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The Power of Reclaiming My Asian Name
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The Power of Reclaiming My Asian Name

Like many Asian Americans, I have long spurned my full name. A wave of racism made me say: No more.

Marian Chia-Ming Liu
The Washington Post, 2022
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9

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  • Insider's Take
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

Asian-Americans have long adopted names that are easier for Westerners to pronounce, but a younger generation is ending that practice. Instead of seeking to avoid being different, now Asian-Americans are asserting their pride in their ethnicity. Washington Post Operating Editor and reporter, Marian Chia-Ming Liu, shares her story of covering the increased violence against ethnic Asians and the vitriol she faced in the process. Previously, she used an Anglicized byline, omitting her “individual” and “generational” name altogether. Now, she shares the emotional and cultural meaning behind her full name, explaining how and why she has changed her byline. 

Take-Aways

  • In an Asian restaurant full of people, only one person confronted a man who loudly mocked the Asian staff members’ accents.
  • Even as a journalist intent on “squashing stereotypes,” a Chinese-American reporter used her truncated, Anglicized name.
  • Many Asians changed their names to sound more Anglicized, but that trend is ending.

About the Author

Washington Post Operations Editor Marian Chia-Ming Liu overseas digital operations for the Metro section. She also writes for the About Us newsletter on race and identity. 

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