The Be Like Me Party: Brown's Comments on Asian-American Names Translates to Bigotry in All Languages

In the Texas House this week, it was Take Your Bigoted Representative to Work Day. For North Texas residents, that resulted in the softly-coiffed and loudly-talkin' Republican Betty Brown once again putting the proverbial Chico's pump in her mouth. This time it was on the issue of voter ID, also known as "voter suppression legislation" to anyone with a conscience and a calculator (after all, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott spent $1.4 million chasing voter fraud butterflies and -- surprise -- found nothing).

On Tuesday, Ramey Ko, a representative of the Organization of Chinese Americans, found himself testifying against the legislation in front of the House Elections Committee. That's when Brown felt compelled to state that Asian-Americans should find a way to make their names, well, more like Republicans' names.

"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?" Brown said.

Now, I happened to meet Ko on a couple of occasions in Austin, and the last time I checked, he wasn't a nation. Or even a governing body. Nice guy, well-spoken, but certainly not a sovereign leader of a nation.

However, Brown seems to think that Ko and his "citizens" should see things her way, later saying, "I see a need here for young people like you, who are obviously very bright, to come up with something that would work for you and then let us see if we can't make it work for us." For those of you who don't speak Bigot, I'll decipher that for you (I live in Texas -- I've had ample time to study the language). In this instance, "like you" is loosely translated "minorities." And "us" is loosely translated to "the Republican party that is trying to disenfranchise voters." You're welcome.

After eight years of the same, this "Why don't you make it work for us" message continues to be the GOP battle cry. The continuing selfishness of the Republican party astounds even the most cynical of Texans, while we watch our Governor, elected by mere 2.5 million people in a state of 24 million, reject unemployment benefits and the Texas GOP plots their tax-day "Tea Party."

But, then again, I could see how Brown could get confused by difficult words like "Ko." She's a Republican from the Texas House of Representatives, after all. Not every name can be as straightforward and puritan as Bristol, Trig, and Trip, don'cha know.

Comments

[PazPraSempre]

The worst part is, I don't think she realizes the bigotry of her comments. To her, Asians, American born or not, are naturally "them."
Anyway, since Chinese names are already on birth certificates, wouldn't it just complicate matters further to adopt an "easier" name for voting purposes? How would that help in proving their identity?

[suli1979]

Honestly, my husband's last name is much harder to pronounce than my Asian name. It's not like we're writing it in Chinese either. Maybe Betty Brown needs to learn how to read.

[Rachel Farris - Huffpost Blogger]

You hit the nail on the head!

[robert ca]

Since no Republican said otherwise, I suppose she represents their party on its sentiment on minorities.

[Rachel Farris - Huffpost Blogger]

Good point!

[Alpha-Asian]

For all you Asian Texans, you can use this Betty Brown Name Generator when you register to vote:

http://rumandmonkey.com/widgets/toys/namegen/take.php?id=12054

[Rachel Farris - Huffpost Blogger]

Ha! I think the generator is being displayed on Texas' own Democratic legislator's, Trey Martinez-Fischer, blog: http://www.poli-tex.com/2009/04/baffled-by-betty-brown.html

[Opal Leung]

This Betty person has really revealed her ignorance in assuming that all Asians are Chinese. Did she forget about countries like Vietnam and Japan? Yes, Japan, the country that is clobbering the American auto industry. They don't speak Chinese there. And, they have even more syllables in their names than the Chinese do.

Ok, I understand, "Ko" is very difficult to pronounce. So is Fitzgerald. Do we all have to change our names now?

[mikebennett]

Ok.

First off...your article made me laugh out loud four times. Great Job!

As outrageous as State Rep. Betty Brown's comments are, sadly they are not so uncommon in 'that there part of da world'.

I'm Asian American and I proudly use my given name and last name ON ALL OF MY DOCUMENTS. I'm also from the Midwest so I know a lot about bigotry and ignorance. I can't tell you how many educators and employers tried to get me to change my name. I resisted because I've always been proud to be different. It's not something necessarily that my parents or culture taught me, I guess it's just me. I wear it like a frak'n badge.

I love it when such ignorance is displayed by our 'leaders', because it begins a conversation that ultimately will change this country for the better. So I just want to THANK State Rep. Betty Brown for her brilliant ignorance.

