Why do many Chinese people like to have Western first names?

[TYZ]

Jame,
The reason that chinese like to adopt ENGLISH name (not western) is for the convenience of non-chinese speaker to remember their name.
and one thing i would like to say, these name have no meaning than a symbol of the person it refers to, unlike chinese name, it actually have a meaning, and also it represent how parents hope their child will be.
Mike,
we don't GIVE people name. will you be happy that someone simply address you with some words that you don't understand, or can't even write

[Jacky-jiang80]

No other aims except convenience. If you like , you can call me my last name.

[Mike]

Mike,
we don't GIVE people name. will you be happy that someone simply address you with some words that you don't understand, or can't even write

In fact I do read, write and speak Chinese. Its quite pompous of you to assume that I don't. I was merely referring to the fact that Chinese are no better at pronouncing English names than westerners are at pronouncing English names. I don't get all bent out of shape when Chinese consistently mispronounce my name so why should they?

[ashley]

Ling Ling wrote:

The only thing I might find disturbing is when they choose/are given names, which belong to opposite sex. Look how many male Hongies have female names and vice versa ;)

i am a guy and i have a girls name so it don't matter if the oppsite sex has the same name as the other sex so get over it GOD

[smling2002]

what the heck can't chinese have a western name?
no any chinese would dump there chinese name away even he/she got a west-name.
west-name may be saied a fashion or communicative way.
there're million of non-caucasian got a west-name.
why did you memtion chinese only?

[Bendel Radical]

Freedom of expression means anyone can choose any type of name on planet earth. If I choose to call myself "Stupid Elephant", that's my business and no one else's. Nonetheless, I am so so glad I do not have a western name but have the names of my own people.

[Dchen]

For a chinese to have a western name is fine because we still have a surname which tells others that we are chinese.However if it's an indian that's a whole different story all together.

An indian who adopts a western name through 2 or more generations will start claiming that they have western decendents.It is one of the ways they use to avoid the caste system in India.They dun have surnames to carry behind their own but their forefathers. Sample lineage--> Gandhi Muthu(grandfather)-->Joseph Gandhi(Father)-->Samuel Joseph(Son)

Can the name Samuel Joseph tell he's indian?

The topic starter may be curious because of this.He tries to ask on behalf of himself?

[See-Lly]

Name is a personal identification, why can't an individual make choices of what they prefer to be called? I am biracial and I like all parts of my name. I appear Chinese and I have an English name. You are wrong by assuming that I am only Chinese. Adopt a broader worldview, the trend is that our society is going to get more diverse and will have more multiracial individuals like me.

[fleagah]

Yup, perhaps people can just call themselves what they like. If it sounds nice, why not?
Within reasonable polite boundaries, of course.

And: One of the main characters in "Gone with the Wind" (old-ish but really famous book) is called Ashley, and he's a man, so I don't know if Ashley is strictly a girl's name. Oh well.

[Konstan Ripple]

JamesJ is a bigot.

People, you just dont need to justify your actions.

We dont know who James is, we dont know his motives and we certainly shouldnt give any shiiittee to people like him.

Waste of time, little bigot.

[Konstan Ripple]

Freedom Freedom Freedom,

name yourself Elephant if you want!

Your choice!

Name yourself James if you like!

Name yourself Bigit if you like!

Name it all!

It you name, you game, dont let anyone tell you otherwise.

[lct]

I am here to offer another answer to the topic.

When I was in the states or in Europe, the Americans and Europeans just cann't pronounce my Chinese name right. I tried many times. but still, when they called me up, I didn't even realzed.

Finally, I gave up. Call me Aileen, I said.

there got be somebody have the some problems I experienced.

[Mike]

"I am here to offer another answer to the topic.
When I was in the states or in Europe, the Americans and Europeans just cann't pronounce my Chinese name right. I tried many times. but still, when they called me up, I didn't even realzed.
Finally, I gave up. Call me Aileen, I said.
there got be somebody have the some problems I experienced."

Actually, if you had read the posts you would have seen that this excuse (and really is nothing more than an excuse) has already been dealt with. Look, you are not a native English speaker so you can't pronounce my name correcly either. So, let's just agree that we won't let each other's mispronounciation of our names bother us. hao ba