“For SF candidates, Chinese name can spell edge at poll”

SF Chronicle:

Perhaps the most infamous example is Michael Nava, who ran for San Francisco Superior Court judge in 2010. His chosen given name, Zhengping, translates to “correct and fair” — tailor-made for someone running for judge. And his surname, Li, made him recognizable to Chinese voters. (Nava still lost the election).

Attorney General Kamala Harris, now a candidate for U.S. Senate, also took major liberties with her Chinese name — He Jinli. Her given name, which sounds nothing like Kamala, translates to “intricate and beautiful,” and her surname means “celebrate.”

Some Chinese candidates, who don’t have the benefit of re-creating their name to gain a political advantage, become frustrated, said former supervisor and now state Board of Equalization member Fiona Ma, or Ma Shiyun. Her surname means “horse,” and her given name means “worldly cloud.”

“If you are running against someone and you’re Chinese, you have to use your name. My name sounds masculine. And someone picks out ‘beautiful golden child.’ It’s not really fair,” Ma said.

Share this: