Sigh.
A North Texas legislator during House testimony on voter identification legislation said Asian-descent voters should adopt names that are “easier for Americans to deal with.”
The comments caused the Texas Democratic Party on Wednesday to demand an apology from state Rep. Betty Brown, R-Terrell. But a spokesman for Brown said her comments were only an attempt to overcome problems with identifying Asian names for voting purposes.
Funny enough, I have a few pals that actually changed their names because they got sick of people jacking them up. Especially Vietnamese and Laotian ones.
If you are Asian, please adopt “Bruce” or “Sara” as a first name, and select from one of the following last names:
Lee
Kim
Smith
I wonder what weird, exotic, 14-syllable Germanic names are in her ancestry… What did a forebearer change his name from to be plain old Brown?
Yeah, why can’t weird foreign immigrants have regular, normal names, like decent people!
For the GOP racism is not a bug, it’s a feature.
Now why would the modern Republican party have trouble gaining support from minorities? Hmm. Hard to figure that one.
Many immigrants do this willingly. Yes, even European ones. My family changed the spelling because when looked at in English……ugh. Very difficult.
Again, much ado about nothing.
yo mama: “Many immigrants do this willingly.”
And many didn’t have a choice. My grandfather’s first name was legally changed because the person at immigration didn’t know how to spell, or didn’t want to write in Constantine, so it was changed to Ken.
Again, much ado about nothing.
Indeed, why can’t those uppity others just automatically conform to the modern Republican party anyway? Get in line, whateveryournameis!
It’s much ado about nothing because a GOP bigot eruption is dog bites man, dig?
Again, much ado about nothing.
This is why we say GOP bigot eruption. This is why it gets painted with such a broad brush. If a Democrat had said that, most, if not all, of the members of the party would say “Dude! Not cool.”
The GOP says “what’s the big deal? It’s true. Asians have had names.”
See how that happens?
“if it ain’t white, it ain’t right”-Betty Brown
Stop speaking right now, Betty!
Asian-descent voters should adopt names that are “easier for Americans to deal with.”
Look at that. It’s not even the suggestion that Asian-descent voters should change their names to conform to the ignorant that’s most offensive.
It’s the fact that these folks–who, if they can vote, are Americans–would have to do so so that “Americans” can deal with them.
GFY, Betty Brown.
Stay classy, Republicans.
Like ‘real Americans,’ right Betty? Like ‘true America?’ Wink, wink, nudge nudge, ahem wink.
You and Bachmann have fun tisking disapprovingly out your window at the state of the neighborhood since those strange folks started moving in.
I wonder how well this would go over with the Republican neocon wing of the party if the directive was aimed at, say, Jewish immigrants from central Europe?
“Names like Menachem Sylivvovitz are just too hard for regular Murkans to say, so if y’all wanna get the vote, I suggest you change it to something nice and Protestant, like Mike Smith!”
If a Democrat had said that,
… he’d be nominated for Vice President.
I’ll bet she wouldn’t say that to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“If you are Asian, please adopt “Bruce” or “Sara” as a first name, and select from one of the following last names:
Lee
Kim
Smith”
This is Texas, that should be ‘Bruce Bob’ and ‘Sara Sue.’ I had a good friend at work named Lee from South Korea. He didn’t have a middle name but would put Lee when filling out forms.
Ms. Brown should know there are a lot of Czech settlements near Austin whose residents probably wouldn’t want people messing with their names.
Crap. Would put ‘Bruce’ when filling out forms.
Cons not too big on choice after all hu?
Your modern Republican party, charming as ever. Love how she’s resisting calls for an apology. Can’t wait for Rush Limbaugh to champion her.
This should have been an ‘Onion’ story. The fact that it really happenend dismays me. Growing up in California, I may have missed out on the whole ‘Asians aren’t really American’ meme.
I’m just saddened by this. I can’t even make fun of this woman, that’s how bad it is.
And while you’re at it, a little facial surgery would make it easier for us to tell you people apart.
The difficult name was “Ko”
“Ko” – but I bet “Coe” would fly just fine.
I was reading today about the Mexican-American War, how we Americans bled and died to keep Texas a U.S. slave state instead of a largely Anglophone, Mexican sub-province where slavery was at least technically prohibited.
