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For some reason this reminds me of this Senegalese immigrant to France who, upon receiving citizenship, petitioned to have his legal name changed to better refl

For some reason this reminds me of this Senegalese immigrant to France who, upon receiving citizenship, petitioned to have his legal name changed to better reflect his new identity. He chose "Charles de Gaulle." This was 30 years ago, I don't remember if he was successful.

sbierwagen 6y ago
For those unfamiliar with French history: the original Charles de Gaulle was born in Lille, France, in 1890, and was the leader of the French government in exile during WW2. Taking his name would be something like an American immigrant naming themselves George Washington.
- dmurray 6y ago
  That wasn't a popular name chosen by immigrants to America, but very popular among freed slaves who had a similar opportunity to choose a new name: https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/washington-the-blackest-name-in-america/ https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/washington-the-bla...
IfOnlyYouKnew 6y ago
He will willing to, almost literally, give up his identity to assimilate. Plus he apparently had a pretty good understanding of the culture. I hope he got the name, a good job, and maybe some sort of award for "French Person of the Year".
- pnako 6y ago
  Well, he got an airport and nuclear aircraft carrier named after him!