No way Jose - employer changes Hispanic names.

Paul in Cannon Beach · October 2009

Maybe you saw this story over the weekend:

[URL]http://www.reporternews.com/news/2009/oct/26/whitten-ignites-a-firestorm/[/URL]

A gentleman named Larry Whitten was at the center of a firestorm after he asked his Hispanic employees to not speak spanish around him. He was concerned they were talking about him. Also, he asked several of the staff to "anglicize" their names. Instead of Martin being pronounced marTEEN it would just be Martin.

His reasoning was from a customer service standpoint. The hotel was losing thousands of dollars a day and had been through four recent owners.

I believe the practice of anglicizing names has been going on for a long time in the world of telephone outsourcing however this story has struck a cord.

Personally, I dont think being "Marteen" or "Martin" makes a whit of difference from a customer service standpoint. It seems like a heavy-handed, morale-busting move from my viewpoint.

- Pablo

plynnl · October 2009

It seems wrong on so many levels. It gives the impression that hispanic names are just not good enough and that his hotel guests are racist.

cnghr · October 2009

I've got to agree. I know quite a few people who have voluntarily anglicized their names, generally to make it something more familiar to their co-workers and others they deal with, but that has always seemed to me like someone felt that the English version of the name was somehow better.

I don't think it makes a bit of difference, from a customer service standpoint, if the person I'm talking to is "Joe" or "Jose"....what I'm going to remember is the kind of customer service he provided, regardless of what his name was.

Paul in Cannon Beach · October 2009

What about the "no talking in spanish in front of the boss" rule? Is that legit?

Personally, I have no problem with an employer requesting employees speak english when communicating in the workplace.

ACU Frank · October 2009

I'm reminded of the Texas legislator who wanted to make Anglicized names a condition of citizenship. But to keep her Hispanic consituents from getting angry, she explained that it was really the Asians who had the ridiculous names.

Some people just don't know when to stop...

joannie · October 2009

I know a gentlemen of Lebanese dissent. His name is Recai. Americanized it is Reggie. He said he Americanized it because no one could pronounce it.

Freudian slip. "descent"

ACU Frank · October 2009

He was probably of Lebanese dissent, too. That's why he came here.

KSR6450 · October 2009

Have a friend from college (just one), his name is Rabi Al Hakeem - he now goes by Robbie. And my brother-in-law is from Peru. His name is Renan, when he came here he decided to use his dad's name - Nicky. That caused quite a bit of confusion for my family. Are you Ray? Are you Nick? Why are these strange women calling here...oh wait, that is another story. Have a great Halloween everyone!

No way Jose - employer changes Hispanic names.

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