Is it wrong for a person to homogenize their race to help get a job?

On the one hand, I find it difficult to believe that she couldn’t get a first interview “because of her last name”, but on the other hand, immigrants to this country from central and southern Europe for most of the past century have also changed their names in order to “fit in” better. My own grandfather did, in fact.

But in all of the cases I’m aware of this was done as a choice by the person doing it. Maybe we could say “tut tut, it shouldn’t be necessary”—but it’s still a free choice. And I know a lot of people who come from families whose names never did change from “foreign” forms. It’s a free country; people can change their names or not, as they choose.

It’s too bad that there still is some racism and discrimination in this country (I presume that you’re talking about the USA, as I am), and too bad that people feel the need sometimes to modify their names and parts of their culture in order to fit in. But it’s an imperfect world, after all.

And I notice that she’s not fleeing to Mexico or Asia to try to fit in there better.

I’ve heard the same thing about Arabic-sounding last names.

Is it necessary? Apparently it is, since she was unable to get a job otherwise, and you gotta feed the family, you know?

Is it right? Well, again, if you’re doing what you have to do to feed your family, I’d have a hard time saying it’s not right to do. On the other hand, was it right that people won’t give the time of day to people with an other-ethnic sounding name? That remains in the hearts and minds of the people doing the judging. If they’re missing out on a qualified applicant, that’s too bad.

While it’s certainly regrettable she felt the need to homogenize her name, and thinking that she needed to do that to get a job may well have been a false impression on her part, I can’t see how it’s wrong to do it. She’s well within her rights in a free country and not hurting anyone.

To answer the question I would say it is not wrong. It only affects the person who is doing it for good or bad.

I watched a television program, it was either 60 minutes or 20/20 who ran the episode a while back, but it did show, that a person’s last name could hinder them, from getting a job interview, for that simple fact.

It shouldn’t happen, but it does, and it’s a down right shame. It is completely understandable if a person who has a name, that may pass them up for a job, that they would change it.

It’s a shame they have too, but this is reality, and there are still ignorant people who do the hiring process, based on a name, and not the person’s qualifications.

Here is a piece put out by CBS, that someone might find helpful, and a link to those who want to read the entire article.

The other, however, suggests a black-sounding name remains an impediment to getting a job. After responding to 1,300 classified ads with dummy resumes, the authors found black-sounding names were 50 percent less likely to get a callback than white-sounding names with comparable resumes.
link

What’s an example of an ethnic last name for a black person? I’m thinking American, so wouldn’t they just have the most common last name from the slave days?

@casheroo “Tuere Murray, a working mother of two from Oklahoma, explains why she changed her name from “Akanju” to “Murray” after she had problems scoring interviews, despite a competitive resume.”

@all: Yes, I realize I got her name wrong in the question.

It’s not wrong, just heartbreaking.

People have been changing their names for reason like this for as long as history has been recorded. Many people change their last names to avoid ethnic sterotyping, lots of people of Jewish descent did this for a while. Stars change their names so that they are more rememorable or have market appeal. Rather it is right or not is not for me to say, however I am surprised that so many people weighed in on this the way they did. Anybody remember John Mellencamp’s old name?

John Cougar Mellencamp.

It is a fact that people who have names that are highly unusual on their resumes will decrease their chances of getting an interview.

In the particular testing which revealed this, I believe that it was focused more on first names.

You just don’t find many white people named something like Quaneisha or Kwami, for example.

Knowing this, I don’t think it surprising that they would want to pick something more mainstream.

Is it right for them to do this? It’s not only right but it’s a very smart move on their part.

Is it necessary ? Sadly, it is, if they want to avoid having their resume end up in the trashcan.

Its really a shame that they have to compromise themselves that way. But, it’s far more of a negative reflection upon those doing the hiring than those who alter their names.

What does this say to other black people ?

It says that there is still a lot of institutionalized racism in this country unfortunately for them.

No, it’s not wrong. The world isn’t an easy place, you can’t make everyone agree to a level playing field when it’s your time up to bat so you do what you’ve got to do in order to get what you need at the time. This woman didn’t change her name as an advantage or frivolous market appeal, she was already feeling the effects of a disadvantage so, go her! I’ve had three different last names so far and I’m probably (hopefully) not done yet- I can say I’ve had different reactions to each that I hadn’t counted on.

I know a German guy, whose grandfather changed the spelling of his last name, since it was exactly the same as one of the Nazi Party leaders’ name. Name changing is nothing new. Rumor has it that my wife’s maiden name was changed by one letter because the original two immigrant brothers got into an ugly fight, and completely disowned each other.

The spelling of my last name is so confusing (for some people) that I have considered changing it in the past. Now though, I am proud of my surname. If idiots can’t spell it or pronounce it, that’s their problem.

As for changing it for a job, well in this current job market, I say whatever it takes to land the position. It’s just a name, not who you really are.