What's in a name?

[Chewbacca]

Does having an 'ethnic' sounding name invite racism in the job market? Two very different studies have different results.

Article

When Vonnessa Goode gives birth in a few weeks, one of her first decisions could be among the toughest: whether to give her daughter a distinctively black name. On the one hand, Goode and the child's father don't want their daughter "robbed of her ethnicity," she said. On the other, she believes a distinctively black name could end up being an economic impediment. "I do believe now when a résumé comes across an employer's desk, they could be easily discriminated against because they know that person is of African-American descent," she said. "It's a difficult decision." Minorities of all kinds have wrestled with whether to celebrate their culture by giving their children distinctive names, or help them "blend in" with a name that won't stick out. Thousands of Jews have changed their names, hoping to improve their economic prospects in the face of discrimination, as have Asians and other minorities. Blacks, however, have chosen increasingly distinctive names over the past century, with the trend accelerating in the 1960s. Researchers who have looked at census records have found that 100 years ago, the 20 most popular names were largely the same for blacks and whites; now only a handful are among the most popular with both groups. Names like DeShawn and Shanice are almost exclusively black, while whites, whose names have also become increasingly distinctive, favored names like Cody and Caitlin. Two recent papers from the Cambridge, Mass.-based National Bureau of Economic Research draw somewhat different conclusions about whether a black name is a burden. One, an analysis of the 16 million births in California between 1960 and 2000, claims it has no significant effect on someone's life. The other, however, suggests a black-sounding name remains an impediment to getting a job. After responding to 1,300 classified ads with dummy résumés, the authors found applicants with black-sounding names were 50 percent less likely to get a callback than those having white-sounding names, with comparable résumés. If nothing else, the first paper, by the board's Roland Fryer and the University of Chicago's Steven Levitt, based on California birth data, provides probably the most detailed snapshot yet of distinctive naming practices. The paper says black names are associated with lower socioeconomic status, but the authors don't believe it's the names that create an economic burden. Using information on birth certificates, they track the changes in circumstances of women born in the early 1970s who then show up in the data in 1980s and '90s as mothers themselves. The data show whether those second-generation mothers have health insurance and in which ZIP codes they reside -- admittedly imperfect measurements of economic achievement. The data appears to show that a poor woman's daughter is more likely to be poor when she gives birth herself, but no more so because she has a distinctively black name. To Fryer, that suggests black parents shouldn't be afraid to choose ethnic names. It also suggests more broadly that for blacks to improve economically, they don't have to change their culture but should push for greater integration in society. The University of Chicago's Marianne Bertrand and MIT's Sendhil Mullainathan, however, appeared to find that a black-sounding name can be an impediment, in another recent National Bureau of Economic Research paper titled "Are Emily and Greg More Employable Than Lakisha and Jamal?" The authors took the content of 500 real résumés off online job boards and evaluated them, as objectively as possible, for quality, using such factors as education and experience. They replaced the names with made-up names picked to "sound white" or "sound black" and applied for 1,300 job ads in the Boston Globe and Chicago Tribune last year. Previous studies have examined how employers responded to similarly qualified applicants they meet in person, but this experiment attempted to isolate the response to the name itself. White names got about one callback per 10 résumés; black names got one per 15. Carries and Kristens had callback rates of more than 13 percent, but Aisha, Keisha and Tamika got 2.2 percent, 3.8 percent and 5.4 percent, respectively. And having a higher quality résumé, featuring more skills and experience, made a white-sounding name 30 percent more likely to elicit a callback, but only 9 percent more likely for black-sounding names. Even employers who specified "equal opportunity employer" showed bias, leading Mullainathan to suggest companies serious about diversity must take steps to confront even unconscious biases -- for instance, by not looking at names when first evaluating a résumé. Both studies have their shortcomings: the California records give only broad indicators of economic achievement, and studying whose résumés elicit callbacks doesn't show who ultimately gets the jobs or what they do once employed. But both also point to dilemmas for advocates of greater economic opportunity for blacks. Some, like Fryer, believe the evidence shows black culture isn't a handicap and black parents shouldn't shy away from it. On the other hand, Bertrand and Mullainathan's work suggests a black name could still conceivably hold someone back. The question is whether a distinctive name is a cause or consequence of black isolation. Where is Goode leaning? She says her daughter will likely end up with a "neutral" name, Naomi or Layla perhaps, that won't signal her race either way. But Michelle Botus, 37, a student at Bunker Hill Community College who has named her four children Asia, Alaysia, Khalima and Denzil, said she would advise mothers to choose names they like, then make sure their children get the education they need to rise above any discrimination they face. "The fact you didn't give the child the name you wanted, your regrets could be manifested in other ways later on," said Botus. "I would say go for it. Just the fact that the mother would have the insight to have a dilemma, that means she's thinking; and that's one of the most important skills in parenting."

