8 months ago

        I think that it not being true in reverse is part of the point actually. Having a Chinese name is very closely tied to being Chinese. Being named Mike isn’t tied to one nationality or ethnicity. And if you’re American, and meet someone who looks Chinese but introduces themselves as Mike, you won’t think anything of it because there are so many Chinese Americans and you’d just be completely used to it. If history were reversed and China was the great melting pot, then I think this name situation might be reversed a bit too.