Brazilian Officials Decline Registering Baby’s Yoruba Name | Claim ‘It Makes No Sense’

Brazilian Officials have denied a couple the right to give their newborn Yoruba and Ethiopian names because ‘it makes no sense’ and ‘could cause future suffering.’

According to reports, when the new couple, Cizinho Afreeka and Jessica Juliana, got to know that they were expecting a girl child, they planned giving her an African name. So they picked Makeda (after the Ethiopian Queen of Sheba) and Foluke (a Yoruba name).

When the baby was born, officials at the registration center in Rio de Janeiro, where the couple live, declined registering the names, claiming it makes no sense at all when pronounced in Portuguese and that it could cause future suffering for the child in social circles.

However, Cizinho and Jessica insist the main reason for their refusal is racism.

Mr Cizinho said,”It is a form of racism that takes place in Brazil: the racism of subtleties. It should be very natural a man and a black woman adopting an African name, as the country is made up of three races. It is difficult to prove. Only those in this skin is knows.”

In response to the Cizinho`s allegation, the registration officers insisted racism was not the issue, but the pronunciation of the name.

Luiz Fernando, a civil registration official said, ”The procedure is necessary with any name that can be used to leave the child in a vexatious or bullying. You have to filter. These procedures are normal, no one refused to do the registration. It is not the name, not the meaning. It`s the pronunciation, diction. Racism is rarely in people`s minds.”

The officials then suggested Makeda`s parent give the newborn a more European-sounding first name and use the African name as her middle name but the couple declined.

The couple will reportedly have no choice than to appeal to a judge to see if they can officially give their daughter an African name. However it turns out, Cizinho said, ”I will keep on until the end. Either it will be Makeda Foluke or she will be with no registration.”

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