[Timber Loftis]

I don't know how "white" names are distinctive. I find that false.

What gets me about a "Shaniqua" is it doesn't just let you know the person is black, it seems like the person (or the parents that gave her the name) is trying to ram it down your throat that she's black.

I have a common boring name. I advise most people to do this. But, I hate my common name so much, my kid'll probably get some crazy neo-hippy sounding name like Timber.

[Aelia Jusa]

Both studies have their shortcomings: the California records give only broad indicators of economic achievement, and studying whose résumés elicit callbacks doesn't show who ultimately gets the jobs or what they do once employed.

This is what I was thinking when reading this article - I would have thought that if an employer was going to be biased on the basis of race then if Mary the black woman rocked up for her interview she wouldn't get hired anyway. Whatever reason she didn't get a callback because her name was Vonnessa could be made if her name was Mary and she got an interview surely.

Timber, might I suggest Puritan names for your kids? More-fruit has a certain resonance

[Skunk]

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: I don't know how "white" names are distinctive. I find that false. What gets me about a "Shaniqua" is it doesn't just let you know the person is black, it seems like the person (or the parents that gave her the name) is trying to ram it down your throat that she's black.

Well, you'd be surprised.
There are many names which are more frequently found amongst the black community than the white - marketing companies are experts at categorising your race, social group and age from your first name and directing their bulk mail accordingly.

Tell me what you think of the following names:
DeShawn, Tyrone, Reginald, Shanice, Precious, Kiara, and Deja

and compare that with:
Connor, Cody, Jake, Molly, Emily, Abigail, and Caitlin

Which are 'white' names and which are 'black' names?
Bet you can guess...

I have a common boring name. I advise most people to do this. But, I hate my common name so much, my kid'll probably get some crazy neo-hippy sounding name like Timber.

I hope to god that you don't live in a wooded area then - or you'll never be able to shout your kids name without making people nervous!

[Timber Loftis]

Thanks for the late-night ROFL Skunk. Really. Tiiiimmmbeeerrrrr! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I also like the names Penchant, Justice, Solace, and several from LOTR. My poor future children.

[Cloudbringer]

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: Thanks for the late-night ROFL Skunk. Really. Tiiiimmmbeeerrrrr! [img]tongue.gif[/img] I also like the names Penchant, Justice, Solace, and several from LOTR. My poor future children.

If you name your kids Smeagol and Timber, I'm going to move nearby just to watch the neighbors react.

This was a very interesting article. It's hard to say if the name makes the difference with resume callbacks though. There could be all sorts of things going on there. But I can see where having a very 'specifically ethnic' name could make a person feel discriminated against in such situations. Still, I agree with the people who say why should one lose their ethnicity just to be fairly treated. Heritage and ethnicity should be valued, IMO.

[Faceman]

As for personal happiness, I guess most people accustom to their name and wouldn't want to change that.
My name is very common in India but not in Austria were I was born and live. I could bet that not 1 in a million Austrians has the same name and that makes me feel kinda special [img]smile.gif[/img]