Jaamac to Jamie: Why not Anglicize your name?

[DubatDiaries]

The evils of Zionism aside, I have to hand it to the Yahudis for reverse westernizing their names. Niggas going from "Benjamin Goldberg" to "Benyamin Har-Zahav". Waa respectable.

Benjamin Netanyahu used to be Mileikowsky

Different names for different locations, circumstances.

 

[DubatDiaries]

If a dictatorial cadaan regime demanded I change my name to something more "Christian" I would Habeshize my name and still remain foreign sounding just to say f*ck you. Asrat Gebre. Has the same meanings as my real Somali name.

See, thats where we disagree

I'd be walking around named John Joseph Smith before I name myself Dawit or Makonnen

 

[The alchemist]

My own name is not what I am talking about, this is my takeaway from sitting in the audience of a university graduation with a lot of Asians (the entire continent), Europeans and some Africans. These elaborate names people be having are lost on the rest of us - not very "self -preservation 'ist'" of me, I know, but its a concession I don't mind making.

I don't think the world would embrace me more if I change my name. You are making it sound like I am an angsty teen in need of dire intervention.... I'm okay, great even.

Stop, please.

Pretending it was a normal proposition makes you look like a nutcase.

Self-preservation of identity is important. Naming your kids James, Chad, Roland, Jimmy and what else, is giving in to assimilation. You pushing this knowing the consequences is questionable. It surely does signify issues you have because I have never heard this suggestion in my life and is an extreme position that would repulse anyone anywhere but some East Asian countries.

You're so lost you prioritize external convenience (what is easier for some random cadaan person) over cultural integrity. Names carry history, culture, tradition, often religious significance, identity, and even a sense of cultural and social belonging. Changing that in favor of the Western brand makes you a turncoat.

The reason why I asked you for your age is that one expects such thinking of very insecure young girls (only in rare cases) to hate their name and want to fit in, (pre-high school activities). They start to modify themselves by de-culturizing their heritage, replacing it with a foreign expression aligned with the cadaans. If you're in your 20s, you should be well settled with your name, and have a social life that has built rapport, reputation, and relationships -- people you know, professionally or privately, already have an idea of who you are. You would look crazy to suddenly change your name. People don't suddenly want to pretend to be someone else unless they have psychological issues, or are hiding from someone (I know of such a case).

My question is, are you going to name your kids white names?

Within the psychology of name change, it is such that the individual wants to be something/someone else. And what direction goes explains what the person wants to be. You suggesting you want a Jamac (a name people rarely err, as explained) to "Jamie," reflects how you want Jamac to be more like a Jamie. Jamie has a superior archetypical appeal to you. You subscribe to the Western supremacist ideal.

One emulates that one thinks is superior, and you promoting the strange Jamac-to-Jamie transformation tells us you want to ascend to imitate the people that bear such names and distance yourself from the culture associated with Jamac, that you don't think is worth holding on to, i.e., you think is inferior.

Naming carries the potential to express as well as to constitute social relations. You want to be among the Whites, as such that you have elevated their social existence above the Somalis. You want Somalis to rise up and grab onto Western naming profiles to fuse among gaal as a form of new transformation while rejecting and leaving behind the old because you want to include cadaans within the change: they are after all what you think is the chief motivator. Calling this anything else than a mechanism of conformity is a lie. If some lunatic who is Somali calls himself "Jack," I know the fool is hanging with none of the people of his background, and more likely is "whitewashed." If I approach that individual I am assuming he is like any other random, not Somali. I already have an ajnabi friend named Jack, why would I want a counterfeit one?

A person is not sincere if they claim that they're proud of their background, yet change their name to be liked by foreigners. I'm sorry, that is just how it works 100/100.

If you were, real, you'd just say, "Name your kids with simple-sounding Somali names" (although most Somali names are very simple). That is still out of bounds for several reasons, but at least you would be consistent with only concerning the exaggerated issues of names.

 

[Rayaale]

When I was in high school one teacher used to call me Maxi he couldn’t pronounce Maxamud

 

[Xassan]

When I was in high school one teacher used to call me Maxi he couldn’t pronounce Maxamud

Was he saying Mackamud lol they assume the x pronounced like the english x but its basically soft h

 

[Testo 21]

Abdirahman to Andy

Mohamed to Moe or mike

 

[Tiyeglow]

What's in a name? Is it just some convenient way to be labelled or does it have a deeper significance?

My name is Samatar, named after my 4th grandfather AUN. I do accept my close friends to call me Sam, Aabe wuxu igu yeerijiray "Sam the lion" marka yaraa. It isn't to appease to white people, its an easy nickname. In my corporate space, I simply never allow anyone to call me "Sam", and I regret that during my high school days I accepted "Sam-ar-tah" rather than forcing people to pronounce it in the genuine way, but I was young. Now, I set the line. My name is too meaningful and sacred to me to be desecrated by qolada xaarka iska tirtirin. Side note: When I was in Somalia, hearing everyone pronounce my name the right way without having to repeat it was profound to me personally wallahi.

 

[Rayaale]

Was he saying Mackamud lol they assume the x pronounced like the english x but its basically soft h

They can’t pronounce x and c,he just shortened it to Maxi

 

[gasara]

They butcher/shorten my name and its so easy to pronounce. But can't lie I butcher their names too. E.g, if some dudes magaac is jameson I say JAMASON. I also butcher Sean a lot too ik its Shawn but idk why my brain says Seen.

