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[PiFace]

I knew some Nigerian dudes who went by English names in secondary school. I found it weird.

Why? It isn't that strange considering nigeria was a former colony of Britain. Cameroon where my family is from, had English names. This is relevant because the part of English Cameroon joined Nigeria, but I digress.

At least in Cameroon people have English names, but the middle name is the real name.

 

[Pau]

Does the "throw out if I can't pronounce the name" only apply to the first name?

 

[hateradio]

🙉 🔥 ✨

 

[ChubbyHuggs]

Dont be like that. All names are normal. Unless its like Orangejello

Relevant: Lemonjello

 

[shadow_shogun]

I knew some Nigerian dudes who went by English names in secondary school. I found it weird.

That's pretty common, I know a lot of people in Lagos and Ogun that go by English names, although they're Yoruba and Igbo but funny enough I never come across a Hausa person with an English name.

 

[God Dayumm]

My last name is hyphenated and the first part is clearly hispanic but the second part is "Leon". I'm considering changing my last name on my resume to just Leon as it looks more "white".

Edit: and my first name is germanic in origin and definitely not Hispanic sounding.

I'm hispanic but my first name is arabic. Definitely changing it to something neutral like Roy and keeping my last name when I get the chance. There are Roys and Rois and Ruys in the whole world so it doesn't look out of place anywhere and it shares the same initials.

Never had troubles with jobs whatsoever, but immigration definitely does care, and with the current president things will get more complicated.

 

[Ronin Ray]

Did they just discover water is wet. I always get a strange look in any interview I am in and they ask your is and I always yes sir/ma'am. I use to hate my boring generic name but it's a godsend

 

[wildfire]

I thought everyone knew this

Yeah but we never could reference how much more effective it was.

 

[Kid Kamikaze10]

I have a very Nigerian name, so I knew this the second my Kindergarten teacher mispronounced my name so bad it became a running joke for a week.

But honestly, I wouldn't change it for the world. The name at least, the racism definitely needs changing.

 

[Jzero]

I have a hard time getting a job with a white name. I can't imagine what it would be like if my parents gave me a latino name 😂

 

[Kite]

in regards to Asian folk having americanized names, it's also because they'll come here for work and they get tired of having to pronounce their name or having people mispronounce their name at work.

You should always attempt to say someone's name correctly if that is what they prefer to be called. I hate the idea that white people can't be bothered to manage pronunciations so the rest of us have to acclimate to them.

Everyone is different, but for me.. please don't. A lil bit of my soul shrivels up and dies every time someone tries this and fucks up the pronunciation. It's part cringe, part annoyance and part feeling guilty for being irritated even though the person is trying to be nice and respectful.

If you are a weab or kpop fan and can kinda work your way through the name then go ahead I guess. It's like those people who insist on trying to use chopsticks in an Asian restaurant cus they don't wanna be disrespectful but clearly suck at it. I appreciate the gesture but honestly idgaf and would prefer you use a fork so you don't keep dropping your food.

 

[Amedo310]

I'm fucked . My whole name is too foreign. Musilm first name and African middle and last name. Jesus christ.

 

[LinkAndEpona]

The recruiting and hiring process can be so time consuming and stressful that people with difficult to pronounce names often get passed up on the assumption that it would save time, it sucks.

 

[HiiiLife]

Obviously

 

[KillLaCam]

Good thing I apparently sound super white

 

[Brannon]

I'm fucked . My whole name is too foreign. Musilm first name and African middle and last name. Jesus christ.

But this is America; we'll homogenize the fuck out of whatever name you have!

 

[Kisaya]

I had the opposite effect. I added my middle name to my resume which made me sound more brown, and started getting a lot of interview requests.

 

[Fuchsdh]

My old office manager, white girl from Iowa with the mixed race kid who i constantly talked with about progressive issues and our hated of trump, said she got a ton (~3000) of replies to job postings. Admitted that she filtered jobs by name. Ignored resumes if she couldn't pronounce the name.

It took me a few days to digest that. It was a black owned business. It shouldn't shock me. It really shouldn't shock me.

I think i gave her too much credit. I mean, she probably believes that makes her more efficient and it's a valid excuse.

Well, that's the other side of this coin. Sometimes it's not active malice, it's just people being lazy. As far as I know I haven't seen a study along these lines with "hard to pronounce" names, although I imagine that it generally tracks alongside "ethnic" names.

I had the opposite effect. I added my middle name to my resume which made me sound more brown, and started getting a lot of interview requests.

What jobs are you applying to?


