Channel 8 anchor in story on trend (Newscasters changing from Anglo to ethnic names)

Las Vegas Review-Journal ^ | 1-27-06 | Norm Clarke

[Nevadan]

The LA Times article mentioned in the article may be read at: http://www.tloffman.com/name.txt

[timsbella]

Changing names like Jerry Rivers to Geraldo Rivera?

[frankjr]

"Valdez, who fills the vacancy left by the death of Polly Gonzalez in a traffic accident"

Accident? Hmmmmmm...

[faloi]

raises troubling issues of journalistic ethics

I didn't think journalists had ethics anymore.

[frankjr]

"She said she considers herself part Latina"

Considers? Either you are part or you are not. Or is she part Latina like Ward Churchill is part Indian?

[camle]

AFAIK the legal name of the protected category is "hispanic surname" NOT "hispanic". that's the loophole.

this name changing business has been going on for some time. I remember a lawsuit 20 years or so ago on this topic - the guy who changed his name won because the category was SURNAME.

[sandbar]

>>>Changing names like Jerry Rivers to Geraldo Rivera?

Is that true???

[sandbar]

So I have a question. Does being Scottish qualify under affirmative action? Or is there a list of countries that Affirmative Action applies to as acceptable?

[atomicpossum]

Or, maybe it's just the same phony artifice that is the underlying premise of affirmative action and political correctness? It's hard to make a shallow pool and criticize people for wading in it.

[ARA]

I went to Univerisity with Miss. Valdez (nee Chardon). I knew Denise very well... Never knew she was latin... Chardon was French I thoght... Denise was great though...Very sweet soul...

[timsbella]

He's a nice Jewish boy who probably didn't want to be mistaken for a relative of Joan Rivers.

[MediaMole]

Is she another one of those reporters who speaks with perfect, accent-free, English until she gets to her name, which she pronounces with an exaggerated accent?

[AppyPappy]

Where did she get the name?

[BTHOtu]

I remember her when she was in San Antonio, but I did not know she had changed her name. Always liked her.

[timsbella]

Well, if there's a risk for being mistaken as French, then I think she's justified in hiding behind the faux-latin facade ;)

[bwteim]

"his name was not Jerry Rivers: his given name was indeed Gerald, and his surname alternated between the family name, Rivera, and his mother's "continentalized" spelling of it"

http://www.snopes.com/media/celebrity/geraldo.asp

[Sloth]

Is she another one of those reporters who speaks with perfect, accent-free, English until she gets to her name, which she pronounces with an exaggerated accent?

Saturday Night Live had a skit about that years ago.

[Right Wing Assault]

Yeah, Jerry did that a LONG time ago. These people are finally catching up.

Next, they have to become complete 4$$h0les.

[timsbella]

Thanks for that. I stand corrected. Love the schtick about his mom altering the name - guess we know where he inherited his grand sense of interpretation.

[BallyBill]

...And now to Asian correspondent Tricia Takanawa.