<p>So, why do a lot of first generation Asian parents give their kids American first names?</p>
<p>Is it so they assimilate better? Does the first name hold as much significance in Asian culture? Do the names somehow translate and are common?</p>
<p>I have a more interesting question. why are all asian LAST names american? Lee, Kim, Park, etc? Their first names can be Asian sounding/spelled, but their last names are unarguably the ones listed here, unaltered from Asia. What is up with that?</p>
<p>I think the immigrant parents give their children American names as they envision the American dream coming true for their children. </p>
<p>Also, peer pressure means the young children sometimes adopt an English first name in addition to their Asian first name, because of the un-pronounceability of their original Asian first name.</p>
<p>And baller, I don’t get your question. Why would children have altered last names? Last name is your family name, therefore, your last name must be the same as that of your father.</p>
<p>
This is by far the funniest question I’ve seen. And ignorant.
It’s not that those are “American” names. They are their legit last names that their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents have had forever, and I guess they just happen to sound like English. Why the f would they have to “alter” these?
Also, there is just less “variety” of last names in Asian language.</p>
<p>baller, I think the real question is, “Why do some American last names sound so much like Asian last names?” Asian culture had been established far before the (non-Native) American culture. </p>
<p>I have a Spanish/Italian/Filipino first name with an English twist, which was derived from my dad’s first name.</p>
<p>I think all of these are right; assimilation, fitting in, etc.</p>
<p>I and everyone else in my generation have an Anglo first name in addition to a Chinese name that we use as our middle name.</p>
<p>And yes baller that was quite an ignorant question. All of those names developed individually in both China and the West. I could just as easily, and perhaps more so, argue that all Americans with those surnames adopted them from Chinese people.</p>
<p>I think it just makes things easier in school… the profs won’t have time pronouncing… so do their friends…</p>
<p>I DO think that Asians should have Asia first names… but some people even ignore the first names their parens give them and go with other 'AMERICAN" names.</p>
<p>what i want to know is why do ALL americans have the same names? Tom dick harry over and over</p>
<p>they don’t. they usually give their kids traditional names, but the kid adopts a name like michael or susan so friends/teachers/whatever don’t have to pronounce some crazy asian name</p>
<p>Why cant we have American names?!
Especially those that were born in the US. We are American too ya know. Everyone in the US, besides native Americans came from another place. Arguably, most names aren’t “American” and are derived from European languages. </p>
<p>No the first names don’t translate. We basically have two names. If our parents care to give us an Asian name.</p>
<p>However, I know that some english names can be transliterated into Chinese. which is not the same as being translated. If you ask to translate your english name, it can only be transliterated. FYI</p>
<p>Pronunciation is usually in some way similar to its english spelling. It is ONLY SIMILAR in pronunciation. Most are not pronounced the way they are spelled. The english language is not good for showing pronunciation of Asian names/words/the language at all. It is not very accurate at all so don’t think that we copied/stole/or whatever you’re thinking American names. ITS JUST THAT WE GOTTA SOMEHOW TRANSLITERATE names into English.</p>
<p>I agree with strongbadfan. I have two names. And I could also transliterate my Anglo name (I refuse to call it “American”) into Chinese, but that’s not my real name.</p>
<p>Don’t you hate it when people read something in pinyin and pronounce it totally wrong? It makes me facepalm.</p>
<p>yeah its more of an name in english. American is very broad and includes ASIAN AMERICANS as well. </p>
<p>yah yah. Pinyin is really simple really. Its really funny when people argue with you on how something it pronounced.
I work at a Chinese fast food place at the airport :\ So I hear a lot of mispronunciations.
Chow mein is really interesting. I force myself to pronounce it incorrectly if I do say it at all, so not to confuse people who insist its chow MAYNE/mein. Its neither cantonese nor mandarin which I find really funny. Cantonese, its meen. Mandarin is mian. Who came up with the silly transliteration of mein?!
/end rant</p>
<p>my question is how does a name like Tap Sum Bong become Anthony?
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL HAHAHAHAHAHAHA</p>
<p>Yeah I call it chao mian also lol.</p>
<p>Pinyin can be confusing for some Americans though - words like Laozi (lay-oh-zee?).</p>
<p>Trick</p>
<p>read this very carefully</p>
<p>Most people aren’t naming their kids english names and transliterating that into CHinese.</p>
<p>If someone’s Chinese name is also their english name, it is most likely the pinyin that is their name. (ie your example and probably made up am I right? Tap Sum Bong)</p>
<p>A chinese name does not become an english name like in your example.
They are two entirely separate names.</p>
<p>I repeat: they are two ENTIRELY SEPARATE names.</p>
<p>Any similarity in sounds might purely be a coincidence. or deliberate.</p>
<p>Take a language class or two people!
Let there be light.</p>
<p>strongbadfan, tap sum bong is a Russell Peters reference, he’s a comedian.</p>
<p>sorry im not familiar with russell peters</p>
<p>
Well…uh…</p>
<p>from what I heard from my east-Asian friends, it is done to stop jeers like 'hey how do you say that… name? hahaha, myung kyung xiao!" and make it easier for teachers to avoid confusion. If you want to make them feel better - ask their names (the real ones), and learn to pronounce them correctly. I always called them by original names, it made them very happy :)</p>
<p>That does make us happy :)</p>
<p>Most Asian-American kids (that I know at least) don’t have English first names…
They have an Asian first name and an English nickname because it’s easier to pronounce (and/or they just don’t like having their real name butchered all the time–like if you mess up the accents you could’ve just completely changed the meaning of the name into an insult or something else pretty bad) and because, like Alone said, they want to avoid being teased about their name…</p>