Yurun Zhang
One day in the French class in the Francisation program, I was practicing French with my classmates. When I said “je vais t’attendre chez KFC ”, my classmate reminded me that KFC here in Montreal is called PFK. Then, I immediately asked what the people here call “the apple store” which sells iphones. Do they change it into “une pomme”? She laughed without giving me an answer.
I googled when I returned home, and I found out the apple store is still the apple store but KFC here becomes PFK. This is because of the Section 63 of Quebec French language charter, which states that the name of an enterprise must be in French. But why has only KFC changed its name, while the Apple Store, Dairy Queen, Subway and many other brands have not. Some people explained that if the brand does not make sense in French, then they change their names. For example, Shopper’s Drug Mart goes by Pharmaprix in Quebec because Quebecois would be confused by “shopper’s”, and they might think this is a proper name rather than referring to someone who goes to the store as a “shopper”. Canadian Tire also does not change the name because most French people can understand those two words. To some extent, we can think that brands which change their name try their best to integrate into the local society to attract customers. As long as the brands’ name does not cause confusion, they do not need to change the name. However, for those world-known brands like KFC, does their name really cause confusion? Is it really necessary for them to change the name?
The localization of names also happens to people. People tend to have a local name when they go to a new country. However, when I just arrived at the first course at McGill, the professor said that you do not need to change your name to an English name. Every professor will try hard to learn your own name. But many Chinese people I met outside McGill will still use their English names because it is easy to pronounce and remember by local people. And having an English name may also provide them with more interview opportunities. Some may have other reasons for using an English name.
Here is a link for the discussion about why Chinese have an English name:
For me, I think no matter what, people or brands should be empowered to choose which name they want to use other than being forced to have a localized name. When people try to learn and become accustomed to the local cultures, the local society also needs to become more inclusive to them. Also, people who do want to have a localized name also need to be willingly accepted instead of having to use their real name. Inclusion should be inclusive across the board, not just one aspect!
Questions:
Do you have any examples of foreign brands having a localized name when they enter your country? From your perspective, should brands keep their original names or should they change to a new local name?
Do you give yourself a localized name when you stay in another country? Do you feel comfortable using that? Do you prefer to use your own name given by parents?
Hi Yurun,
I am really interested in your topic. Actually, in China, there are also some foreign brands having localized names. We can also take KFC for example, sometimes we prefer to call it ‘肯德基’. Or for the McDonald’s, we call it ‘麦当劳’. From my perspective, one of the reasons why they have their localized names is to adapt to local customs. We need to admit that some people do not know their English names. As for my name, it is really easy to pronounce, so usually I just use my Chinese name.
Yi Hu
Hi Yurun,
What an interesting topic! Actually, when I first came to Canada, I also prepared an English name for myself, but later on, I realized that it’s ok if I just want to use my Chinese name and all the professors and classmates would try their best to remember that. But I’m not sure if this is because our major (we know the importance of respecting each language), and maybe in another department, that’ll be another story. Personally, I think it’s important to keep the name given by our parents as it also represents our original culture and identity and people should really try hard to remember it instead of forcing us to have a local name.
Heng D.
Hi Yurun,
I think you made perfect examples in the article! I lived in Alberta for almost 4 years and was used to “shoppers” as the pharmacy, but when I moved to Quebec I have to be used to that “shoppers” are now called “pharmprix” in here. It’s good to hear that you’re taking Francisation program to integrate. I feel there are so many French language programs are sponsored by Government du Quebec for immigrants/newcomers to choose. Maybe I will enroll in one when I’m not taking courses and have more time to participate!
Chuanmei Lin
Hi Yurun,
I like the topic you raised in your article and I think it is important for us to keep our Chinese name. I have to admit that before I came to Canada, I did not realize the meaning of one’s name, but when I arrived here, I came to recognize that my Chinese name represents my Chinese identity. I have to keep my self-identity both in the academic area and in daily life because it is so valuable to me. Trying to join the local society does not mean we have to drop our former identity. In fact, I think if we keep our former identity, we may better promote the diverse culture here.
Jundong Ma
Hello Yurun, thanks for your post!! It was very interesting 🙂 during my first classes at McGill I was very surprised to see that all my Chinese classmates would use an English name when introducing themselves. When I got to know that they do so to make life easier to others, I felt like this whole name-change thing was extremely unfair and unjust. Our names are a very specific choice made by our parents, names carry a whole set of meanings and characteristics that are deeply attached to our identity, our story, our family. To change our name is to change who we are. I know that pronouncing Chinese names can be difficult for someone who doesn’t speak Chinese, but it is totally worth make an effort – to learn how to pronounce a name means to respect a person’s identity. If someone cannot pronounce your name, it is their problem, not yours! 🙂
-Martina
Hi Yurun! I really like your blog. I used to have the same doubts as you. In my hometown Hulunbuir, it is a border region of China. We are connected to Mongolia, which leads to bilingual signboards (Chinese and Mongolian) on our streets. In some small cities near the border, even signs or road signs in Mongolian will appear, and people are basically bilingual. But the children who go to school there, even in China, still choose to have their Mongolian names called by others, and they also speak Mongolian in their daily communication. Our region is very compatible. People will not be confused because someone speaks another language in a Putonghua region, but respect their rights.
Hi Yurun! I really like your blog. I used to have the same doubts as you. In my hometown Hulunbuir, it is a border region of China. We are connected to Mongolia, which leads to bilingual signboards (Chinese and Mongolian) on our streets. In some small cities near the border, even signs or road signs in Mongolian will appear, and people are basically bilingual. But the children who go to school there, even in China, still choose to have their Mongolian names called by others, and they also speak Mongolian in their daily communication. Our region is very compatible. People will not be confused because someone speaks another language in a Putonghua region, but respect their rights.
By Shuhang