"Is it okay to give a black baby a Japanese name?"

[Mulboyne]

From Yahoo Answers:

Now I'm not pregnant now and I prolly wont be for a long time but with all my relatives having kids I starting thinking of names for my future child. I really like anime and some of my friends said it would be cool for her to have a anime name, but my Mom was like it should be a common American name. So what should I stick to? Oh the names I like the most are:
Kitsune, Miharu, Tsuki, Ai,Yuna, Sakura and Hinako. Kitsune is the most favored because with the last name attached it'll translate roughly into
Grey Fox.)

Some answers:

As an African American I most certainly would not like having a Japanese name, especially if I'm not Japanese. You should embrace YOUR heritage, not someone else's.

I ADORE Japanese names, and I would happily have used one on my children. However, I decided against it - not because of the ethnicity problems, but because Japanese spellings of names can be quite confusing to most English-speaking folk.

I once knew a white girl named Reiko, and I knew a Japanese girl named Shelley. Seriously. Not a big deal.

No it's not. If you like anime then I would have to say you're at an age which you don't need to be thinking about child birth.

[Buraku]

Kitsune is a big WTF

all of this reminds me of those weird Hollywood baby names

Kal-El, Nick Cage thinks his child will fly away to another planet some day
Zumanestarock Gwen Stefani's too much drugs too much rock music
Fifi Trixibelle product of Geldoff/Yates, again too much drugs rock music
Zowie product of Bowie
Pilotinspektor, Jason Lee's kid (he's a scientologist)

[jim katta]

The real question here is why some FG idiot would post some other idiot's post from some other website asking such an idiotic question. The originally posted question is obviously stupid (whether white baby or black baby, stupid question) so the motivation behind posting it was probably to highlight the stupidity of the original poster. Wow. How clever that you posted this for us to see.

[Mulboyne]

The real question here is why some FG idiot would post some other idiot's post from some other website asking such an idiotic question.

Because this idiot always posts a link to anything which shows a collision between Japan and the rest of the world.

[Bucky]

Takeo Gerard Spikes (pronounced /tuh-KEE-oh/) (born December 17, 1976 in Sandersville, Georgia) is an American football linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals 13th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Auburn.

A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Spikes has also played for the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles.

According to Spikes, his nickname TKO also stands for "The Knock Out" (with emphasis on "The"), which refers to any single event or action that decidedly alters the course of any game or sports-related activity. He's now dating Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins of TLC.

He was named after Japan's 66th Prime Minister Takeo Miki. Miki's successor, who was appointed the nation's 67th Prime Minister on December 24th 1976, was also Takeo (Fukuda).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takeo_Spikes

[gomichild]

The real question here is why some FG idiot would post some other idiot's post from some other website asking such an idiotic question. The originally posted question is obviously stupid (whether white baby or black baby, stupid question) so the motivation behind posting it was probably to highlight the stupidity of the original poster. Wow. How clever that you posted this for us to see.

What a ridiculous comment to make. You obviously pay no attention to the extensive history of the FG poster - Mulboyne, who posts on a variety of different topics related to Japan. And in your flippant reaction you've missed the important scope of the actual post - which asks a legitimate question - is it a mistake to use a name from a culture that you have no association with?

For many of us here with mixed Japanese/foreign children the question of the name is a very complicated one - and that's with having a tie to the culture. You also need to take into consideration the relationship to your own country and culture. Also will the name be easy enough for both sides of the family to say and write? How will authorities deal with the chosen name.... and so on.

The original asker is perhaps misguided in wanting to choose a Japanese word for a name - but no more misguided than some of the mish-mashed English names that have come into usage, or the complex spelling changes of simple name (ie Tiffany) that have been adopted of late.

[American Oyaji]

Because this idiot always posts a link to anything which shows a collision between Japan and the rest of the world.

Nice one Mul!

But as to the original question, I don't see a big deal with it. Providing you KNOW what you're naming your child. I think a lot of Japanese girl names would work fine for girls. Boys is a different story. I'd say make SURE you know what you're naming your child.

I like the name Kamina for a boy, though looking at it, one might think it's a girls name.

[wuchan]

This reminds me of a lady I met in GA. My friends and I were at a large event and met a lady with a cute little girl. I asked what the girls name is........ Omunikque. (when she replied "I'm-unique" someone just had to ask "um... how do you spell that?") Colored folk name their kids what ever they want, even if it makes zero sense.

[Iraira]

Rule #1: Don't fuck with Mulboyne!

There are no other rules.

[TennoChinko]

[Samurai_Jerk]

People should give their kids regular names for the country/culture they are living in. It makes the kids' lives so much easier.

I do know a *black guy in the US with a supposedly Japanese name (Tsuki). Everyone calls him Suki. I've asked some Japanese people and they all said they've never heard that name but it sounds feminine to them. Maybe it's an old school name.