I would have no problem with returning Texas to Mexico; that would increase the per capita income of both countries (dramatically in Mexico’s case, slightly for the U.S.), though it would probably lower the average Mexican IQ if this legislator is reflective of the state.
Yeah, but then Mexico would have to take Bush. Might start a war.
The legal problem is created by the state department issuing papers in original name utilizing characters that are not available in every state. Texas issues documentation on state level not compatible with federal state department paperwork. The local level cannot accurately compare the documentation. It is government at its best, it is not bigotry just the fact that not many states are equipped to handle the natural characters of every language. The question posed was to adopt characterzation of the citizen name that is readily available on the local level. It is a matter of choice that will come up every day.
I wonder what weird, exotic, 14-syllable Germanic names are in her ancestry…
Johann Gambolputty… de von Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crasscrenbon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle- dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz- ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich-grumblemeyer- spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen-gutenabend-bitte-ein- nurnburger-bratwustle-gernspurten-mitz-weimache-luber-hundsfut- gumberaber-shonedanker-kalbsfleisch-mittler-aucher von Hautkopft. Of Ulm
Seriously, are Republicans every going to try and win the presidency ever again? Like, in a real way, not a Sarah Palin way?
Perhaps Newt Gingrich should consider a name change as well.
It is government at its best, it is not bigotry just the fact that not many states are equipped to handle the natural characters of every language.
Then the answer is to get the government up to speed, not to ask citizens to change their names.
Oh, and Kathy? Asking these American citizens to change their names to make it easier “for Americans” is bigotry.
“…easier for Americans to deal with?”
Hey, Betty… just what Americans are you referring to? My name is Tom Woo (mother born in Denver, CO – father born outside Guangzhou, China) and I was born in Portland, OR..
.
I’m American.
.
I’m not going to suggest you’re a racist. I really don’t think you are one. But I do think you’re clueless in a way you wouldn’t understand if I tried to explain myself.
More than anything it’s sad that you’re so extremely disconnected from reality in that you would even say such a thing. The fact that you didn’t even stop to think of the impact of your comments, while you were dribbling this self-blinded nonsense is troubling.
It’s time to retire, Betty… you’re getting old and too far out of touch. Perhaps you’ve done some good in years past, but when you don’t know why an apology would mean something, even if you didn’t mean to offend, it’s time to move on as the years have caught up to ya.
.
Just as American as you are,
Tom Woo
This IS the party that passed around a photo of the White House with watermelons on the front lawn, saying “No more Easter egg hunts at the White House.”
Par for the course.
The question posed was to adopt characterzation of the citizen name that is readily available on the local level.
We call it English up here. It would be unreasonable to fill out forms in Texas in Korean kanji. Is that what you’re saying?
SpiderJ, you trying to talk sense to someone named “Kathy”?!
Uh-oh… the truth of what Brown said — in full context — is starting to come out. What she was actually suggesting was that people from countries that don’t use our alphabet somehow standardize how they transliterate their names into English.
Oh, the racism!
When I was growing up, the capitol of China was Peking. On some older maps, it was Peiping. Now, it’s Beijing. And it hasn’t move one inch.
I have a copy of Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War II. The section on the Imperial Japanese Navy has over 400 ships listed with their “old” and “new” names, as issued by the IJN. Just the battleships and aircraft carriers:
Old/New
Satsuma/Satuma
Mutsu/Mutu
Fuso/Huso
Yamashiro/Yamasiro
Hiyei/Hiei
Kirishima/Kirisima
Takematsu/Takematu
Chichibu Maru/Titibu Maru
Shokaku/Syokaku
Ryujo/Ryuzyo
Hosho/Hosya
For some reason, after the war, nearly every ship reverted to the original names. (The Hiei’s name stayed the same.)
As far as other, non-Asian cultures… I know some “Liptons” whose ancestors were “de-Lipshitzed” at Ellis Island. Not one of them ever considered changing it back; they prefer the “tea” jokes (no connection with my chosen nom de plume) over “lip-shit” remarks.
Standardizing the Anglicizing of original names not using our alphabet to make life easier for everyone concerned, while not changing their original name in their original writing untouched? Yeah, that’s REAL racist.
J.
Oh, and what is the current spelling of the dictator of Libya? Saturday Night Live, back in the early 80’s, had a Weekend Update when they scrolled all the possible ways to spell it. There were some brilliant insults buried in there.
J.