| Really interesting, this topic.
I am a Chinese and have an English name since 8 or 9 year old. My father was then in the States for a long while and found me some little friends to start mailing each other. He thought it could be easier for me to communicate with those kids in an English name, so I got one which is very close to my Chinese given name in pronunciation. I have been using it since then, although legally only the Chinese name is valid. Since I am not so famous, the branding issue is irrelevant to me yet :-) ... I believe I have a great Chinese name, and the English name is rather plain, but still the English name brings me convenience, at least no harm. For foreigners that know some Chinese language or have been very close to me, I would explain to them what my 'original' name is and what does it mean. Chris, I don't think I need to worry about losing my cultural identity, as people would be able to tell what cultural background I'm having by seeing my surname. Most of Chinese people who has an English name, I believe, is just for convenience in communication. There is truly no serious reason hiding behind it. Let's do not try to put it to such a high level, please. bigbro, I liked your comments :-) p.s. I do not know any Japanese around me who uses an English name, but I know many Koreans are using, especially those working in western companies. |
Why I Don't Have an English Name