Trending Search Settings

Name Discrimination at the Job

17 replies · 2597 views · Started by The Nomad · Jun 2005
The Nomad Silver Spring, MD
It's easy to believe that someone will choose not to hire you based on physical appearance whether that's race or on the basis of physical attributes like hairstyle, piercings, or tattoos. I was wondering if anyone feels as if they were denied a job opportunity because your name sounded "too ethnic?"
Share
Reply
Page 2 of 2 First<12
ThatClassyGirl216 · Jun 2005
#11 Reply
I've never experienced discrimination because of my name, party because I have an old irish name...but yes, it's why my kids wont have ghetto names with no meaning.
Report
Quote
La · Jun 2005
#12 Reply
MeganJerai wrote:
It's apart of Black culture though. I know it's the way of the world but it needs to stop being a duty for parents to stop naming there kids certain names and more a duty for us to stop judging a person because of a name.
Yea that would be great in a perfect world. But we clearly dont exist in one, so with that said we need to name our children accordingly. Unfortunately, life isnt fair nor perfect. Im not saying that we have to give our children European white names to fit into society, but there are many nice African American names with meaning ( mine being one of them cause my parents found my name in a African baby name book )...but for some reason black people LOVE names that end in -isha, - quana, - dasia, - icka, etc...
Report
Quote
Poody · Jun 2005
#13 Reply
Lady_ J wrote:
but for some reason black people LOVE names that end in -isha, - quana, - dasia, - icka, etc...
my cousin got bof of those in her name, Shaquanika
Report
Quote
La · Jun 2005
#14 Reply
Poody wrote:
Lady_ J wrote:
but for some reason black people LOVE names that end in -isha, - quana, - dasia, - icka, etc...
my cousin got bof of those in her name, Shaquanika
lol...my point proved
Report
Quote
IgnoranceIsBliss · Jun 2005
#15 Reply
Lady_ J wrote:
MeganJerai wrote:
It's apart of Black culture though. I know it's the way of the world but it needs to stop being a duty for parents to stop naming there kids certain names and more a duty for us to stop judging a person because of a name.
Yea that would be great in a perfect world. But we clearly dont exist in one, so with that said we need to name our children accordingly. Unfortunately, life isnt fair nor perfect. Im not saying that we have to give our children European white names to fit into society, but there are many nice African American names with meaning ( mine being one of them cause my parents found my name in a African baby name book )...but for some reason black people LOVE names that end in -isha, - quana, - dasia, - icka, etc...
You don't have to have a name like Boquisha or Shaniqua to be discrimnated against. Anything sounding ethnic or African names with meaning gets discriminated against like Kenya, Ebony, or Kwasi . You're right it's not a perfect world but I truly believe it's not that difficult to not judge someone by their name. It just sounds ridiculous to me when I hear people say that we need to put aside part of our culture so we can satisfy White America. Shoot even Blacks are prejudging as well. This black dude was on a talk show with that mess talking about he don't hire people with names like Shaniqua cause they usually ghetto. This is just my unbiased opinion obviously cause I don't have a "Black name".
Report
Quote
La · Jun 2005
#16 Reply
MeganJerai wrote:
Lady_ J wrote:
MeganJerai wrote:
It's apart of Black culture though. I know it's the way of the world but it needs to stop being a duty for parents to stop naming there kids certain names and more a duty for us to stop judging a person because of a name.
Yea that would be great in a perfect world. But we clearly dont exist in one, so with that said we need to name our children accordingly. Unfortunately, life isnt fair nor perfect. Im not saying that we have to give our children European white names to fit into society, but there are many nice African American names with meaning ( mine being one of them cause my parents found my name in a African baby name book )...but for some reason black people LOVE names that end in -isha, - quana, - dasia, - icka, etc...
You don't have to have a name like Boquisha or Shaniqua to be discrimnated against. Anything sounding ethnic or African names with meaning gets discriminated against like Kenya, Ebony, or Kwasi.
You would be surprised at how many names of African decent DONT get discriminated on...Speaking from personal experience and having a Swahili name, I get more compliments from white people then I do a funny look for having a " black name. " Ive had more of them say " oh thats a really pretty name. " And I really do believe its the more Ethnic names that employers frown upon and not the African ones. I mean, look at Kwame and Omarosa. Those are names of African decent. Now if their names were Tyquan and Nyesha I doubt Donald Trump would have even had them on the Apprentice. I mean I understand the point you are making, but the fact of the matter is we ALREADY get discriminated on just for being black alone...why make things worse for ourselves by making up names that nobody knows to to even pronounce or spell and gonna discriminate on you even more for having a ethnic name.
Report
Quote
IgnoranceIsBliss · Jun 2005
#17 Reply
My mom was a federal investigator at EEOC, Equal Employment Oppritunity Commission, and would tell me all the time about people coming in there that felt they didn't get hired because of their name, and it was simple names like Ebony and Kenya, including the "ghetto names". It may have had a lot to do with why she named me Megan.
Report
Quote
More Discussions
Dudley Cosmetology University closes after 54 years
klg14 · 1w ago
0
No. 4 seed Langston Advances to Championship Game (March 24th at 7pm CT)
klg14 · 1w ago
0
Got an academic scholarship offer from Tuskegee University for the Fall 2026 semester?
klg14 · 1w ago
0
Community Supported Agriculture Is Rooted in Black History (Mother Earth News)
klg14 · 1w ago
0
Oscar-Winning cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw breaks down her work on "Sinners."
klg14 · 2w ago
0
Reply To Topic

Join the conversation! Login or sign up to reply.

Don't have an account? Sign up free

Page 2 of 2 First<12
Featured Jobs & Internships

Front Range Community College
Faculty, Nursing in Westminster, CO

Front Range Community College
Faculty, HVAC in Fort Collins, CO

W.W. Norton & Company
College Publishing Sales Representative, Oklahoma/Arkansas in Tulsa, OK

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Director of Exhibition Design and Production in Cambridge, MA

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds
Marketing Coordinator in Powell, OH

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds
Zookeeper (Aquarist), Shores in Powell, OH

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds
Rides Maintenance Technician in Powell, OH

Framatome
Mechanical Robotics Design Supervisor in Lynchburg, VA

Framatome
Robotics Control Engineer in Lynchburg, VA

Framatome
Civil/Structural Lead Engineer in Lynchburg, VA

Framatome
Component Engineering Supervisor in Lynchburg, VA

Framatome
Welding Engineer in Lynchburg, VA

Framatome
Advisory Component Analysis Engineer in Lynchburg, VA

Framatome
Robotics Control Engineer in Lynchburg, VA

Framatome
Business Systems Analyst I in Lynchburg, VA
Subscribe!
HBCU CONNECT
Follow Us!
Facebook Instagram Bluesky YouTube Flickr LinkedIn
Featured Members