The Sociology of Immigration: Second Thoughts and Reconsiderations

Abstract

Waldinger’s article seeks to combat the idea that immigrants are “foreign phenomenon” that are “not expected to last” in American society. (21) The author mentions name changes in passing on page 35 as part of a conversation of assimilating. He claims that the desire to adopt an “American” name is “possibly motivated by a quintessentially American desire to start afresh.” However, he also compares name changes to cosmetic surgery, particularly nose jobs, and claims that both are examples of attempts to do away with one’s ethnic associations. Waldinger claims that not questioning the expectation of immigrants to Anglicize their names is implicit acceptance of the idea that foreign-born immigrants are inherently less American than native born ones.