Advice from Dear Abby about Indian baby names is being roundly condemned by many.
Jeanne Phillips, who took over the advice column from her late mother Pauline in 2002, suggested foreign names would subject children to teasing in school and “saddle kids” later in life.
Dear Twitter,
A famous advice columnist is telling people to whitewash their kid’s names if they want to be accepted. How should I tell her that’s wrong and racist?
Simran Jeet Singh pic.twitter.com/URNbMT5LZ7
— Simran Jeet Singh (@SikhProf) October 16, 2018
Among those joining the chorus of condemnation has been model/actress Padma Lakshmi.
Names have meaning. They have history. They tell us who we are and where we come from. The first step of colonization is to erase the heritage and culture of indigenous people. Advising someone against giving their child a “foreign name” is deeply racist and problematic. pic.twitter.com/fdGORIR06O
— Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) October 17, 2018
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She has not been alone.
Journalist Soledad O’Brian says her name has been a blessing.
Dear Abby,
Challenging names can ultimately be a blessing.
— signed, Soledad https://t.co/U1kszt1Huf— Soledad O’Brien (@soledadobrien) October 17, 2018
S as in Sam. H as in Harry. A as in Adam. R as in Robert. M as in Michael. I as in Isaac. L as in Larry. A as in Adam. S as in Sam. E as in Edward. N as in Noah.
My name is Sharmila Sen. No whitewashing. No lazy shortcuts. https://t.co/HJeSYBftsT
— Sharmila Sen (@_sen_sharmila) October 17, 2018
Not just whitewash. Dear Abby is promoting cultural genocide. Names are often an integral part of one’s identity, lineage & culture. For Sikhs, our names are rooted in & derived from our faith.
Also Todd is no more “normal” than Harpreet. Kathy is no more “normal” than Juanita. https://t.co/x00HmSoWog
— Jo Kaur (@SikhFeminist) October 16, 2018
This is not a new debate limited to the Indian American community. Asians and other people of color have wrestled with this question.
Do you have an ethnic name? What has your experience been with your name? We’d love to hear your stories and your thoughts.
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RE: What’s in a name? Advice from Dear Abby Draws Backlash: It is nonsense to say having a strange name had no effect. It leaves you open to bullying and mockery which can last a lifetime . There is a difference between having an unusual name and having a name which means something rude or funny. If your name is Sameer or Wong that’s one thing . If your name is Dong it doesn’t help.
RE: What’s in the name. Advice from Dear Abby Draws Backlash: I think today’s generation is a bit more open to names that are not like theirs. No matter what you’re name is if a person wants to bully you they will find away. I just believe that dear Abby was only looking at it from a one dimensional point of view. My name has nothing to do with either of my ethnicities or races. There are some people that chose to use biblical names for their children not matter their race or ethnicity.