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.”
What do you think?
Na wa o
Na she sabi
Her biz
Hmmmmm
See me see wahala, the baby is theirs, their wish should be granted, wetin concern racism
Racism in Brazil? There arse black like we Africans. Rubbish.
They should free them & registered the toddler name, later they will claim it’s not all about racism discrimination
Saying that someone’s name in his dialect doesn’t make any sense is crazy. It’s not your language, suck it up.
From my point of view l understand what the authority are trying to prevent. Why name the child after queen of sheba who is a renown witch worldwide and 2 the pronunciation might mean somethibg different in their language like bitch, slut, witch, evil as the case maybe. So avoid being bully and marginalise in the future they ought to reconsider. Please they have no case.
mtcheeew
They should let the parents worry about the discrimination and bullying
Hmmmmmm
This is pure racism.
That’s bullying and racism in the highest order. What’s their own when people are answering Jesus &other complicated names there.I support the couple; those names or no registration. They should tell that nonsense to Kanye West&Kim kardashian/Jay Z& Beyonce .Aside that no country has a right to dictate names to people (no be church sef)
Dem dey craze
This is madness
The authorities agreed. With the fouke. But disagreed with the queen of sheba’s name. Even me I disagree with naming her after queen of sheba of all people
Lols, change name na
Hmmmm…
Hian! ! Bloody racists! !! So we Africans that give our kids western names nko?