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Professor Asks Student To Anglicize Her Name Because ‘It Sounds Like An Insult In English’, Gets Suspended Instead
Having a name that’s difficult to pronounce in English has its challenges. It means a lot of awkward mispronunciations, nicknames, and hurried apologies. Trust me, I know. However, just because somebody has a foreign name is no reason to ask them to change it.
Vietnamese student Phuc Bui Diem Nguyen says she became the victim of discrimination when a professor from Laney College in Oakland, California told her to “Anglicize” her name. The reason? Mathematics professor Matthew Hubbard believed that freshman Phuc Bui’s name sounded like an insult in English—‘f*** boy.’
The student’s sister shared the email exchange that happened between her and the professor on Instagram and it went viral. According to The New York Times, professor Hubbard was put on leave soon after the emails were made public.
RELATED:
A math professor from Laney College in Oakland, California, was suspended after he asked a Vietnamese student to “Anglicize” her name
Image credits: diemquyynh
Image credits: diemquyynh
Image credits: diemquyynh
The student’s sister made the emails sent by the professor public on her Instagram account
Image credits: diemquyynh
Image credits: diemquyynh
View this post on Instagram
Image credits: diemquyynh
The community college released an official statement
Image credits: diemquyynh
The first email exchange between Hubbard and Phuc Bui happened on Wednesday, June 17. Phuc Bui explicitly told her math professor that she would file a complaint with the community college’s Title IX office if he couldn’t call her by her real name.
President of Laney College, Tammeil Gilkerson, called the incident “disturbing” in a statement released on Thursday. According to her, the professor was placed on administrative leave while an investigation is being conducted.
“While our mission has been bold and unrelenting, we also recognize that our college and its community is a reflection of broader society, and we must actively fight ignorance with education. We do not tolerate racism, discrimination, or oppression of any kind,” Gilkerson said.
Laney College has a large Asian student population. 16k students study at this Oakland community college and 29 percent of them are of Asian descent.
Phuc Bui said in a Zoom interview with KGO-TV on Friday that she used to go by her nickname—May. However, after years and years of using this nickname, she wanted to use her real name which means “happiness blessing.” She added that when she had been unaware of what the word “Anglicize” meant until she asked her friend what it meant after she received the email from her professor.
The professor apologized on Saturday
On Saturday, Hubbard apologized on his Twitter account which has since been deleted. “I apologize for my insensitive actions which caused pain and anger to my student, and which have now caused pain and anger to an untold number of people who read my two inappropriate emails on the Internet,” he wrote in his apology.
He admitted to The New York Times that sending out those emails was a mistake and added that there were two people in his online trigonometry class with the last name Nguyen. Since the other person with the same surname changed their online name, Hubbard said that he thought he’d ask Phuc Bui to do the same.
“The first email was a mistake, and I made it thinking about another student willing to Anglicize. But it’s a big difference with someone doing it voluntarily and asking someone to do it. The second email is very offensive, and if I had waited eight hours, I would’ve written something very different,” he said.
Here’s how people reacted to the incident
Some people said that the professor had a point, even though he handled things very, very badly
What do you think ?
Oskar vanZandt 5 years ago
I would have asked the student what they prefer to be called as they have four names- if we had a middle name on the class register, our teachers would not refer to us by our whole name. If I was unfamiliar with the name, I would ask them to pronounce it- I have a huge PET PEEVE about names being mis-pronounced.
Leslie O 5 years ago
I have the same pet peeve. When I meet someone with a name that can be pronounced multiple ways (like mine /less lee/ vs lez lee/) or a name I've never heard, I ask them to pronounce it as I write it down phonetically! To tell the student to pick a new name without even knowing the correct pronunciation is just really lazy AND rude.
Load More Replies...
Christophe Beunens 5 years ago
We live in an international world, so it should be rather normal to ask somebody how the name is pronounced. A French colleague is called Aglae (A - Gla - E). She is called by some people Algue or even Ugly...
Steve Cruz 5 years ago
My friend's name is Welsh -- Aneurin, pronounced "an-EYE-run." He goes by "Annie" and when people respond like idiots, he tells them his name and they usually get over themselves.
