I know an "Ace" . . . short for "Asa," an Armenian first name.
I don't know if he's Armenian, though:
Posted on 03/30/2006 12:41:35 PM PST by twippo
Someone needs to sit our people down and have a healthy discussion about the names we as African Americans are giving our children. We are hurting our kids and putting their futures in peril from the moment they are born.
That’s right, I said it. We are KILLING our kids and crippling their futures with the names we give them. Don’t you want your kids to get JOBS someday? Good jobs, and serious careers? With a name like Jaquez Ja’Quan Diante’, you’re dooming your sons to a life of drug dealing on some seedy street corner.
Our Black men face enough challenges. I do not subscribe to the notion that we are giving our children names that “convey pride in their African Heritage”. We’re way off the mark. I’ve got dear friends from all over Africa, and their children have beautiful cultural names like Akos, Ama, and Fia.
Notice how neither of those names had a “quita” in it? Or an “eisha”? Or more than four syllables? That’s because even in the motherland, they don’t give their kids the crazy names that we do in Black America. Many Africans even RESENT the implication that these names stem from their culture. I’ve yet to meet anyone from any African nation named Shaquandiniquah Takei’sha, or any other of the ‘colorful’ monikers we’re pinning on brand new precious lives.
Parents, we are stacking the odds against our children from birth. We’ve been doing it for generations, but we get mighty cross when white and mainstream America laughs and mocks us. With a name like Quieshianiquita (I know, I can’t pronounce it either), you’re dooming your children to employment at no better than a dollar store or the nearest fast-food joint.
You are automatically relegated in the minds of many to second-class citizenry, because when they hear the name, they instantly categorize you as ignorant, ghetto, incompetent, uneducated, and not worthy of much respect or basic human considerations.
We hear so often about African American students who excel in school, etc. and “beat the odds.” Well, guess what? Often times, the “odds they have to beat” is the tough challenge of being taken seriously in America with the atrocious name you gave them...names like Jaqui’sheia Sha’qu’an Tai’isha. If they can get someone to look past the name (and quit laughing), there is remarkable talent there in that person.
Unfortunately though, much of mainstream America isn’t willing to find this out. Come in with the wrong name, and you are nothing more than fodder for stereotypical, distasteful jokes. We as African Americans face enough challenges as it is. Our kids deserve a better start and a way better shot than this.
You’re angry with me? I can live with that. Now answer this: when have you ever seen an IBM Executive or a fancy New York office with a fancy highrise office door nameplate that says “Quandaniquah Roshel-Shaquita, Chief Executive Officer”? When? You don’t, and you never have, because the reality is, corporate America and a huge chuck of mainstream doesn’t have a high regard for those names. Quite frankly, you won’t be taken seriously.
I’ve been behind many a closed door with white corporate America. Oddly enough, many of them still see the Negro in the room as ‘non-existent’ or invisible, so they talked like I wasn’t even in the room. I hear everything they say. When Nakia Shaniquah-Quashiqua fills out an application, they have a field day in the office. Once they get their fill of ghetto and ‘weave’ jokes and ripping you to pieces sight unseen, they usually toss the application, or it gets stuck in the ‘bottom of the pile’. If they do hire you, you’re relegated to some meaningless, inconsequential task behind the scenes so they won’t be embarrased by you.
I’ve learned the harsh truth that right or wrong, no quality mainstream company wants someone named (oh just pick a name) representing them in the forefront. We don’t hear that, though. We just want you to get the name right, and look at you funny if you don’t. I recall a time a young woman got really cross with me because her name was LaShi’quita and I forgot to capitalize the ‘S’ and left the little accent mark off the first ‘i’ - how was I supposed to know? But lawd ha’mercy...what did I do THAT for? She was mad, hostile, and ready to FIGHT! It was a BIG ridiculously overblown embarassing ordeal (for her), and that’s OUR fault, parents.
She wouldn’t have such a huge chip on her shoulder and be so defensive, confrontational and mean if we had just given her a name that the average person can pronounce or spell. No spell check in the world can help, so most of her existence is spent correcting the spelling of her name, and feeling disrespected because people can’t get it right. We set her up for this constant and unnecessary battle.
I do not advocate naming all our children Bobby and Susie. But let’s do our babies a favor and keep the syllables down to a minimum, leave out the suffixes “quita”, “sheika”,“eisha”, “niqua”, “quan”...anysuffix with the letter ‘Q’. I could go on, but you get where I'm headed.And if you want your child to have an authentic African or other ethnic name, do a little research. Don’t just make up a name and expect the world to be able to spell and pronounce it. You're not being original or cute. That child has to LIVE with that horrible name, and that's not funny...or cute.
Amen. Now pass the cornbread.
I forgot Mohonri or Moriancumr....
Agree. Atticus, from the same movie, is also a great name. Boo Radley? Not so much.
I once read in a National Graphic magazine about Easter Island that there was a man named Hitler that lived there. He was born in the 1930's and his parents heard that name on the radio alot. Apparently it would turn the heads of the tourists when islanders would greet him with a friendly, "hola Hitler!"
LOL!
Good one! How about Pri'losec? I take Lotrel, and I betcha that's already in use. Also Narvasq (there's that Q) and Toporol...could be spelled T'prol. Oh, I could go on and on, LOL
Don't forget the real name of ATF agent "GG" in Unintended Consequences.
That's how (the late) Margaux Hemingway got her name.
I know an "Ace" . . . short for "Asa," an Armenian first name.
I don't know if he's Armenian, though:
And if Wayne is the MIDDLE name, he's a killer.
I worked in a small company where we had two people who had the same (virtually) first and last names.
Mike Mikes
Robbin Robbins
EVER cared for the name? You know OTHER people named Condoleezza?
I have actually met Peter, he came to my office looking for our company to market his cd. Remakes of his popular song, I can't remember what it was, and Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra songs. We didn't see a market for it.
I have done adoptions for years and have never - ever - been able to convince parents to change the name to bless instead of curse the child.
It is criminal what parents do in marking their children for failure in this manner.
I am so glad to see an article on this important topic.
I like the name "Angus".
I have several "Parley", and "Pratt" named relatives, from guess who?
My wife knew of someone who named her daughter Placenta. Apparently heard the nurses use the word in the delivery room and thought it had a nice ring to it.
I see you added some Indian pictures to your home page. No offense intended, the headress made me recall a cockatoo we used to have. Very clever bird, too much so for his own good.
"Hey" to Salty from Elmo the Old.
Congrats on your daughter's accomplishments. I loved the book "The Yearling" and in 1963, named my son Jody Wayne after the book, and added the Wayne in case he wanted to use it instead , which he never did. Of course, in the next few years, everyone in the country started naming their daughters Jody, Jodie, Jodee, etc. My ex-husband was named Gayle. I do think this thread is fun, though.
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