Say my Chinese name

Say my Chinese name

2017-02-23

It is common for a Chinese person to have an English name. We have been told that Chinese pin yin is so difficult that our foreign friends may not able to pronounce our Chinese names correctly. For the sake of communicating convenience, we often prefer to use an English name when making friends with foreigners.

"My name is Li Sichen, but you can call me Lily." I always say my English name when I introduce myself to foreigners. Lily is the name given to me by a foreign English teacher when I attended my first English class at the age of seven. Years later, I got my second English name "Stella" from a Chinese English teacher at college. I choose which name I use depending on my mood.

Honestly, I am not a fan of my English names. Compared with my Chinese name, they are too plain and common. But I still used them when I studied in the UK.

However, recent news indicates a trend that a growing number of young Chinese students overseas are not willing to replace their Chinese names with English ones.

"Say my Name" is a video clip made by Chinese students at Columbia University that went viral on social networking websites last week. The video, in which Chinese students explain the cultural meanings and implication of their names, is a discontented response to recent actions at Columbia University that some Chinese nametags were taken off dormitory doors.

The university's Asian American Alliance condemned the incidents as "racist and unacceptable." It is also a way the young Chinese students attempt to say no to xenophobia, a term to describe the fear of which is perceived to be foreign or strange. The university said they would further investigate the case.

Traditionally, the image of Chinese people is known to be meek when faced with conflicts, especially for those living overseas. Being a minority abroad, they usually choose to keep low key and intentionally mute their voice as a way to avoid unnecessary troubles and to stay safe.

However, the young Chinese students' behavior to speak out after being discriminated and treated unfairly is a stark contrast to the way of "stepping back to make a compromise."

On Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, a Web user left his comment under the video saying, "Our confidence is witnessed by the prosperity of our country."

Others support the students' way of letting people show respect to China and its culture.

I applaud the courage of the young Chinese people overseas. To some extent, they are at the frontline in China's international communication, which can bring the zeitgeist of China's young generations' contemporary ideas and Chinese people's cultural confidence to the world, contributing to help break the negative stereotypes toward China.

I remember there was a time when Chinese who had an English name were considered yangqi, which means a person is admired as he/she shows a "foreign flavor." Some Chinese would use an English name even in a Chinese environment. However, I think this will soon be outdated.This article was published on the Global Times Metropolitan section Two Cents page, a space for reader submissions, including opinion, humor and satire. The ideas expressed are those of the author alone, and do not represent the position of the Global Times.

Global Times