The following is a statement for petition I wrote at 2nd, November, which I have already sent to one of the representatives of UoE Student's Union. If I cannot see any substantial progress on this matter, I will release this petition and mobilize stakeholders to endorse it. Yet, I think that it is important for me to post it here for personal record.
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We
undersigned, as students of University of Edinburgh (UoE) and global citizens,
in the principle of eliminating discrimination against all cultural
communities, including nationals and ethnicities, and with the sincere hope
that UoE can become the pioneer of upholding the foregoing principle in Western
universities, strongly appeal our university to amend the categorization of
name in every administrative documents of our university, i.e. from “first
name” and “surname” to “first name” and” “last name”.
In
some cultures, including those of Western countries, given name is placed first
and followed by family name. Thus, most people in Western countries presume
that it is also the same among other cultural communities. In arguably most of
the administrative documents in Western countries, be it that of immigration,
matriculation, or bank registration, the format has already been standardized
as “first name” and “surname”. Due to the strong cultural influence of them
over the world, this kind of name order seems to become a norm in the world.
However,
the order of names is the exact opposite in other cultural communities,
including Hungary, parts of Romania, South India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Japan,
Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, China, and different ethnicities, which are originated
from these places, all over the world. Despite its unintended consequence due
to ignorance on cultural differences, the categorization of name in every
administrative documents of Western countries is in fact discrimination against
these cultural communities in the sense that they must be forced to put their
given name in either the column of first name or surname; none of them are true
and therefore against their usual habit which might bear cultural meaning for
them.
We
are fully aware that many members from these cultural communities might not
even care the cultural meaning contained in their own name order and even
change their name order in accordance with Western’s in daily life; that is
their freedom of choice. However, it is completely different when such name
order is standardized in every administrative documents, which can be construed
as institutionalization of a certain order and therefore an indiscriminate
imposition over other communities without considering their cultural identity.
In
the strong belief that University of Edinburgh, being a top-class university in
the world, is making every effort to eradicate all kind of discriminations, we
strongly urge UoE taking the initiative to amend “surname” to “last name” in
every administrative documents. We believe that it is the right way to
accommodate cultural differences in the era of globalization. And we even hope
that UoE will set a role model leading other universities and eventually all
administrative units in Western countries to follow suit.
Signatories:
1.
HO Can-Hao
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