How Name-Based Discrimination Affect Minority Groups

Abstract

According to Pikhart, people with Chinese ethnicity usually use English names while living and studying in North America to foster connections and relatedness to the local culture, to help them integrate faster into mainstream society. This study aims to investigate whether name-based microaggression and name-based group-specific stereotypes towards the Asian population are rooted in North American culture. In a research done by Arai, Bursell, and Nekby in 2008, researchers compared employer’s attitudes towards CVs of equal observable quality between Arabic names and Swedish names in Sweden, it was found that Arabic men suffered most from name-based discrimination by receiving fewer interview offers, the results of employers’ subconscious decision-making show that implicit name-based microaggression is a serious problem that deprives competent individuals of having the equal opportunities they deserve. In order to address this problem, interventions from different aspects can undermine it, whether in the workplace, at school, or in renting market. It is crucial for organizations such as schools, companies, and government to implement measures to enhance people’s awareness of name-based discrimination.