[Rachel Farris - Huffpost Blogger]

Glad you had a laugh, Mike! You're exactly right -- being a native Texan, and a progressive, I can only cringe when my fellow Texans do their best to stomp on civil rights. But you're also correct in that Brown's ignorance has created a national dialogue about voter suppression legislation, which normally is more or less quarantined by spin here in Texas. In her bigoted comments, Brown did a better job revealing the actual mindset of the GOP and why they are trying to pass this voter ID legislation -- to disenfranchise minority voters (as minority voters are statistically by and large the ones without photo ID), so that Republicans can win more races. It has nothing to do with any sort of rampant fraud, and everything to do with race and Republican self-interest.
Thanks for your comment.
MR

[xtiangodloki]

The problem here is that many Asians DID change their names to more sound more "Western" so to better assimilate. However, they never fully gave up their names which their parents gave them at birth when it comes to all official documents. For these people, their driver's license name may not match their birth certificate names.

What Brown said was extremely rude and insensitive. But depending on where she is in Texas, she will probably do even better now with the anti-immigration crowd.

[b93950]

Let me understand what this Republican, senior citizen, Betty Brown is trying to say:

Asian-Americans are YOUR citizens, not HER or AMERICAS citizens.

The people who are poll workers are too stupid to read Asian names correctly.

Adopt a name just for IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES (New Birth Certificate, Passport, Drivers License, Social Security, etc.).

It would be easier for Americans (not Asian Americans) to understand.

People in Texas are too dumb to learn Chinese as all Asian are from China. You won’t find any Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Filipino, etc. in Texas.

Of course, Betty Brown isn’t going to pay the cost to the MILLIONS OF ASIANS in Texas for her request.

I suppose to Texicans and Republicans this is a reasonable request, which is not based on racism or is not construed on being condescending to Non-Texican, and Non-American Asians.

-Bill (not from Texas)

[Rachel Farris - Huffpost Blogger]

Hey Bill, thanks for your comment -- but not ALL Texans are bad. ;)

[Alpha-Asian]

Well, I'm glad not all Texans have Ms. Brown's attitude.

[Chance Abattoir]

I guess racists don't need to win points for originality.

"It was not merely in the jokes that racism was expressed, but in the everyday naming of the Chinese, which rendered male Chinese into 'John Chinamen' and females into 'China Mary,' thereby denying them their individuality. "
-Chinese on the American Frontier, By Arif Dirlik, Malcolm Yeung

[gtrip]

In typical liberal fashion, you failed to mention what Ko's complaint to the legislature was:.
"Ko testified that people of Asian descent frequently have difficulties voting due to differences in their legal transliterated names and the English name shown on their driver's licenses". from Fox News.

In that context, I think it was an appropriate response.

[David Tạ]

In any context, that is not an appropriate response. How dare someone go and tell someone else to go change their names because the stupid poll workers can't figure out Asian names. Your post from Fox News shows the problem voters go through to fit into conservative standards of mainstream society. It's racist and it's wrong.

[Rachel Farris - Huffpost Blogger]

If by "liberal fashion" you mean that I do not accept bigoted statements from our elected officials, then yes, guilty as charged.

No amount of context can ever make racism acceptable.

[leorising]

D'oh! *facepalms* Does anyone know where I go to make a blanket apology for my race (well, at least as the race I've been passing as?) Whites have sure been sticking their foot in it lately. Is there a "Sorry About the Stupid White People" website?

[aussiegal77]

I know lots of cool white people! They're my ethnic friends =)

Don't apologise - YOU didn't say it =)

Betty Brown should apologise - I'm not holding my breath though.....!

[aussiegal77]

As an Chinese-Australian (and maybe, some day, Chinese-American, if I can pass the citizenship exam!) - I was offended by Brown's comments. It was deeply condescending - as you have very neatly pointed out.

"Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese -- I understand it's a rather difficult language -- "

Who said anything about learning Chinese??!! The names are IN ENGLISH! It's just not "Smith" or "Brown" or "Watson", they're ENGLISH translations of Chinese names!

In Chinese culture - your given Chinese name means a great deal. Every name is unique and is meant to describe you as a person. My chinese name means "Happy Song" and my Grandma named me that. Some Chinese parents, like mine, give their children English names to help us assimilate into a western culture. I don't see Western Expats living in China or any other Asian countries giving their kids Chinese names - nor should they have to! It's a choice of the parents!

If Betty Brown expects Asian Americans to make it easier on the "us" she is referring to - then perhaps she will do Asian Americans the courtesy of changing HER name to something THEY can easily comprehend. As someone for whom English is a second language - I can tell ya, it's a difficult language to learn too!! =) (yes, I know how silly that sounds - it illustrates my point, no?)

Betty Brown clearly showed her bigotry and ignorance with every word she uttered.

[Rachel Farris - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you! My name, Rachel, means "little lamb." Something tells me that Brown would have trouble with that, too.