2019/11/15 by Hewan Girma · 1 citation
Health Professions · Social Sciences · #Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies #Names, Identity, and Discrimination Research #Romani and Gypsy Studies
paper · doi:10.1177/0021934719888806
openalex publication_date 2019/11/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
This article explores the naming patterns of a new African immigrant group in the United States to discuss the creative ways that Black immigrants navigate their racialized immigrant identities and their positioning vis-à-vis their ethnoracial compatriots, African Americans. I argue that the significant contention around Black names and immigrant names demonstrates that personal names are a subject worthy of in-depth investigation. Through the case study of the naming practices of first generations of Ethiopian-Americans, I examine the relevance Black immigrant parents attach to first names, their various connotations, and modes of immigrant incorporation into the dominant host society. I highlight the importance of race, ethnicity, and immigration status in naming.