Chinese American Names: Tradition and Transition

by Emma Woo Louie

For the early Chinese immigrants to America, the Western practice of placing the family name last was in direct contrast to Confucian teachings about the family's being the basic unit of society, its importance stressed by the placement of the family name first. Though these immigrants followed American conventional naming practices in most cases and allowed their names to be anglicized, many maintained the traditional Chinese practices in their own community. In recent years, some Chinese and other Eastern immigrants have retained the naming practice of their own culture, resulting in some confusion on the proper way to use Chinese names. The naming practices of Chinese Americans are the focus of this work. The naming traditions of China are first presented, followed by a discussion of the names of many Chinese immigrants as clues to what part of China they came from. One discovers that many of the immigrants' names have been Americanized, and thus new name styles and surnames have been created. An overview of the unique Chinese surname character and how it has been preserved by Chinese Americans is also provided.

230 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1998

Reviews

[Janice Hom]

A good read with great explanations. The Whys to questions parents never talk about.