Markup View

Author: Ckuckoo

Jan 17th 2012 at 3:43:50 AM

^^ 
* The Miller family has produced two showbiz successes - George Miller, an Australian film director, screenwriter, producer, and former medical doctor (famous for his work on ''MadMax'', ''{{Babe}}'', and ''HappyFeet'') and Bill Miller II, an award winning Sydney-based feature film producer. Their family name was ''Miliotis'', but was changed by their Greek immigrant parents after they arrived in Australia.
* ZigZagged by Australian news presenter George Donikian, who was advised to change his name to 'Donican' when he first started his career, so as to sound less "ethnic". When he became a news host for the multicultural, multilingual channel {{SBS}}, people were so surprised he adopted the name 'Donikian' that ''some thought he'd changed his name to sound more "ethnic" and "multicultural".'' He has worked for other networks, but kept his original Greek name, Donikian, ever since.

I think that while it is likely true that most of the examples under this trope in the US relate to Jewish origin, in my country this is a phenomenon, but the Jewish community is pretty tiny, and the most visible examples come from people from larger communities such as the Greek community. I'm not necessarily saying the trope name should be changed, since as a title I think it works ok. I was just surprised the description focuses so heavily on Jewish examples when I know of many from other communities who fit this trope (even if many are from acquaintances in RL). But because of the US's heavy role in Western media, maybe the focus is rather appropriate, I don't know.

'''edit''' - but since this wiki is meant to be open for developments further down the track, and as you note while this is becoming rather redundant in the modern world for now more accepted/mainstream groups like Jews and Greeks and whatnot, it is starting to become more relevant to other groups. I think that if other groups will be fitting this trope in the future, we should keep it open for the Kal Penns who are yet to be and so forth. If that makes sense.