Thoughts on a name!

[isis4691]

If I told all of you out there that my son's name is Rhett, what culture/ ethnicity would you think we were? I will explain the situation when I have some opinions on the question.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Well, Rhett is most strongly associated with Clarke Gable's character from Gone with the Wind, so people might think you were American, and possbily from the southern states, I suppose.

[johnlambert]

Middle class european british/english, possible both partents in profesional occupations

[jenstar]

Chav. Defintiely chav.

[NJOK]

I'd guess Welsh.

It's the Rh together. Like Rhod or Rhys.

[jno]

just as an aside, Waldo, you may have read that Clive James's name was originally Vivian James. It was considered unisex at the time - then Gone With the Wind came out, starring Vivien Leigh, and the name henceforth became female. So he and his mother agreed to change it; he picked Clive. It is interesting, the freight that names carry with them. isis, I'd also say you and/or your husband were GWTW fans (or your son was born with a dashing moustache).

[Octavius]

The name Rhett does not conjure up any specific culture or ethnicity in my mind.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Strangely enough, jno, my wife's grandmother's middle name is Clive...

[jno]

goodness... never heard that one before, not for a woman... was it someone's maiden (sur)name or something?

Come to that, is Rett perhaps a family name of some kind, isis? In which case it needn't reflect on your own culture at all.

[isis4691]

Well for all of you that said 'Gone With The Wind' you were half right. I liked the name from the book and when my son was born that's what we named him.

We are a middle class family (if that's what you call it!) and we are also a multi-racial family although my son is white.

It has come to light that the main reason for him not being able to get a part time job is that employers think he is Asian and are discriminating against him because thay are not familiar with his name. I am against ALL forms of racial prejudice and think that this is outrageous behaviour .

My son and his friends (all similar exam results and hours to work etc) all apply for jobs in supermarkets, stores etc and when it comes to him every letter says that there are no vacancies that suit him,or they are no longer taking anyone on. Over a a period of 18 months all of his friends have got jobs and then he heard someone remark casually that they thought he must be Asian because of his name!!!

What kind of world are we living in when british youngsters of all colours and religions aren't treated equally. No wonder the youth of today are appathetic about working.

[Octavius]

This sounds like idle gossip to me. I don�t see how, legally, anyone could deny someone a job because of their name or their ethnicity.

Rather than disparage �society in general� why not take umbrage - assuming you have evidence of your postulation - at the places he has been rejected and challenge them outright?

[isis4691]

It is not idle gossip, I am an intelligent woman and am unlikly to fall for that. This has happened more than once and you cannot challenge everyone as they just make up an excuse;no one is going to admit outright to racism they would be in too much trouble.

As for society in general, ask any person of colour about jobs etc in this country; I know from experiance that more often than not you have an uphill struggle to proove you are as good as a white person and that's if you get to the interview stage. Of course I am not so stupid to think that everybody is racist but since the terrorist attacks I think it has increased.

[CheekyChops]

It definately does happen, see here.

[Octavius]

Sorry, I thought you said that he �heard someone casually remark that they thought he must be Asian because of his name� and that �it came to light that the MAIN reason for him not getting a job is that Employers think he is Asian�. I never questioned your intelligence.

If that is not idle gossip, then you must have evidence, at which point you can take this evidence at use it against these people in a tribunal. Either way, it contravenes Equal Opportunities Act and Employment Law.

If the Employer is making excuses such as �he is not suited to the job� or �he does not have the right qualifications� this has nothing to do with race and we all face such adversity in life at some point. Besides this, you would appear to have evidence to back your claim anyway?

[isis4691]

Exactly, and that's only the one that reached the papers!

My son is seriously considering using his middle name on his CV and job applications and if he gets an interview just explaining that his christian name is actually Rhett.

[isis4691]

Octavius, you seem to be playing 'Devil's Advocate' which is fine but you have to understand that in the real world you cannot make a 17 year old boy go to court however many times because certain people don't want black or asian people in their workplace. It is a fact that these things happen and you just have to push onwards and upwards and try to overcome them.

[Octavius]

I have no doubts that �this does happen� and I certainly do live �in the real world� and am an �employer�. My point, which you spectacularly seem to avoid, is that with evidence these firms can be challenged in court, lethargy is not an excuse. Fight for your rights and all that.

Of course there are those who don�t want Irish, English, Welsh, Scottish, White, Black, Asian, Deaf, Dumb, Blind, Disabled, Chav-types, Toffs working within their firms, but there are laws to prevent this and are there for our protection. Thankfully my experience shows that such firms are in the minority.

To confabulate over the propensity of MOST employers to make the link between Rhett and being Asian mystifies me, and I know all-sorts.

[isis4691]

My son has 9 GCSE passes all at good grades and BTEC in Business which he passed witha distiction.

He is currently at college studying to be a building surveyor. His CV and job applications are almost identical to his friends as they all have the same work experiance ,school results etc. He is sociable, good with people and really commited to finding a job. he hasn't had one interview in all this time and he has seen some underachievers( not that I am being horrible) get jobs immediatly. I appreciate what you are saying but we are constantly trying to fit into what you think employers want eg maximum hours, prepared to travel and anything else you can think of. I am not using any form of discrimination as an excuse, it's the situation that is happening.

[jake-the-peg]

However the fact that not one person here thought that Rhett might be an Asian name does seem to work against your premise don't you think?

Do you think there might be something else in his CV that might account for it?