This is my fifth year of living in Australia. During those five years, I changed four different English names: Huimian, Mian, Mia, and Cotton. Until now, I still switch back and forth between these four English names every day.
Huimian now prides himself on not having an English name. (Supplied)
Over the years, I have also met many friends around me who are entangled in this name problem.
The distress about keeping his original name Pinyin
Huimian is the pinyin of my Chinese name, so it's also the most "original" of the four names I'm currently using. Not only does it retain the pronunciation of my Chinese name (though others may not pronounce it accurately); it also literally reflects my cultural background and identity. So I use that name both formally and in important situations, when I feel like the other person should remember who I am— and that's why I'm posting this byline.
However, when I first came to Australia to study at university, I actually didn't like to use this name very much.
The reason is simple, I myself know that the name is not so simple and friendly to non-Chinese native speakers, so I don't want to "force" others to repeat the name – let alone remember it. After all, even my former college professors have misspelled my name several times to "Human"... How could I bear to order coffee every morning and then cause trouble for baristas who were already too busy to do so?
So I often say "call me Meian" after introducing my full name. Anyway, Australians like to use shortened short names, such as Tom is actually Thomas, Liz is actually Elizabeth... This is very similar to what we in southern China call "A X" or something like that - A-mian, or just a single word "cotton", is not a new name for me, so I don't mind the English name of Mian.
But what I can't stand is that as time goes on, every time I write an English document, I feel that the red line that appears under my name that indicates misphraseing becomes more and more annoying.
Huimian enjoys attending multicultural festivals in Australia and celebrating her own cultural background. But there was also a time when she was afraid to use her Chinese pinyin name. (Supplied)
Although I don't like to use English names, I still occasionally "can't help myself"
So, I actually have a "coffee name", as the name suggests, the name used when buying takeaway coffee - Mia. That's the name I use on all inconsequential occasions.
When I fill out questionnaires online, when booking a hotel location, or when I go to see several rental houses on weekends, I will also tell the real estate agent that my name is Mia. Because I don't have a deep relationship with the other person – they don't need to know who you are, they just need to know if your income and rental history are good.
But when I was just graduating and looking for a job and looking for an internship, Mia was also the name on my resume.
Research has shown that when applying for a job in Australia, job seekers who use common English names will be more likely to pass resume screening than job seekers whose names are clearly from ethnic minority backgrounds such as Chinese, Indigenous, middle Eastern and so on.
Who would say no to a job offer? So I changed my name "bending over for five buckets of rice". Because of this, I also understand the Chinese who have been using common English names. People in other places, choose an easy way to go, this is understandable.
But I just didn't like the name, "Mia" was too English – so it couldn't be me. Every time I hear the name Mia, I always feel that it belongs to a cute little blonde girl – I can't put my face into the name.
Moreover, the name doesn't make sense to me at all. It's not the same as Cotton.
The meaning of the name
Many common English names are basically just a name, have no meaning, and are not a word at all (except for the previously very popular "Karen" and the like). But most Chinese names are meaningful, and so are my names.
However, even the most "original" name on my passport, Huimian, could not carry its original Chinese meaning.
The word "cotton" in my Chinese name contains a lot of my father's painstaking efforts when he named it that year. After reading a lot of books about the five elements and the eight characters, he found that my five elements lacked "wood" and "soil", so having a plant name would make my life smoother.
Although our family does not believe in feng shui and fate, who does not want to have a luckier life when it comes to naming children? So I fully understand his naming logic. For me, my Chinese name is not only a good sign, but also the brainchild of my parents' name, and it is full of love.
I personally also like the word "cotton", I feel that it has a soft but not weak meaning, and cotton itself is also a very cute flower, although its English Cotton is not a common English name like Rose (rose) and Lily (lily).
I have to admit that when I saw someone on the Internet say that "Chinese always likes some strange English names", I actually silently laughed at some of these names in my heart. Because those who are translated from Chinese names to English names, it is inevitable that they will sound a little joyful, and sometimes there will be unbearable ambiguity.
But my thinking is different now —strange is strange, it's just a laugh," what's the big deal. I was born a member of the Chinese-speaking world, and no matter how my name is Westernized into the Latin alphabet, it is difficult not to be "surprised.".
I feel that instead of struggling with whether my name is "strange", I should embrace this "strangeness" and "despecify" it.
Happily, more and more friends with Chinese backgrounds around me now choose to continue to use their Chinese Pinyin as their names in the English-speaking world.
Not to mention that on the international stage, from Wong Kar-wai to "Shangqi" Liu Simu - Chinese celebrities without English names are becoming more and more common.
I think it's cool to show the cultural context by retaining the original name. At the same time, I feel it's a sign of cultural pride – something that a lot of people from other multicultural backgrounds do. I have a lot of friends from Indian and Middle Eastern backgrounds who have always used their original names in Australia, so when we see names like Ara and Priyanka, we don't think it's anything strange, although it's not a traditional English name. But with more frequent use and exposure, no one will be surprised by this — in English documents, there is no red underlining under these names.
I wish Chinese name would be that day.
So what is my final decision?
I decided to embrace my strange and long English name. Cotton Wang Huimian。 I wanted to retain the Chinese meaning in my name, its Chinese pronunciation, and the order after the first name.
I knew that this decision was not easy, after all, I am not Wong Kar Wai nor Liu Simu. So it could mean that I need to put in more effort to get the other person to remember me in every important conversation and meeting. But it also means that if the other person really remembers me, they will remember my cultural background, my story, not just my name.
Most importantly, I don't bother with it anymore – I need to explain my name to others over and over again, demonstrate pronunciation over and over again... But as long as the other person is patient, what I see is the beginning of a positive relationship.