---

Also, it doesn't seem like it's mentioned in discussions but I think the actual news in the study is the finding that even outwardly pro-diversity job postings in the sample didn't have a higher rate of callbacks. But I guess that's probably a function of top-down directives not actually having teeth in regards to changing attitudes of hiring managers.

 

[Slayven]

The "white voice" is necessary to get ahead if you're black/minority. Gotta placate those unfounded fears anyway you can.

I am going to need you to calm down

 

[Sapiens]

Yeah I have a mega ethnic name and I've contemplated using something else to at least replace my first name, to at least get more initial calls.

 

[fataliteter]

I didn't read the entire article yet, but I did read the abstract. While the thread title merits a "no shit" response, I think the more interesting finding is that applicants are less likely to whiten their resumes when applying to companies that value - or pretend to value - diversity:

"When targeting an employer that presents itself as valuing diversity, however, minority job applicants engage in relatively little résumé whitening and thus submit more racially transparent résumés. Yet, our audit study shows that organizational diversity statements are not actually associated with reduced discrimination against unwhitened résumés. Taken together, these findings suggest a paradox: Minorities may be particularly likely to experience disadvantage when they apply to ostensibly pro-diversity employers."

 

[NandoGip]

I tried explaining this concept to a white person and they were offended that this could be true.

 

[ajim]

I have a Turkish / Muslim name. I should probably whiten mine too? I never thought about that.

 

[Jindrax]

Can confirm

I have the whitest name EU.
Every job interviewer is always surprised when they see me.

 

[Socivol]

I wouldn't say I have a "white" name but it's not ethnic at all. My husband has probably the most stereotypical black name you can think of and he refuses to whiten his resume. You also have to change the way you speak once you get an in person interview too. I also have a slight southern accent but no longer live in the South which has it's own negative connotations.

 

[Antiwhippy]

I kept at it without whitening my resume. Felt like i was playing on extra hard but managed to get through. Though it's with non white employers lmao.

 

[jrush64]

I knew some Nigerian dudes who went by English names in secondary school. I found it weird.

Most Nigerians also have English middle names.

 

[M52B28]

My full name is pretty fucking white and my speech and pronunciation is just as much.

My interviews on the phone have fine in a bigger scope, but my in person interviews are often met with bitterness, especially if interviewing with white or racially biased Asian males.

It's a gift and a curse. You get the white people that think it's okay to make little casually racist jokes expecting for me to be a brainwashed black man and not say anything. Little do they know, I grew up in an absolute shithole with people being murdered everyday on my street, people getting robbed, etc. Only one other person at my job knows about how much I've been through. The greater​majority think I grew up in this expensive county in California.

If I get the slightest hint that they're trying to treat race as a joke, I lay down the rules.

 

[PillarEN]

I've known three Asian women who have worked in my office that chose the name "Rachel"...because of the show Friends.

The main dude from Flower, Jenova Chen, selected that first name because, you guessed it, Final Fantasy 7 haha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0YMlSu1DeA

 

[sixteen-bit]

I tried explaining this concept to a white person and they were offended that this could be true.

tfw u realize privilege

 

[Socivol]

To add to this I actually had one of my friends legally change her name from Lakavious to Katie. Unsurprisingly, Katie has had a much better career than Lakavious did.

 

[Gully State]

I didn't read the entire article yet, but I did read the abstract. While the thread title merits a "no shit" response, I think the more interesting finding is that applicants are less likely to whiten their resumes when applying to companies that value - or pretend to value - diversity:

"When targeting an employer that presents itself as valuing diversity, however, minority job applicants engage in relatively little résumé whitening and thus submit more racially transparent résumés. Yet, our audit study shows that organizational diversity statements are not actually associated with reduced discrimination against unwhitened résumés. Taken together, these findings suggest a paradox: Minorities may be particularly likely to experience disadvantage when they apply to ostensibly pro-diversity employers."

That's some next level shit right there...

 

[televator]

Yeah, it's what I did.

This is like applying for jobs 101 for us

Step 1: Appeal to your prospective racist (subconsciously at best) masters.

Land of opportunity.

 

[HawksWinStanley]

They ask for your race on job applications? Where is this a thing?

Ironically I thought they only did this at places actively trying to weed out whites so they can bring on minorities for WOTC or whatever other incentives they'd receive for hiring a certain amount.

 

[Kisaya]

What jobs are you applying to?

Development and/or Marketing jobs in the arts and culture industry. Mostly dominated by whites 😴

 

[WeirdoStalkerJr]

Hmm I am half Hispanic and just moved to a new area. Got two interviews in less than a week. 90% sure I got both jobs. I even have a Hispanic first and last name. I am of belief if you actively work in finding a job. You will be guaranteed to get one.