Load More Replies...
Leslie O 5 years ago
I wonder if Laney ever has in-service training for instructors. This seems like the kind of thing that would/should be covered in a diversity/cultural sensitivity class. If not, it sounds like they REALLY need to implement something. I mean, lots of corporations have classes like these for employees. Not universities? And I'm not talking about quashing feee speech, just providing instructors with tools for dealing with a challenge like student-has-a-weird-name. They probably have to take sexual harassment training, right? I truly hope that Laney will work with Hubbard (and other instructors) to educate and implement best practices rather than firing him. His apology seemed legit to me, so maybe he'd be open to a training. It's much more helpful to open the discussion in a situation like this, and come to a greater understanding than to can anyone who seems clueless. If someone REFUSES to learn a different way, then fire their a*s! Why am I feeling like I'm going to get downvotes for this?
Rosie Hamilton 5 years ago
I looked it up and according to a person who speaks the language it's not meant to be pronounced with an uck sound but ook and the ending is softer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV_n4aDs6qo
Load More Replies...
Catlady6000 5 years ago
I worked with a young woman whose name I just could not pronounce. Not once in the 6 months I worked with her. It never even occurred to me to ask her to simplify or Anglicize. I figured if the owner of the name wants to do that , they will let you know
Mme de Poppadom 5 years ago (edited)
It's super common for people in business/academic world to include a phonetic pronunciation of their name in their email signature. Very grateful to those who enlighten others like this. Who hasn't had their name butchered at one point?
Leslie O 5 years ago
I have seen that, but not enough! That would actually be a great addition to a business card! I'm going to see about using it! (My married name gets slaughtered)
Load More Replies...
Jon S. 5 years ago (edited)
I never even thought twice about changing my name to Ali when I spend time in Iran. My wife also has an English and Iranian name. So I can see the professor's point of view (and our names aren't rude, just difficult for the locals). But he could have dealt with it much more sensitively.
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago (edited)
When it is your own choice it is lightyears away from being more or less ordered to do it. It also sounds as though it is an active wish, on your part, to blend in - when you are there, which means that it is not where you live permanently. Racism and xenophobia are everywhere, in all societies, and pressure on newer residents/citizens to change their names according to what is more common must be just about the most common form of pressure to integrate there is in the world.
Load More Replies... Pseudo Puppy 5 years ago (edited)
Multi-ethnic, multi-lingual person here, who's worked & lived in France, USA, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. I also have a B. Languages. I have had MANY instances where a name in one language sounds offensive in another (Connor in english, sounds EXACTLY like "arsehole" in french. Not similar. Identical. "Deb" (Deborah) means "fat" in Japanese). HOWEVER.... there are MANY polite ways to discuss this matter with someone, if their name LITERALLY sounds offensive. HOWEVER... if it sounds "similar"... just learn how to pronounce their name CORRECTLY!!!!! If they want to keep their offensive-sounding name in whatever language - let them!! IT IS THEIR NAME. Knew a british guy Connor, who had no idea what his name meant in french, & was complaining about the local French laughing whenever he introduced himself. Once I explained, he was mortified, & HE chose to go by his middle-name while in France. Outside of France, he went by Connor, and our French friends in the UK dealt with it perfectly fine.
Slune 5 years ago
The Vietnamese pronunciation is soooo difficult for me, that I needed full two days to get " How are you doing?" out the way people are understanding. When seeing a text, thinking: seems to be easy for me, it's like French.......Ha, noooo they doing it the Vietnamese way. TAM BIET:)))
Load More Replies... Oskar vanZandt 5 years ago
I would have asked the student what they prefer to be called as they have four names- if we had a middle name on the class register, our teachers would not refer to us by our whole name. If I was unfamiliar with the name, I would ask them to pronounce it- I have a huge PET PEEVE about names being mis-pronounced.
Leslie O 5 years ago
I have the same pet peeve. When I meet someone with a name that can be pronounced multiple ways (like mine /less lee/ vs lez lee/) or a name I've never heard, I ask them to pronounce it as I write it down phonetically! To tell the student to pick a new name without even knowing the correct pronunciation is just really lazy AND rude.
