Re: Names and nationalities (was: something old and tired)

On Fri, 31 May 2002 12:06:08 +0900 Edward Lipsett
<translation@intercomltd.com> writes:
>Don't say "despite my name," please.
>
>My grandfather invented my last name when he smuggled himself into the 
>US,
>and never did tell anyone what it used to be (although probably 
>Lipschitz or
>something on that line, considering he almost certainly came from 
>Poland and
>was Jewish). 
>
>One nice thing about Lipsett and Szabo both is that they are as fine 
>and
>upstanding American names as any other fine and upstanding American 
>name:
>Smith, Brown, Wheeler, Schmidt, de Masi, Gujurao, Tzembe, Kim, 
>Nakamura,
>Chin, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.
>
ALL RIGHT!  YEAH!  Yes, I was shouting.  

We didn't invent the idea of an immigrant powered nations but we have
one
and it is more or less working.  Names mean everything.. and nothing; it

just depends on the context (i.e., the person.)

I know a woman whose Finnish Grand Father-in-law (that correct?)  was
told (after a  tired New York immigration official said, "Norman or
Nomen, I don't care.  If you want off this Island your name is now
Norman, I ain't in the mood to correct all this paperwork...") basically
this is your new name in America.  

My name is Wilson but we have no (found) trace of "English" in the
family
history [some Irish and Scots, lots of Spanish, Cherokee, reasonable
amounts of French (via Canada we think, conflicting sources,) Dutch and
a
stray Jewish German from early in the last century] which most people
think of when they see that name, at least the people I asked.

So this has gone way off topic	--   so in a vain effort to relate --
does anyone have an characters you have used in scenarios designed to
shake up the  stereotype of the NAC, NSL, LLAR, etc?  Say, a Noam
Nakamura, a Sven Garcia, or a Swarnamuki Silverstein?

Gracias,
Glenn/Triphibious@juno.com
This is my Science Fiction Alter Ego E-mail address.
Historical - Warbeads@juno.com
Fantasy and 6mm - dwarf_warrior@juno.com

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