Since her departure from Disney, Raven-Symone has been at the heart of some interesting "controversies." Her most recent comments have stirred up some outrage and not only in the African-American community.
We're not going to dwell on exactly what she said but it was essentially that she would never hire someone with a "ghetto" name.
I have a personal connection to what she said because I have what some people would call an "ethnic" name. My goal is to be a immigration lawyer and my father, who named me, told me that if I was serious about being a lawyer I should change my name to E.
Not Elena or Emily, just E.
I said no, of course, but at the time I really didn't think about. Could keeping my name keep me from getting a job? Is my name too "ghetto"?
I think we need to distinguish the difference between a name that is ethnic and a name that is "ghetto".
Ethnic is defined as something that belongs to or is derived from the cultural, religious, or linguistic traditions of a people or country.
Ethnic is a name that derives from a certain culture or ethnic group. Names like Gonzalo, Ailani and Ebony are what I would consider ethnic.
Ghetto is defined as something that pertains to or a characteristic of life in a ghetto or the people who live there.
It's hard to describe exactly what a "ghetto" name is because there's really no definition for it. There could be a Courtney and a Tyler living in what is considered a "ghetto," does that make the name "ghetto"? I think a more appropriate term would be "over the top" not necessarily "ghetto".
The point is, does having a name that is ethnic keep you from getting the job you want?
1. It depends on the type of job you want.
If you're going into a field where most of the people who work in that field have pretty standard names you might be met with some opposition. Going into fields like politics may be more difficult if you have an ethnic name than fields like education.
2. It depends on your name.
If you have a name that is seriously out there, like Watermelondrea or Friedchickenisha then it might be difficult for some employers to take you seriously. I'm not saying the names are too "ghetto" or that there's anything wrong with them, I'm saying it might diminish your credibility, which isn't fair but that's the world we live in.
3. It depends on the person who is doing the hiring.
If the job you are applying for has a hiring team that is not open to people with names that are different then chances are you probably will not get that job. Not necessarily because your name is bad or too "ghetto" but because someone doesn't like it or think it is appropriate for the job you want.
There are more factors at work than just your name when it comes to getting a job which can be a good thing or a bad thing.
The point is that you do not choose your name but you can choose to be proud of it or you can choose to change it if you feel that it is going to hinder your success. That decision can only be made by you.