Load More Replies... Christophe Beunens 5 years ago
We live in an international world, so it should be rather normal to ask somebody how the name is pronounced. A French colleague is called Aglae (A - Gla - E). She is called by some people Algue or even Ugly...
Steve Cruz 5 years ago
My friend's name is Welsh -- Aneurin, pronounced "an-EYE-run." He goes by "Annie" and when people respond like idiots, he tells them his name and they usually get over themselves.
Load More Replies... Leslie O 5 years ago
I wonder if Laney ever has in-service training for instructors. This seems like the kind of thing that would/should be covered in a diversity/cultural sensitivity class. If not, it sounds like they REALLY need to implement something. I mean, lots of corporations have classes like these for employees. Not universities? And I'm not talking about quashing feee speech, just providing instructors with tools for dealing with a challenge like student-has-a-weird-name. They probably have to take sexual harassment training, right? I truly hope that Laney will work with Hubbard (and other instructors) to educate and implement best practices rather than firing him. His apology seemed legit to me, so maybe he'd be open to a training. It's much more helpful to open the discussion in a situation like this, and come to a greater understanding than to can anyone who seems clueless. If someone REFUSES to learn a different way, then fire their a*s! Why am I feeling like I'm going to get downvotes for this?
Rosie Hamilton 5 years ago
I looked it up and according to a person who speaks the language it's not meant to be pronounced with an uck sound but ook and the ending is softer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV_n4aDs6qo
Load More Replies... Catlady6000 5 years ago
I worked with a young woman whose name I just could not pronounce. Not once in the 6 months I worked with her. It never even occurred to me to ask her to simplify or Anglicize. I figured if the owner of the name wants to do that , they will let you know
Mme de Poppadom 5 years ago (edited)
It's super common for people in business/academic world to include a phonetic pronunciation of their name in their email signature. Very grateful to those who enlighten others like this. Who hasn't had their name butchered at one point?
Leslie O 5 years ago
I have seen that, but not enough! That would actually be a great addition to a business card! I'm going to see about using it! (My married name gets slaughtered)
Load More Replies... Jon S. 5 years ago (edited)
I never even thought twice about changing my name to Ali when I spend time in Iran. My wife also has an English and Iranian name. So I can see the professor's point of view (and our names aren't rude, just difficult for the locals). But he could have dealt with it much more sensitively.
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago (edited)
When it is your own choice it is lightyears away from being more or less ordered to do it. It also sounds as though it is an active wish, on your part, to blend in - when you are there, which means that it is not where you live permanently. Racism and xenophobia are everywhere, in all societies, and pressure on newer residents/citizens to change their names according to what is more common must be just about the most common form of pressure to integrate there is in the world.
Load More Replies... Pseudo Puppy 5 years ago (edited)
Multi-ethnic, multi-lingual person here, who's worked & lived in France, USA, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. I also have a B. Languages. I have had MANY instances where a name in one language sounds offensive in another (Connor in english, sounds EXACTLY like "arsehole" in french. Not similar. Identical. "Deb" (Deborah) means "fat" in Japanese). HOWEVER.... there are MANY polite ways to discuss this matter with someone, if their name LITERALLY sounds offensive. HOWEVER... if it sounds "similar"... just learn how to pronounce their name CORRECTLY!!!!! If they want to keep their offensive-sounding name in whatever language - let them!! IT IS THEIR NAME. Knew a british guy Connor, who had no idea what his name meant in french, & was complaining about the local French laughing whenever he introduced himself. Once I explained, he was mortified, & HE chose to go by his middle-name while in France. Outside of France, he went by Connor, and our French friends in the UK dealt with it perfectly fine.
Slune 5 years ago
The Vietnamese pronunciation is soooo difficult for me, that I needed full two days to get " How are you doing?" out the way people are understanding. When seeing a text, thinking: seems to be easy for me, it's like French.......Ha, noooo they doing it the Vietnamese way. TAM BIET:)))
Load More Replies...
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