 

[Gacmeey]

No I carry the name of great strong people and I’m not going to give that up for a group of people who do not wash their behinds god damn it. Are you even Somali? Xayawaan oo bilaa damiir baa tahay. You deserve to be slapped so that your brain can reboot and remember to be prideful of its religion and culture

 

[Xassan]

They butcher/shorten my name and its so easy to pronounce. But can't lie I butcher their names too. E.g, if some dudes magaac is jameson I say JAMASON. I also butcher Sean a lot too ik its Shawn but idk why my brain says Seen.

They be butchering the easiest names, impossible for them to pronounce somali x or c

 

[OhMan]

There are some somali names that are pretty ambiguous I.E
Galeyr
Roble
Magan

 

[wonyluvr]

My name and my surname are easy to pronounce pretty basic too

 

[gasara]

They be butchering the easiest names, impossible for them to pronounce somali x or c

I realized its due to pure laziness. Some of these people can pronounce the most hardest french/russian/greek names but cant pronounce Somali names or any other ethnic group Lol

 

[empressjamila]

Nah why should I?

If we have to learn hard ass names like Tchaikovsky I’m sure they can learn to pronounce other peoples names.

I’m not gonna disappoint my parents who put thought and love into naming me because some gaal can’t pronounce it or thinks it’s “strange”. I will also continue with my own children and give them Somali or Islamic names (not a fan of the random Arab name trend).

Most can pronounce my name because it’s pretty easy, but I do get a lot of “that’s different” “funny name I never heard that name before” lowkey shady comments. But I honestly don’t care about their worthless opinions. I love that I have a Somalified Islamic name that is recognizable in both my culture and religion.

Also notice how much the indhoyar try to imitate cadaan and kiss their ass. While other poc cultures don’t. You start with the names and then you eventually fall down the slippery slope to complete cadaan worship

 

[empressjamila]

I'd rather them say my name wrong than say a fake name right. Your name is your identity. Most Whites pronounce it functionally well after one correction (most don't need one since you state your name to them which they note).

You must be a socially weak person to succumb to cultural cuckery like that. And yes, Chinese who pick random names are compromised by internalized social and cultural inferiority because fitting in is their motive. It's pathetic.

And by the way, most white people think it's weird when foreigners anglicize their names. It's convenient for them, but you come off as a culture-washed social climbing opportunist. It's not respectable. Not only that, people are going to think you're adopted at first. Furthermore, you're taking on the idea that assimilation is better.

What type of message do you send to kids if you, on the one hand, tell them to hold on to their culture and be proud of where they're from, then on the other, tell them they should change their names to fit in so as not to get friction with the natives. I mean, that notion goes further since culture and religion go with what is not totally harmonic. Condition such mindset in them and they'll figure if they stop identifying with the Somali culture and instead practice whatever they do in the West, they'll be better off. Up with the Christmas trees. Next, they will undermine their own religion too, because, guess what, many have some ignorant views about Islam.

To mention the Chinese again, these people have stats showing nearly half of the females marry white men because their mothers tell them that cadaan men are the go-to. Their strategy is to merge and to the so-called socioeconomic climbing. So it is fitting for such people to do the pretentious name switch. But that is not our way.

I have a Chinese friend, everyone says his name right. No one says the name exactly like in China, but Xiao Yu is very simple, Shiao Yu. Xing Zhao is pronounced, Shing Jow... That's not a tough name at all. I don't buy the practicality argument. It's not honest.

Historically controlling naming was essential for the assimilation processes. That is why now, you have many people re-culturing themselves in central Asia, where they change the suffix of their surnames back to their original culturally linguistic forms. Out with the "-ov(a)".

White people never butcher Jamac here because it is written as Jama. We don't include the c, x in the names, so things go smoother. This is a fair compromise. And how much are you doing this anyway, are you even anglicizing the as-difficult surnames too? Are you gonna redo the father and grandfathers name? Anything formal will include those names, so there is no escaping these things.

Damn, I thought you were more down than this. You never know with the internet, man. Too many shaky people, you have to reserve a second glance for good measure.

And to the fellas, be suspicious of a woman who anglicizes her name.

Essentially all these are fatherless activities. We have to imbue confidence in the younger people, not tell them that it is ok to give in to insecurities and become losers who'd do everything to be accepted. Sticking out is not a problem. Tons of opportunities come through being distinguishable from the crowd. Overall, we live in a globalized world that is not so ethnically monotone. You're one of several foreigners in nearly every place you're in. This is not the 90s. No one cares about how silly you think your name sounds to non-Somalis.

Your strength and advantage lie in who you are. You should own your name, and carry it proudly. Have some dignity.

I 100% agree that these non cadaan people who change their names to cadaan names (or their parents gave them cadaan names) are not truly respected.

I have a couple African friends whose parents gave them Anglo names (I guess to fit in) and cadaans always ask them what their actual name is lmao.

Our names need to match our faces

 

[AbrahamFreedom]

If Somalis want to Anglicize their names, so be it. Most Somalis don't even have Somali names.

 

[wonyluvr]

If Somalis want to Anglicize their names, so be it. Most Somalis don't even have Somali names.

If you want an immigrant free Canada you have to leave too hypocrite

 

[AbrahamFreedom]

If you want an immigrant free Canada you have to leave too hypocrite

I'm not an immigrant. Go saaxo little girl.

 

[wonyluvr]

I'm not an immigrant. Go saaxo little girl.

You r right I should sleep though