*His mom is Japanese American so it's understandable. You wouldn't necessarily guess that if you met him though.

[Greji]

Rule #1: Don't fuck with Mulboyne!

There are no other rules.

Who is Mule Born and whose round is it....

[hundefar]

People should give their kids regular names for the country/culture they are living in. It makes the kids' lives so much easier.

Not necessarily. One should consider if the name will work in the culture that the kids are growing up in. For instance would Shusuke mean "sloppy" and Chise sounds like the word for "pee" where I live, and you can find many other instances where the name would have a bad meaning or just sound weird. But if the name works in the language then I don't think it is a problem, and usually the kids, at least in my experience, are proud of their names and enjoy having a special name.

[Iraira]

Who is Mule Born and whose round is it....

The alcohol and helium-filled hostesses are affecting your grammar, "When was Mule Born?". What oriface do you use to inflate them, by the way?

[mortheroth]

A friend of mine wants to put a Japanese name to his future son/daughter. I have said him he's a fucking idiot for that, so we live in Spain and it would sounds like:

Akane Garrochena García

WTF!

[Samurai_Jerk]

Not necessarily. One should consider if the name will work in the culture that the kids are growing up in. For instance would Shusuke mean "sloppy" and Chise sounds like the word for "pee" where I live, and you can find many other instances where the name would have a bad meaning or just sound weird. But if the name works in the language then I don't think it is a problem, and usually the kids, at least in my experience, are proud of their names and enjoy having a special name.

Yes, necessarily. Most kids don't like having unusual names. Also, I think black people that give their kids typically black names in the US are handicapping them. A resume with a name like Elisabeth Johnson is much more likely to make through screening than one with L'Quifa Johnson.

[Iraira]

Yes, necessarily. Most kids don't like having unusual names. Also, I think black people that give their kids typically black names in the US are handicapping them. A resume with a name like Elisabeth Johnson is much more likely to make through screening than one with L'Quifa Johnson.

It's spelled "Laqueesha 10 point"!
http://www.laqueesha1point0.com/

[hundefar]

Yes, necessarily. Most kids don't like having unusual names. Also, I think black people that give their kids typically black names in the US are handicapping them. A resume with a name like Elisabeth Johnson is much more likely to make through screening than one with L'Quifa Johnson.

My name was unusual when I grew up, though it is normal here now. My sons name is unusual and he is very happy to have a special name. My daughter has an unusual name, and from what I can gather from her daytime nursery it is now the norm (at least where I live) to have more special names. I do think that it can be a problem if you are a child who is picked on by others, then an unusual name can be a weakness to be exploited. But other than that, if the name works in the country you live in, I don't agree that it is necessarily a problem. My experiences show otherwise.

The names you are talking about are not just unusual, but names that signal that you belong to a certain group of society. That is a bit different from the point I was making.

[Mulboyne]

Shirley Maclaine and her husband Steve Parker named their daughter "Sachiko". When the couple split, she was brought up in Japan with Steve Parker and his next wife so she is fluent in Japanese. Consequently, there are probably quite a few people who think Sachi Parker is a hafu when she hasn't got any Japanese blood, unless you include her mother's appearance in My Geisha.

[Bucky]

We gave all three of our kids names that were easy to pronounce and that work in both English and Japanese. It makes no sense to handicap a kid with bizarre made up name or one that will invite ridicule.

[omae mona]

It makes no sense to handicap a kid with bizarre made up name or one that will invite ridicule.

Why not? I have already handicapped my kid with an embarrassing father that will invite ridicule. Seems like a funny name would be a drop in the bucket by comparison.

[jim katta]

Knee jerk defense of old buddies on the board, I get it, but it doesn't move me.

To answer the question, I think it's totally OK to name your kid whatever the hell you want as long as you have good intentions and keep his/her future in mind. Kal-el, Peter Parker, Brooklyn, whatever...

My objection was to simply posting some post about 'black' babies on this site that is full of multi-racial FGs--thus, the post regarding 'black' babies isn't really relevant here. So the correct title of this thread on FG would be "Is it okay to give a non-Japanese baby a Japanese name?" Otherwise, posting such a title on FG kind of seems like a veiled dig at african-american culture, and an invitation to start cracking jokes about african-american names. (an invite which, predictably, was quickly taken and run with.)

"Oh, he just copied and pasted the title from another site." Ok, cool, whatever. I just copied and pasted my opinion from Microsoft Word on my desktop. Whoopee. None of this is actually that important to me, just an observation. And one more thing, no matter how long someone has been posting here, no one is immune from criticism. That said, I got no problem with Mul, I just didn't like the way the post was made, nothing more.

[omae mona]

Jim, I think you're perfectly within your rights to criticize anybody (including Mulboyne). But personally I think your criticism is a little misdirected. The original Yahoo post was kind of a humorous question, and definitely Japan-related. Note the question was posted by a kid, kind of cute, and the responses (on Yahoo) which Mulboyne quoted were basically sensitive and reasonable. The title of the thread was simply the title of the yahoo post. I don't see how this is a "veiled dig".

