What makes a name ghetto

I've been banging this point home over and over, but I think the fact that the major centers of study, theorizing and writing Manhattan and D. I want to add that as someone who named his son Samori when its pronounced Sah-Mar-Ree and who came up around girls literally named Shenikwa and boys named Travon, this idea that naming your kid something different--color aside--justifies your socio-economic status holds zero truck with me.

Of course unintentionally misspelling a kid's name, well Skip to content Site Navigation The Atlantic. Popular Latest. Regions Tampa St. Letters to the Editor Submit a Letter.

Investigations Narratives Pulitzer Winners. Connect with us. About us. Obituaries Homes Jobs Classifieds. Careers Advertise Legal Contact. Log in. Account Manage my subscription Activate my subscription Log out. Column: What to do about a 'ghetto' name. Published May 16, You could use a good laugh Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletter Columnist Stephanie Hayes will share opinions and funny business with you every Monday. Explore all your options.

And sometimes, this lack of comprehension can make us feel bad for birth-given names, cultural or otherwise. She expressed …. So anyway, in grade school, because my last name started with an A, I was the first in roll call, and nobody ever knew how to pronounce it. Unfortunately, it is connected to how others view us—and is usually based on the respectable way in which mainstream society analyzes, interrogates, and appropriates us, and our experiences. And if even some say it has to do with professionalism, it is clear that this type of professionalism is still rooted in the acceptance by a mainstream society that was never designed—intentionally so—to accept or understand our cultural dynamics.

The other day on Twitter, I debated the concept of denigrating the black community for selecting names that people, including those in the black community, fail to understand, which are typically a result of culture, ingenuity, and creativity.

Stop hating us and yourself. All ethnicities have names that people may not be able to pronounce, and we are trained to learn them. Hamer, Ashley. You must be logged in to post a comment. So what changed? Farlex, n.