In an earlier blog entry, I wrote about Chinese names. More specifically about the use of English names by Chinese people. Today I came across an article reviewing a book called In China, my name is… Two Dutch authors have done a little research into the phenomenon, presenting, through photo portraits and short interviews, some of the reasoning that lies behind the names people choose.
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Here are some quotes from interviews with the authors:
>Influencing your destiny was one of the reasons people gave for choosing their names (…)
What did you find out about the way people chose their English names?
The largest group who are adopting [English names] are the younger generation of the big cities. They are much more modern then previous generations and are used to influences from the Western world. We noticed that the choice of an English name, for Chinese, is often based upon what others like or think will fit their character. Chinese society is still built on collectiveness. People want to be an individual and express themselves but within their social group they want to be respected.
Do you think foreigners consider different criteria when choosing their Chinese names?
It is almost the same process as Chinese people go through actually. Some non-Chinese names are difficult to pronounce so foreigners choose a Chinese name for easier communication. It was great to see our foreign friends choose their names, they’re like a second identity. You want this identity to sound good and have an interesting meaning.
> Thirty years ago it was unimaginable in China to express your identity let alone have an English name. Everybody had the same identity; wearing the same Mao suit was one way to show that. The opening up policy has already had a great impact on society and culture and our book shows just that.
