I've come to see this as an honor... (alieliza)

 You get to pick her American name for life? Wow! Don't her parents have any input? What a great thing to do. I like Lulu, but Lulu Li sounds a little corny, but I love it!

 I would name her Emma.  Emma Li just kinda works...hehe.  My friend named her first girl Emma Lee, the Lee being her sister's middle name. 

I love the name Sofia, or Sophia.  And that of course sets me off on the names at daycare....lets see...Kai (pronounced Kigh), Jayden, Jael (Jay-Elle), Jayna, Rhiannin.  Oh and my White Tiger Cub is named Ki'ala...just sayin.

Good Luck, I know you'll pick the perfect name for her.  (BTW, Kali means Goddess of Destruction....REALLY shoulda researched that one a bit more)

My favorite girls names are Justine (jus-teen), Ja'el (jay-el), Petra (pay-trah), Willa, Marijke (mah-rye-keh...not American!), Sadie, Maaike (female Micah, also not American though), Jantina (yahn-teen-ah...again, not American).  Sorry, I'm Dutch so most of mine are Dutch.  I agree with picking something that she can pronounce.

huskymom

I love the name Sofia, or Sophia.  And that of course sets me off on the names at daycare....lets see...Kai (pronounced Kigh), Jayden, Jael (Jay-Elle), Jayna, Rhiannin.

You know a Jael?!  I have always loved this name and don't think I've ever actually met someone with it or known anyone else who likes it.

I know a "Jaenelle" though she is now assistant to a holocaust denier lol so I don't really want to admit that I know her :P

Liesje

huskymom

I love the name Sofia, or Sophia.  And that of course sets me off on the names at daycare....lets see...Kai (pronounced Kigh), Jayden, Jael (Jay-Elle), Jayna, Rhiannin.

 

You know a Jael?!  I have always loved this name and don't think I've ever actually met someone with it or known anyone else who likes it.

I know a few first generation immigrants who have changed their names. The two I know, anyhow, see it is a beautiful embrace of their new country, their new life, their new opportunities... I am not saying everyone feels this way, but the two Chinese immigrants I know feel this way (though they are much older)

I would encourage you to look at names via definition, and pick something for her that suits her spirit.

I actually think differently. I would never ask a person from another country to change their name only because i am not able to pronounce it correctly. I know she is the one who took the decision, i feel that changing your name to be a more "americanized" name is a slap in the face to the country they were born in and it's culture

I would never change my name just because some people out there are not smart enough to pronounce other countries' names. And that just does not apply for USA. Just imaging yourself going to China and having to change your name to a more chinese-friendly one because Chinese people cant pronounce it. I personally would feel that i'm turning my back on my beautiful roots

I would actually tell the student to embrace her culture and keep the beautiful name that she has because it represents the beautiful country she came from. That she should not change anything just because some people arent smart enough out there. I would tell her that keeping her name is like carrying a flag from China wherever she goes. That would help some people to realize that they are not the center of the universe and that there are other cultures out there so beautiful that maybe they should put a little more effort on knowing.

Culture diversity is so great that i would not feel comfortable on helping this student. I feel that i would be closing another door to it.

espencer

I would never change my name just because some people out there are not smart enough to pronounce other countries' names.

I understand what you're saying, but I must be one of the stupid ones because I don't speak Chinese, French, German, etc. I don't know any people who can successfully pronounce a name from every language in the world.

janobonano

I understand what you're saying, but I must be one of the stupid ones because I don't speak Chinese, French, German, etc. I don't know any people who can successfully pronounce a name from every language in the world.

Me niether but i like i said, i would not feel comfortable if someone changes their name just because i'm not smart enough to pronounce it correctly. It's my problem, not theirs

 If it's a personal choice, and not someone else's imposition, then refusing to allow them to "change their name" (really, add another name) is just as bad as refusing to allow them to keep the name that they have.

