The power of 'Your Name'

NAMES have been on my mind. My name is Foo Chin Ru. My surname is FOO. my First name is CHIN RU.

Based on my Chinese heritage, your surname (family name) always precedes your first name. The surname always comes first according to Chinese tradition to show respect to your ancestors and your father's lineage.

Since moving to Ireland and the UK, I have had to reorder my name to adhere to the naming conventions in this part of the world. In all my official documents now, my name is now Chin Ru Foo. If I didn't, people would mistake my first name to be FOO (my middle name to be Chin and my surname to be Ru).

Even now - my name is constantly butchered and confused in a myriad of ways: see exhibit A! (also - many people often call me Chin - instead of Chin Ru).

So it was especially noteworthy when I was filling in a form online in the UK last week- to be given the option to have my Family name printed first. It stopped me in my tracks. The feeling of surprise - to be asked, in a way that didn't assume - made me feel respected in a way that I hadn't known was even a 'thing' for me.

I felt seen.

It made me think it's high time Western /European countries didn't assume an 'Anglicised' order to one's name.

???? Giving yourself a Western / Anglicised name

Coming from Malaysia, an ex-British colony- it's common for many Chinese Malaysians (especially if you have adopted the Christian faith) to adopt an Anglicised name - even if you haven't been given one at birth.

Sometimes it's for ease of pronunciation (especially when moving to a new country and they have trouble pronouncing your name), but sometimes - it's to belong and to fit in.

This brilliant & touching New York Times article brings to life the generation of immigrants who have given their children names that can often be a gesture of hope. A promise for belonging. A quest to fit in:

I have never given into the temptation to adopt a 'Western' name. In ways that are sometimes mysterious to me, I have always been proud of my name. (mysterious because I have adapted and homogenised in so many other ways)

I have occasionally wondered if I haven't been called by headhunters (as often as I should have!) because of my name. I have wondered if I didn't get the interview because of my name. I try to swat away these thoughts but I suspect I'm not being cynical. I know many Asian friends who have changed their name to get a foot through the interview door.

And yet - I remain fiercely proud of my name. I know my mum thought long and hard to give me my name.

CHIN stands for Gold. And RU is the water vase carried by Guanyin the Goddess of Mercy (she's often considered the embodiment of compassion and her water vase symbolises the nectar of life).

So Golden Nectar of Life. Pretty cool eh? ??

?? An inclusive brand campaign on The Power of a Name:

I was pleased to see this campaign by 宝洁 , creatively developed by R/GA called 'The Name'. Responding to concerning rises in anti AAPI hate in the US, the team came up with a creative solution to raise awareness for the issue, centering the spot around a Korean-American girl named Yeung Joo - based on the idea that 'belonging starts with a name'.

I'm a bit of cynic when it comes to sappy advertising these days, but this one tug at my heartstrings. That learning someone's name (especially those from historically marginalised cultures) is a signal that 'you belong here'. That 'you matter'. Watch it here:

As the creative director Leah Alfonso highlights:

“Every single parent of every single background has this moment where when their kid is born, they think about the future. There’s a universality in thinking about ‘what are all of the ways that I can protect them and make sure that they have the best life possible?’”

“The twist that we added to this, specifically for the AAPI community was choosing between a traditionally Asian or westernized name,” she explained, “because that’s an added layer for Asian Americans you really want to stay true to your heritage, but it's also something that is a little bit contentious, because you know that it will immediately ostracize your child, because it's different.”

The campaign recently won the GOLD at the Effie Worldwide in the Social Good awards category.

It was also a lesson in having the right team & representation working on the campaign:

"The creation of “The Name” also shed light on issues of AAPI representation in advertising itself, and demonstrated what’s possible when creative teams are given the space to represent their own cultural backgrounds and identity in the stories they tell. At R/GA, employee resource groups representing different communities, known as Culture Collectives, contribute unique cultural understanding that informs client work."

Link to full case study here:

?? In other news, it's Pride month. If you're an organisation wondering if you should change your logo to a PRIDE flag, read Lily Zheng 's advise on how to be intentional in your support for this community. I couldn't have said it better:

?? Latest podcast alert! I recently spoke to Angela Saini , award winning author of the brilliant book : "The Patriarchs: How men came to rule". I read the book TWICE to do her work and our conversation justice. Her message is genuinely important, so pls give it a listen!

?? As always, I finish with something random. I made this last night. Lamb Briyani. This is the link to the recipe. You're welcome!

xx Chin Ru

#inclusion #branding #innovation #leadership

__________________

Hi, I'm Chin Ru. I'm the founder CEO of?Crew & Riot.?My mission is to help leaders build inclusive brands and cultures in the digital age.

Here's how I can help you:

??Brands that drive equity and inclusion

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If any of this interests you, please drop me a message on Linkedin or email me on [email protected] and we can arrange a no obligation discovery call.