Betty Brown, Texas Republican, Asks Asian-Americans To Simplify Names

As the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday, Betty Brown, a Republican state representative, is facing numerous demands that she apologize for having said that voters of Asian descent should adopt names that are "easier for Americans to deal with."

From the Chronicle:

The comments caused the Texas Democratic Party on Wednesday to demand an apology from state Rep. Betty Brown, R-Terrell. But a spokesman for Brown said her comments were only an attempt to overcome problems with identifying Asian names for voting purposes.

The exchange occurred late Tuesday as the House Elections Committee heard testimony from Ramey Ko, a representative of the Organization of Chinese Americans.

Ko told the committee that people of Chinese, Japanese and Korean descent often have problems voting and other forms of identification because they may have a legal transliterated name and then a common English name that is used on their driver's license on school registrations.

Brown's spokesman has said she was not trying to make a racially motivated comment. Her comments did, however, cause politicians as far away as New York to call on her to apologize for her statements.

As Kristv.com reports, one such complaint came from New York City Councilman John Liu:

In a letter to Brown sent Thursday, Liu called on her to either apologize or resign.

"It's outrageous and insulting for you to suggest it would 'behoove' us to adopt another name, to give up our birthright and a part of our own identity, in order to exercise our right to vote," he said.

WATCH:

Comments

[Ripedia]

Her constituents have got to be the dumbest people on earth if they elected her. What she said was racist and un-American.

[jas1984]

I'm from texas and I must admit we have a huge majority of undereducated voters, hers included.

[watever1111]

I think all asian should change their name to John, Smith, Michelle, or Emily...Be­tty would be ecstastic
may I should add betty to the list too....

[rabiddog6708]

And I think all registered Repubs have to wear dunce caps when they show up yo vote. I'm drafting legislation right now.

[AngieMom57]

lol

[Pyfagorus]

That will be very difficult for Betty Brown and other older Republican women to don - what with their Big Hair and all.

[Zen0469]

I DO think that Betty Brown is a racist republican state representative. Not that it makes her different from 99% of the rest of the repug. party.

For her obviously reprehensible remarks about Asians she ought to be recalled immediately and turfed out as a Texas State Rep.

[weilim]

I think people should give the woman a break.

"Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese -- I understand it's a rather difficult language -- do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?"

She meant why just get a Westernized first name like Bobby or Steve. Then the Chinese American lawyer explained that many people already doing that which was the source of the confusion. He gave a politically correct BS rather then a obvious solution. The obvious solution is to use the original romanization found on the person's passports when the person came into the US. All passports issued by all countries have romanization without accents or tone marks.

.Simple solution, use the romanized name that is found on your original passport all the time to save yourself the hassle.

[MarsAmbassador]

To quote John Lui:
"It's outrageous and insulting for you to suggest it would 'behoove' us to adopt another name, to give up our birthright and a part of our own identity, in order to exercise our right to vote," he said.

[weilim]

The John Liu was not the lawyer explaining to her what was going on. If you listen to the whole video you can see she was more befuddled then offensive. I am Chinese Canadian and only use my romanized Chinese name on all my documents even the minor ones like credit card applications, video rentals, club memberships and not to mention passports etc. I rather not have an hassle with bureaucrats about using multiple names on different pieces of identity.

However, I can understand why some Americans of immigrant descent would want to change their name so as to not match their official name on their travel document or passport of the country they came from. Sometimes its not about fitting into America but to confirm one's true identity.. If you are Russian Jew and you have been forced to use a Russian name rather then your Hebrew one. Why should use have use a Russian one or anglophile your Hebrew name. It defeats the purpose of coming to American in the first palce., The same thing applies to Tibetans and Mongolians coming from China.

[kalerik]

Great. Another reason to be embarrassed to be a Texan.

[larmar]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the mind set of the party of NO !!

[ofcoursejesusisblack]

This is a very dangerous mindset. Brown should be whipped, flogged then pelted with rotten tomatoes as she as paraded down a street jam-packed with insulted Asians and Asian-Americans. Her arrogance is astounding. What a beeyotch!

[Antonio518]

I dont think Betty Brown is a racist, but she certainly is not too bright. Why would anyone think Asian names are hard? They are mostly monosyllabic. Why anyone would think that Jay Chou and Ye Liu as are "difficult" names is beyond me.

[Strywever]

Those are Chinese names. There are lots of other countries in Asia, and in many of them multi-syllabic last names are common. Some Americans have a hard time reading, pronouncing, or spelling them.

I'm embarrassed for her.

[NWBrunette]

Despicable, disgusting and sick. What, are they having a contest to see who can be the most offensive and myopic? If she keeps it up, strip her citizenship.

[ofcoursejesusisblack]

Agreed.

[BurgessPenguin]

It's Texas. Nothing new.

[dwillisno1]

Texas Republican Party, What can Betty Brown do for you? Election officials are public servants who have an obligation to make an extra effort to get everybody's name right. There seems to be a bit of anti immigrant attitude here.

[bigben1986]

As an Asian American I am not offended by it. I am just wondering if her ancestor's name was change when they arrived here the first time? After all we're all immigrants.

[sueinmn]

well maybe Boehner should be shortened to bone and vitter to vit,
We cant all be johnson brown and andersons! what an idiot to be an elected representative. This shows really how STUPID we are to elect these people into office! And we think Palin is stupid? Arnt they all at some point?

I guess you dont have to be an eleite ot lawyer to run for office, maybe more common people with sense should run!~

[roshni]

So Asian Americans aren't Americans?

Wow! Just wow!

[MizK]

Shamwow!