On the other hand, I think you're right that the conversation here took an unfortunate turn, and I'm a little disappointed by some of the posts. I can see how somebody would be offended by those (I was), but not so much by the original posting.

[wuchan]

Knee jerk defense of old buddies on the board, I get it, but it doesn't move me.

To answer the question, I think it's totally OK to name your kid whatever the hell you want as long as you have good intentions and keep his/her future in mind. Kal-el, Peter Parker, Brooklyn, whatever...

My objection was to simply posting some post about 'black' babies on this site that is full of multi-racial FGs--thus, the post regarding 'black' babies isn't really relevant here. So the correct title of this thread on FG would be "Is it okay to give a non-Japanese baby a Japanese name?" Otherwise, posting such a title on FG kind of seems like a veiled dig at african-american culture, and an invitation to start cracking jokes about african-american names. (an invite which, predictably, was quickly taken and run with.)

"Oh, he just copied and pasted the title from another site." Ok, cool, whatever. I just copied and pasted my opinion from Microsoft Word on my desktop. Whoopee. None of this is actually that important to me, just an observation. And one more thing, no matter how long someone has been posting here, no one is immune from criticism. That said, I got no problem with Mul, I just didn't like the way the post was made, nothing more.

WAH WAH WAH.

the point of this thread was naming babies with abnormal names for your country. If you plan to live in two countries, give your kid two names. First for the primary country and middle for the secondary country. Some people in the USA fuck their kids from the start. LaQ'uisha, or what ever, raises red flags in an interview situation. As an international manager I would only ask a person with a fucked up name in for an interview out of morbid curiosity. I am not racist in any way, but if your parents lack judgment in naming you it most likely means you are as fucked up as they are.(google "hood rat") I grew up in the "hood" but rose above that. I love my roots and I believe that the best managers have a wide range of contacts and experiences, but being fucked with a messed up name can hurt you in a professional environment.

[Mulboyne]

Jim, I think people might have stepped up to defend me because it wasn't clear what your problem was. You mentioned that you thought my aim was to make fun of the person asking the question so I explained above why I did create the thread. In your next post you suggest that I intended to make a "veiled dig" which seems to imply that I was being malicious.

You've written eloquently before about racism in both America and Japan. It's clear that, while I can only think about it intellectually, it's a subject you also know emotionally. I suspect you've found it a good tactic in your personal experience to assume the worst and to "get your retaliation in first" so I won't take offence in this case. I will say, however, that you are mistaken.

[American Oyaji]

Yes, necessarily. Most kids don't like having unusual names. Also, I think black people that give their kids typically black names in the US are handicapping them. A resume with a name like Elisabeth Johnson is much more likely to make through screening than one with L'Quifa Johnson.

TRUTH!

[Greji]

TRUTH!

The tossing around of the black part of the equation sucks as prejudice. I do recall the time when if a black was married to a J-gal, their baby would be listed as "negro" on the birth certificate; however, the baby was listed as "caucasian" if it was a white dude and and a J-snapper.

When I was first married and still in the military, I had the option to refuse assignment in four separate states in the US which did not allow international marriages.

There is no rationalization to this topics that I will entertain. Wrong is wrong. Some people never learn, but that don't mean we should give them an exception.

[halfnip]

I don't really see what the fuss is all about... People can name their kids whatever they want. Mercedes, Shaniqua, Asia, blah, blah. I've seen some parents here in Japan name their kids Cocoa (using Kanji char's) and they're completely Japanese. I think parents are taking the "originality" a bit too far without really thinking of any name slandering the kid might be faced with further down the road.

I am sure some people think "Jerome" is a common name for brothas, so why would any white guy want to be named Jerome or Darnell. But shit, it happens..

Coming from a bi-racial family and having one mutt myself, it was more of giving my kid a J name just to keep true to her J roots. I then totally fucked her by giving her a FG middle name. ; )

Hell, if people don't like their name, they can always legally change it. Ummm...who comes to mind here----that dumbass Ocho Chinco character, which would be on the complete flipside of things...

[Dragonette]

[quote="Greji"]The tossing around of the black part of the equation sucks as prejudice. I do recall the time when if a black was married to a J-gal, their baby would be listed as "negro" on the birth certificate]
I wonder when the human race will finally catch up with the reality that if we could go back far enough most of us are mixed with some other race whether we know it or not?

Dividing people into neat little piles and then expecting that they'll "play the part" makes me absolutely kuru-kuru-pah!

[Behan]

[quote="Greji"]The tossing around of the black part of the equation sucks as prejudice. I do recall the time when if a black was married to a J-gal, their baby would be listed as "negro" on the birth certificate]

It's really incredible that people could be that racially prejudiced.