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Cristy Austin, of Kansas City, Missouri, thought she was giving her baby a gift when she named her Keisha 19 years ago. She wanted her daughter, who is biracial, to feel empowered and connected to her African American roots. "I saw it as a source of pride," she told the Kansas City Star. Instead, her daughter found it to be a burden. Last week, after years of racially charged teasing, Keisha legally became "Kylie."
No name sucks...The problem is not the name, it is those reacting...for whatever reason to this young woman.
Her name could have been Anne, and I doubt much would be different in her situation.
Try again please. Certain names DO hold people back in life; why cripple those people when a good "anglo" name in the US is def better? Mexico: giving even a Mexican white kid there anything but a Spanish 1st name ain't smart.
Cristy Austin, of Kansas City, Missouri, thought she was giving her baby a gift when she named her Keisha 19 years ago. She wanted her daughter, who is biracial, to feel empowered and connected to her African American roots. "I saw it as a source of pride," she told the Kansas City Star. Instead, her daughter found it to be a burden. Last week, after years of racially charged teasing, Keisha legally became "Kylie."
I can't blame Kylie. Some names just suck. Too, she doesn't look 'Black" to me. More like Irish and Cherokee.
According to Wikipedia, the name Keisha is derived from Kezia - which is a Hebrew name. So the girl's name did not connect her to her AA roots, and the bullying may have in fact been rooted in anti-Semitism.
What a shame but I think she should have kept her name.
This.
I was talked about a lot for having a "white girl name" when I was a girl and a teen and I did think of changing it, but I never did. I was named after a relative and took strength from it.
I understand the mom in wanting her daughter to be happy, but she is now 19 years old and no longer in high school, adults are much less likely to tease about a name. No one has said anything about mine since high school and I went to an HBCU with a white girl name. No one even asked about it.
I feel bad for the girl, but I think it was weak of her to succumb to bullying especially. In today's day and age it would have been easily to publically shame the perpetuators, especially the teacher who asked her if there was a dollar sign in the name. And FWIW, I have a couple cousins named Keisha and both of them have great careers and are doing well. They got teased too about the name, but everyone gets teased for something.
SSDD...try to assimilate if you want to. Eventually when you show up in person and they realize that Kylie is black/biracial it's going to be the same old story. Racist people are going to be racist regardless of what your name is. That is just who they are.
I have a "white girl name" and I speak proper English without a Bronx/NY accent. The looks of shock and disgust I have encountered in my life when my black self has the nerve to show up somewhere I'm not supposed to be has reduced my faith in humanity to zero.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Packard fan
Try again please. Certain names DO hold people back in life; why cripple those people when a good "anglo" name in the US is def better? Mexico: giving even a Mexican white kid there anything but a Spanish 1st name ain't smart.
This is why I named my son and soon daughter a traditional name. I don't want to create these kinds of issues knowing how they might be treated later in life.
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