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"they must just be clueless if they haven't gotten rid of their strong accent" Specifically "clueless". I agree with that but I also think it's an attitude as
by larrys 13y ago
"they must just be clueless if they haven't gotten rid of their strong accent"
Specifically "clueless". I agree with that but I also think it's an attitude as well in some people. I think even if it was explained to them they might not think that it would benefit them. In that case they are not clueless they are simply rigid in their thinking, right?
As the saying goes "when in rome do as the romans do"
Along those lines I am surprised at the number of people who are foreign born who don't change their names to something more Americanized.
Back when people came to this country at the turn of the century I believe the immigration people would give people americanized versions of their names so they wouldn't experience as much rejection or racisim. Maybe it was for other reasons as well.
Now you can look at it as wrong that people jump to conclusions or you can simply do what is practical and attempt to lessen the disadvantage that you are in if someone perceives you in the wrong way. If I am a member of a religious group and I know that people that I am selling to are biased against that religious group I see it as practical not to wear any symbol of that religious group. It's a business decision.
I'm not saying that someone needs to totally hide the fact that they are Indian, Chinese, or whatever. I'm simply saying you can make the name a little easier for people in America (where you live) to remember it. That's in a sense basic marketing.
Lastly, I've been approached by people trying to sell me with really difficult names to remember. I am less likely to connect them with others simply because their name is so hard to remember.
- opminion 13y agoThe reason might be not cluelessness, bad attitude, rigid thinking or bad marketing, but the hidden costs of your suggestions. Many migrants tend to spend an inordinate amount of time, during the first months, thinking about how they might be perceived, often playing pointless guessing games. For example: having two different names is an additional source of confusion, and a constant reminder of "otherness". These costs have to be balanced against the perceived benefits. Sometimes they are worth it, often times not. Focusing on improving communication skills is different because the cost is time, effort and perhaps money, but there are no negative side effects.
- NhanH 13y agoI've actually asked some American (one of them being my boss) on whether I should be using an American name to make it easier for everyone at work. I received two "It's weird" answers, and haven't asked the third person yet. Considering that my name is relative short (the first 4 letter of my username, Americans tend to remember the "h" and "a"'s position swapped though), would you consider it a difficult name to remember or not?
- mahyarm 13y agoI use my real name and offer them an easy to use nickname in the same sentence. I've been doing it since childhood.
- Natsu 13y agoNhan? I'm assuming that sounds like 'non', so it's probably easier to use your real name. I do know some people who abbreviate their names, though, if there's a workable abbreviation (e.g. Siddahrta / Sid).
- NhanH 13y agoTake a look here: http://www.forvo.com/word/nh%C3%A2n/#vi http://www.forvo.com/word/nh%C3%A2n/#vi The "h" is not a silent sound, and I think pronouncing as "non" is part of the reason why American tends to mix up "Nhan" and "Nahn".
- pawn 13y agoTo me, when listening to that, it sounds like "Nyen" or "Nian", which isn't a sound that any English word I can think of correlates with an H. Perhaps sharing one of these spellings with people will help them. You might experiment with different people and see where you get your best results.
- Natsu 13y agoInteresting. It sounds like nee-han or something. You might be able to get by using "Ian" as a nickname, losing only the initial N sound.
- capex 13y ago> I believe the immigration people would give people americanized versions of their names so they wouldn't experience as much rejection or racism. (edited for spelling). You were hopefully thinking about refugee immigrants when you said this?