The workplace should be free from racism and discrimination, yet a 2023 global report by Catalyst reveals a troubling reality—66% of employees have experienced racism during their careers, and 52% say it’s happening in their current workplace.
One Korean woman found herself at the center of workplace drama simply because of her non-English name. A Muslim coworker complained to management, claiming her Korean name had an offensive meaning in his religion. In response, she was asked to either adopt an English version of her name or go by a nickname at work. Believing the request was unreasonable, she turned to the internet for advice.
A Korean woman was asked to change her name at work after a Muslim colleague claimed it had an offensive meaning in his religion.
Uncertain if the request was fair, the woman turned to the internet for guidance.
Having a name that doesn’t sound traditionally white can significantly reduce a person’s chances of getting hired.
“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare famously asked in Romeo & Juliet. As it turns out—quite a lot. While we may think of names as simple labels, they often carry deep-seated biases, especially racial ones.
Many children of immigrants know this firsthand. Whether they grow up in the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, or any other English-speaking country, those with non-English names are often pressured to anglicize them just to fit in.
A 2004 study revealed that job applicants with “white-sounding” names were 50% more likely to receive callbacks than those with African-American names. Fast forward to 2024, and the bias still persists—recent research shows employers are 24% more likely to favor white applicants over Black applicants, even for entry-level roles.
In 2011, a Canadian study tested this with names of Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, and even Greek origin. The results were similar: applicants with non-English-sounding names received 4.4% fewer responses from employers, despite having identical qualifications and experience as those with English-sounding names.
Many U.S. immigrants have historically anglicized their names in an effort to assimilate and avoid discrimination.
Adopting an English name has become so normalized for immigrants and foreigners that it’s often expected. I’ve personally ordered coffee under names like “Jenny” or “Katy” just to save the barista from struggling with the pronunciation. But being asked to do the same in a professional setting can feel discriminatory.
Historically, many immigrants to the U.S. changed their names to more English-sounding ones to help English speakers pronounce them—and to improve their chances of economic success. A more “American” name was seen as more marketable and appealing to customers.
This trend wasn’t limited to one group. Immigrants from Eastern Europe, Italy, Asia, and even Ireland often anglicized their names. In fact, some studies suggest that around 33% of U.S. immigrants changed their names within a decade of arriving in the country.
Today, more people are embracing and reclaiming the strength and identity in their non-English-sounding names.
Asian immigrants have often faced some of the harshest forms of discrimination in U.S. history. Early Chinese immigrants endured brutal treatment—facing lynchings, xenophobic ideologies like the “Yellow Peril,” and exclusionary immigration laws. Japanese Americans were also targeted, with around 120,000 forcibly relocated to internment camps during World War II.
Catherine Ceniza Choy, a professor of Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies at UC Berkeley, explained to CNN that in the 19th and 20th centuries, Asians were commonly viewed as “strange, but also inferior, dirty, \[and] uncivilized.”
“In those times, the desire to fit in was also about surviving in an openly racist, hostile society,” she noted.
Like many immigrant groups, Asian newcomers often tried to assimilate by Americanizing their names. Between 1900 and 1930, U.S. Census data shows that 86% of Asian boys and 93% of girls were given “American” names.
But today, there’s growing recognition that pressure to change one’s name isn’t just about fitting in—it’s about power and control.
“When you’re forced to give up something as personal and meaningful as your name to be accepted in American society, it can feel like you’re cutting off a part of who you are,” writes Sam Louie, MA, LMHC, CSAT, a therapist who specializes in multicultural issues.
“It’s not a swear word or anything,” she explained when clarifying the meaning of her name.
Many people viewed the coworker’s demand as both racist and unreasonable.
The support from netizens validated the woman’s feelings, with many echoing her resolve: “I definitely do NOT wanna cave at this point.”
