What's in a name?

The Chinese (and yes I use this term generically, and across the board stereotypically), have been very good at adapting and blending into new environments. As the Chinese emigrated to the United States, they gained a reputation of being quiet, not wanting to cause problems, and generally being the meek, well-behaved group of people. I can't say I disagree, since it's certainly a part of the culture to follow the rules of filial piety, which a large part of is keeping "face", and having an untarnished reputation.

As part of this fitting in to other cultures, many Chinese take Western names, perhaps much more so than many other cultures do. I certainly of course am no exception. After moving to the United States, my dad chose a name for himself, as well as a Western style name for me. His source for inspiration? Strangely enough, the Bible. My dad's name? David, as in David and Goliath. David, the first from his family to emigrate to the U.S. Goliath, the whole prospect of moving to a new country, with only $50 and no contacts.

As is the custom with many Chinese, I kept my Chinese name as my middle name, as did my dad. On the other hand neither my older sister nor my mother took an uniquely Western name as both their Chinese names sounded enough like an Western name it was easy enough for them to borrow the Western names as their own.

During the '80s when I was in college there was a bit of a backlash in the Chinese community and it was popular for a while for Chinese-Americans who had taken on American names to go back to their Chinese names, as their primary names.

Today, I believe it's important to have both. To give the new generations of Chinese-Americans, both the Western as well as the Eastern identity. The harder choice of course for many of raised in the United States, is what Chinese name to give our children. There is a long tradition in Chinese culture on how to name your child. Much of it is ignored today, in an effort to modernize, but that's such a shame given the rich culture and tradition behind this naming protocol.

Many of you may already know that for most Chinese, there are three parts to your name. The first, your family name (see previous Blog post on the hundred family names). The second is your generational name. Traditionally, all siblings of the same generation share this name. Depending on the family, this name can be the same for male and female or different from the brothers to the sisters side. Finally the third part of the name, was the part that was unique to you.

The well-heeled Chinese families kept poems for keeping track of the generational name, and cycled through the poem to get the generational name from generation to generation. As many Chinese rush towards modernization, westernization, as we become more American, unfortunately we are beginning to lose these poems, and these traditions.