Friday, April 10, 2009

I was wondering, could you change your name?

My grandparents came to America to be accepted and make a better life for themselves in this wonderful free land. No one told them to change their skin color, accent, or heritage when they walked into the red, white, and blue country. So why is now that the Chinese immigrants are asked to change their name? For those who do not speak their language, it was said it would be easier to call upon them. They might as well had asked them to strip them from their soul completely!

Are we becoming the stereotypical "White Man's" land? The ridiculous proposal makes me wonder why do we have the lines "For the Brave and the Free" in our National Anthem? Obviously for the won Revolutionary War, but it means much more than that. We are all immigrants and we fought to come to this country for freedom and individuality. We stood our ground, came for a future, and yet, they reply, "Is it too much to ask of you to change your name?" Oh my! What we'll we wear? Should we also dress a certain way and live in the suburbs? The houses sure don't seem to argue with their identical appearance.

It's not like this is new. Sanae, an immigrant from the Philippines, was told she must change her age. As a proud U.S. football fan, she actually doesn't mind. She knows it isn't fair, but if it means being two years younger, than why not? I strongly disagree. I understand it is hard to pronounce certain names, but isn't that what this country is about? We are a country full of different colors, speeches, and goals, but we all stand for the same thing in this country. Freedom is not just escaping, it is living as yourself, a person, and being able to enjoy that without the hatred others cause.

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