2 . I remember when Kamala Harris became Joe Biden's running mate. It seemed funny how many people pronounced her name incorrectly. On one occasion, a news host became upset when being corrected, and purposely called her Kumbaya.
I am no stranger to this issue as many of my students are from Asian and Middle Eastern countries, and sometimes their names are difficult for me to pronounce, even after asking them how to say it. Many students seem unwilling to correct me when I attempt to learn their names correctly. The other thing I’ve seen in growing numbers is students “adopting” an English name.
It's much more common than many think, for people to change their names in order to fit in.
This is especially the case when it comes to seeking jobs. Racial and cultural minorities often attempt to avoid discrimination hiring by hiding racial cues on the resume including changing their name. This is referred to as “resume whitening”. Research shows almost 50 percent of black and Asian job applicants did so.
Xian Zhao from the University of Toronto researches ethnic (种族的) name pronunciation, saying that many people don’t understand that habitually pronouncing an unfamiliar name inaccurately is a form of indirect discrimination. It sends a message that “you are the minorities” says Zhao. “You are not important in this environment, so why should I take time and my effort to learn it?”On the other end, those with ethnic names frequently don’t correct people, even when their name is pronounced wrong repeatedly, feeling it is better just to keep the peace and not stand out for being difficult.
It is important to try to pronounce everyone’s name as they pronounce it. This communicates respect of them as a person and their culture. There is nothing wrong with asking someone to repeat their name so that you can learn to pronounce it properly. This is usually appreciated.
1. When their names are incorrectly pronounced, the author’s Asian students
| A．attempt to laugh at it | B．tend to accept it |
| C．offer to correct the author | D．agree to change their names |
2. Which of the following can be seen as “resume whitening”?
| A．An application for a better job. |
| B．A change in work environment. |
| C．A ban on racial discrimination in workplace. |
| D．A practice of using Western names in job seeking. |
3. In his research, Xian Zhao finds that
| A．ethnics accept their names being mispronounced to save trouble |
| B．ethnics fight effectively with the discrimination against their names |
| C．many westerners pronounce ethnic names incorrectly on purpose |
| D．many westerners make efforts to pronounce ethnic names correctly |
4. What’s the author’s attitude toward pronouncing ethnic names correctly?
| A．Critical. | B．Uncaring. | C．Reserved. | D．Supportive. |
