to think this is really quite racist?

[JosieRosie]

I am an NHS Early Years professional and (when not out and about visiting my million settings!) work in an office with 5 others. I work in East London and our caseload includes children whose parents come from all four corners of the globe and obviously lots and lots of them have non-White British names.

There are regular conversations between my colleagues along these lines -
A: Oh, I took a phone message for you today
B: Oh yes?
A: Yeah, it was from parent of (half-hearted non-attempt to pronounce child's name)
A&B: (much laughter of the 'aren't these names daft' variety )

AIBU to find it outrageous that they find a non-White British name absolutely hilarious? Racist? Extremely childish and/or unprofessional?

How do you know they would not have made a comment like that about a silly English name?

You don't.

As an aside East London? I would imagine you deal with less white children than you do any other ethnic race.

YABU. It's just as likely that someone will laugh at a silly English name.

It's not really something worth getting worked up about is it? Hardly "outrageous" material, surely.

some of the stupidest names have been given to white UK citizens whose parents are both white UK citizens

the examples I could give you would make you piss your pants (I work in a childrens hospital)

YABU

My boss does it. It makes my skin crawl. I think it's pathetic.

Walter Diddit...
My Mum's friend's name...[really]

YABU

My daughter goes to school with a girl called Farideh which I personally find hilarious. It doesn't matter what race or nationality people are some names are just bizarre, inappropriate and/or funny.

You are being ultrasensitive and looking for racism where there isn't any.

It only seems to happen with non-English names. Really rubs me up the wrong way. They seem to go out of their way to pronounce names in a can't-be-arsed sort of way. I find it really unpleasant and patronising

Perhaps they're laughing at themselves for making inept attempts at pronouncinmg thenames

[I actually know a Tess who's getting married to a Ben Tickle...]

Yanbu.

Jade Goody was vilified for taking a similar attitude to Shilpa Sheti's name on celeb BB.

Your colleagues should certainly be more professional, especially in such a responsible position.

Try again - sorry...

Perhaps they're laughing at themselves for making inept attempts at pronouncing the names

I would also add that my Great Aunt's name was Fanny...
Try that nowadays

Maybe they'd laugh at any name of any origin that was a bit of a mouthful/unusual? I live in quite a hippy-ish area and a while ago was walking through the town with my cousin and her hubby from a different town - a woman in front of us called out to a small boy "Zebedee! Come here!" Cousin's DH fell about laughing and saying "ridiculous name!poor child" etc. I was a bit surprised, unusual names are quite usual here, and I thought he was a bit off, but to each his own i suppose....

Alright, your colleagues should be more profesional but they're only human - do you have any reason to believe there is real racial prejudice behind it?

YANBU - I experienced similar racism in a staff room when I did voluntary work in a primary school.

Dealing with the unfamiliar in such an infantile manner is not indicative of a. imagination b. empathy c. reasoning skills beyond those capable of responding to the habitual and familiar.

They should be put in charge of making tea (a familiar task they are probably capable of), not dealing with people.

I suspect they're racist, too. But probably capable of not being obviously so.

Probably have loads of class assumptions also.

It would wind me up too.

YANBU- its unprofessional, regardless of whether or not they would laugh at British names

I doubt very much in the NHS you would find a racist worker. It is all very politically correct.

I agree BigZing and fairycake. Of course there are unusual English names which can be amusing. I still think it's unprofessional to fall about laughing. Maybe funny if you're under 10 year old, otherwise

believe me - when you have a surname like I do (married name - my "maiden" name was a dull English one) you tend to join in with laughing at the professionals rather daft attempts to pronounce it.

These days I'm generally a ltitle kinder and jump in with "it's ok "Baroqin is fine" so they don't have a to make an arse of themselves with my surname.

I REALLY HAD TO LAUGH WHEN I READ THE CREDITS OF A FILM (AS U DO) AND THE NAME 'DICK PUL' CAME UP PMSL OBVIOUSLY PARENTS HAD A S.O.H. SOME NAMES DO MAKE U LAUGH AND THEY WERE PROBABLY JUST TRYING TO INJECT SOME XMAS HUMOUR IN AN OTHERWISE BORING PRE-XMAS OFFICE!

It's not nice of them, but I think you're being a bit righteous for actually complaining about it.

LOL animula, making tea would probably be quite a challenge to these two

Fabby - don't be fooled. Yes we have Equality and Diversity courses coming out our ears but I've heard and seen plenty of stuff (racism, sexism, homophobia) at work that has made me

salsmum, I understand what you're saying but there is nothing inherently funny about these names whatsover - they are just not 'English' names

I think it betrays a basic disrespect for the people who have non-British names.

Frankly, I'm astounded that so many posters here seem to think it's ok. I really didn't expect to hold the minority view.