 

[Big Green Anus]

Yup, still happens way too frequent. It's one of the reasons why we have to talk about race and not run away from it due to hurt feelings, which we know it's know not going to happen anytime soon.

 

[PillarEN]

Hmm I am half Hispanic and just moved to a new area. Got two interviews in less than a week. 90% sure I got both jobs. I even have a Hispanic first and last name. I am of belief if you actively work in finding a job. You will be guaranteed to get one.

Well I mean the study isn't saying that you are fucked and that's that. It just means your odds when starting from point A may be worse than someone who has a "whiter" resume.

 

[Skilletor]

Hmm I am half Hispanic and just moved to a new area. Got two interviews in less than a week. 90% sure I got both jobs. I even have a Hispanic first and last name. I am of belief if you actively work in finding a job. You will be guaranteed to get one.

It's this type of logic that allows systemic racism to persist.

 

[GhostTrick]

Wait what, do people mention their ethnicity in resume ???

 

[Darryl M R]

But addressing this would be a case of identity politics and I was told that is why Trump won.

Hmm I am half Hispanic and just moved to a new area. Got two interviews in less than a week. 90% sure I got both jobs. I even have a Hispanic first and last name. I am of belief if you actively work in finding a job. You will be guaranteed to get one.

Sounds like both you and your employer think that you are one of the good ones. Check yourself.

Companies are actively looking for diversity for a myriad of reasons, but this does not change the fact that people of color are disadvantaged. You have a case of survival bias.

 

[The Greek Freak]

I'm bi-racial but 100% have assumed incorrect things after seeing a resume name.

All our work is online but now when resumes come in for a new opening I have the name column set as white text until I narrow it down to the 5-8 I will interview.

 

[The Greek Freak]

Wait what, do people mention their ethnicity in resume ???

What face pops up on a resume with the name Lashonda? What about Lindsey?

 

[megatronium]

Wait what, do people mention their ethnicity in resume ???

They usually ask in a survey at the end of the application. They "say" it's optional. Oddly enough, one of the companies I've been interviewing for wrote me an email saying that to continue with the interview process, I had to answer the survey. I had my 3rd interview with them on Friday. They seem really interested but I'm taking a job with another company that offered it to me the week before.

 

[Two Words]

I'm sure my name doesn't register as a black name to most employers. My first name is a biblical name that isn't particular to a race. My last name comes from my family's country, which can kinda sound like a "white" last name when it is mispronounced.

Also, nobody ever thinks I am black over voice. Any time I mention that I'm black when playing online, everybody calls me a liar and says I am white. It's kinda annoying since it is basically implying that being black means you have to sound a certain way. So yeah, I'd bet a lot of employers that hit me up for an interview are a little surprised that I'm black.

 

[megatronium]

But addressing this would be a case of identity politics and I was told that is why Trump won.




Sounds like both you and your employer think that you are one of the good ones. Check yourself.

Companies are actively looking for diversity for a myriad of reasons, but this does not change the fact that people of color are disadvantaged. You have a case of survival bias.

One of them being "See!! We DO interview and hire minorities!! We really do! We have data that shows it!!!!"

aka "I'm not racist. I have a friend who is ________"

edit: If you happen to get the job as a result of those practices and are good at your job, it's win-win.

 

[Lulubop]

Gonna start spelling my name as Louis on my resume and not Luis

 

[Enzom21]

Ironically I thought they only did this at places actively trying to weed out whites so they can bring on minorities for WOTC or whatever other incentives they'd receive for hiring a certain amount.

Why do you think this and where did you get this information?

 

[The Greek Freak]

I'm sure my name doesn't register as a black name to most employers. My first name is a biblical name that isn't particular to a race. My last name comes from my family's country, which can kinda sound like a "white" last name when it is mispronounced.

Also, nobody ever thinks I am black over voice. Any time I mention that I'm black when playing online, everybody calls me a liar and says I am white. It's kinda annoying since it is basically implying that being black means you have to sound a certain way. So yeah, I'd bet a lot of employers that hit me up for an interview are a little surprised that I'm black.

I have 100% lost clients once they see I'm mixed on the video call. You can see it in their face instantly.

My wife does all of the first intro calls now to avoid this.

 

[SDCowboy]

Leaving out details about your [ethnic] heritage and listing your own name as something more "white" sounding.

When i worked as part of a Directv call center the first tip i was given was to say my name was something more american and white sounding like "Robert" so the customers wouldn't flip the fuck out. The principle is the same.

I don't get it...if one put a false name down on an application, for example, wouldn't they find out as soon as they tried to hire that person, and then they would not get the job?

And as soon as that person went into an interview, they would see that person isn't white (if that were to be an issue).