Example: my name is Courtney. espencer, as a Spanish-speaking person, you must know that my name is pretty much impossible for most Spanish-speaking people to pronounce. They can do "Coor-ney," or "Corny," but the "ort" sound just does not exist in Spanish. If I were to move to a Spanish-speaking country, I would adopt a Spanish-pronounceable name or nickname.

It is beyond frustrating to go into, say, a restaurant and put in a reservation for a table - "Table for two, please" "What's your name?" "Courtney" "What?" "Courtney" "Canny?" "No, Courtney - C-o-u-r-t..." "Uh...." etc. etc. etc. Or to be trying to do something over the telephone and have to spell your name out a million times because the person doesn't understand, because they can't pronounce your name, so the spelling doesn't make sense. Oh, and even after you've spelled it out for them three times, they still write it down wrong.

It's embarrassing and frustrating to have a name that almost nobody can pronounce. It's nobody's fault, it's just one of the consequences of multi-cultural communication.

Nobody should HAVE to take a new name if they don't want to, but if they do want to, they shouldn't have to feel guilty about it, either. Just like someone named "Elizabeth" might want to go by "Beth," or someone else want to be called by their middle name, why shouldn't someone named "Yu-san" be able to go by something like "Amy" if they really want to?

Maybe it's not just about pronounciation?  I have a non-American name that when said correctly is not difficult to pronounce at all.  I don't plan on changing it, but in situations where I need to give a name just to be in line or something like that I don't really care about preserving my culture I give an Americanized version of my name.  So maybe it's the opposite, that Americans are far less sensitive to culture and the importance of a name, so why use a name that carries so much significance if no one cares? 

Cita

then refusing to allow them to "change their name" (really, add another name) is just as bad as refusing to allow them to keep the name that they have.

Of course that ultimately is her own life and she can do whatever she wants, is just my opinion, i personally would never do it. I guess it depends on the country. I know some people where they could care less if their country just sinks into the bottom of the ocean. In Mexico we really embrace our culture so maybe thats what makes me say this.

I have issues with my own name in some places but i would never "americanize" it because of it

I understand what you're saying espencer and I agree to some extent.  But this child wants an American name.  It seems that some people from other countries want to embrace the American life and that includes their names and others prefer, like yourself, to keep their name.  I respect both positions.  My Dad's great, great, grandfather was from Spain and the family story goes that no one in America could pronounce his name or spell it and so they Americanized it.  Unfortunately, it got sort of mixed up in the translation.  My maiden name was a source of huge teasing my entire childhood.  I wish they had kept the original. :(

Trust me. I hear you.

Not only am I the most culturally sensitive and accepting person in this school, but I have dedicated my career to advocating for diverse students. I study multicultural education, and embrace a global curriculum each year. I put great emphasis on tolerance, cultural inquiry, and world exploration not only in my classroom with my students, but with the staff in my school in general. I probably drive everyone crazy because I never shut up about these kinds of topics, and am constantly on my high horse about this cultural notion, or that linguistic consideration. And this is me in a sea of homogeneous employees in a neighborhood that is quickly leaving that homogenity behind.

I tried to talk her out of this, and at first refused to even go along with it. However, the frustration that a child must feel on a day to day basis is likely enormous. Not only does she not fully understand the language or culture, but nobody can get her name right. Not even me, and I probably have the closest pronunciation of the bunch.

I honestly do feel honored that she has chosen me to be a part of this very personal selection process. I don't really want to be the one to deny her this, though I have, and will continue to, stress the importance of her use of her Chinese name. She has said that she wants me to continue to call her by her Chinese name, and I have the utmost confidence that her Chinese name will be used in the home and in her community. I can only hope that this is one step towards her becoming truly bicultural, which is my dream for all of my students. To find a balance between their home culture/language and America's culture and language. To truly be successful in both worlds.

I feel that in the future, when she is finding herself, forming her adolescent (and beyond) identity, she can grapple with this. She will likely continue to grapple with this identification for the rest of her life. She has made, and will continue to make, informed decisions.