I am a biracial Japanese American woman, and to use a Japanese name (in this case, the Japanese name Raiden) when you are not of Japanese descent is incredibly insensitive and ignorant. The reason? Why am I stating the fact that it's insensitive and ignorant when a non-Japanese person thinks it's okay to use a Japanese name, because "names shouldn't have boundaries based on racial background", that "it's just a name and therefore shouldn't be politicized", that "people outside of Japan (or another Asian country) wouldn't know its significance/association"?It's insulting, hurtful, and "rubbing salt in open wounds". It's ignoring the history and trauma that our grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, etc. had to go through and the feelings of shame that was forced upon them for who they are. It's ignoring that Americans of Japanese descent were forced into concentration camps during WWII. (Yes, they were concentration camps; "internment camps" is used to soften the fact that the U.S. used concentration camps to detain anyone who was Japanese, no matter their citizenship status. Hell, if anyone researches further, they'd learn Hitler got the idea of concentration camps from settlers/colonizers in the U.S. stealing this land from Indigenous people and forcing them to live in "reservations"; the primary difference is that Hitler turned concentration camps of Jewish people into death camps.) We had to further remove ourselves from certain aspects of our culture in order to "fit in", to prove we are "American enough". Our grandparents and our parents are trying to protect us from further harm and racism by giving us, their grandchildren and children, non-Asian names. Because they've been made to feel it's unacceptable and dangerous. They had come to see it as painting a target on their children, a glaring omission that they aren't "American enough".As a biracial Japanese American who is lucky to have a name from my country of origin, the country my mother was born and raised, the country I was born in, I had to go through teasing and have faced racism based solely on my name. A name given to me by my maternal grandfather as he wished, he hoped, that I would live because I was born prematurely and had holes in my heart. My grandfather who put a lot of consideration into the kanji for my name. Even though my mother was terrified that my first name was of Japanese origin, it had been decided to not change it to an English/European name because of its significance--that it was given to me in the hope that I will live despite being born prematurely and having holes in my heart; that my maternal grandfather gave it to me because my mother was so close to him. It's the gift I received from him before he passed away.Raiden--and any Japanese names, for that matter--is not for people who are not Japanese.If, for example, you have a Greek name despite not being of Greek descent you're far less likely to be targeted by racists. The reason? Because it's considered "acceptable" (i.e. white-sounding enough, connected to whiteness, associated with whiteness) even if it might be "difficult to pronounce"; because it's often reinforced, however subtle, that English and European names aren't so "weird".Our Asian names are incredibly important as they contain the hopes and wishes from our parents through the kanji chosen to create them. Whether in its literal meaning or by association. In the case of Raiden, it's the association--it's wishing for the child's strength in character of a thunder deity, whom is often depicted as a protector. Many non-Asian names are the same in some way, but for us Asians? Particularly those of us who haven't grown up in our home country? It's practically sacred because it's something that further connects Asians suffering from diaspora to our country, culture, and ancestors.When non-Asians use names from our country of origin, it's considered "cool", "pretty", and "different from other more common names" it's hurtful. Yet Asians have always been insulted for having Asian names. For non-Asians, it sadly seems accepted that insults and teasing are considered a part of childhood and is justified as simply being the cruelty of children "finding something to tease about". That doesn't justify it. It doesn't erase the underlying racism that Asians experience in association to their names just because it's a child doing the teasing and making the insults. It doesn't matter if you think otherwise, it doesn't take away the racial othering, the discrimination, the hostility. I would know. I've experienced that.Even Asians studying outside of their country are made to feel like they need to choose an English/European name because "it's easier" since oftentimes non-Asians don't bother to put in the effort of trying to pronounce our names correctly and are thus made to feel they need to accommodate non-Asians. It's easy to ask and practice pronunciation; yet, as Asians, our names are often not given that level of effort or consideration.When someone of Asian ancestry has an Asian name, we are often teased relentlessly because our names are "weird" and a large number of other unsavory descriptions. We are often targeted by racism. Asian parents often choose not to give their children a name from their culture because they're trying to protect their kid, to assimilate into the non-Asian country they moved to with the hope that their children are more accepted in the non-Asian county and lessen their child's struggles as much as they can within that country. By using an "acceptable" name that generally is of some English or European descent, the child is hopefully "safe" to some extent as our Asian names are considered "unacceptable" because they're not white-sounding enough.Look, no matter if you disagree and have an opinion to counter what I've written here, that doesn't matter because you're not Japanese. Nor does it matter if you have a Japanese or Asian friend who says it's okay, they're only trying to appease non-Asians and/or don't have a lot of care about how Asian names and culture are appropriated. Having "permission" doesn't matter. To use an Asian name when you're not Asian is ignorant and hurtful. And if you disagree, well, I suggest you take a good look at yourself; because what it says is you're perpetuating a certain branch of racism.
It's insulting, hurtful, and "rubbing salt in open wounds". It's ignoring the history and trauma that our grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, etc. had to go through and the feelings of shame that was forced upon them for who they are. It's ignoring that Americans of Japanese descent were forced into concentration camps during WWII. (Yes, they were concentration camps; "internment camps" is used to soften the fact that the U.S. used concentration camps to detain anyone who was Japanese, no matter their citizenship status. Hell, if anyone researches further, they'd learn Hitler got the idea of concentration camps from settlers/colonizers in the U.S. stealing this land from Indigenous people and forcing them to live in "reservations"; the primary difference is that Hitler turned concentration camps of Jewish people into death camps.) We had to further remove ourselves from certain aspects of our culture in order to "fit in", to prove we are "American enough". Our grandparents and our parents are trying to protect us from further harm and racism by giving us, their grandchildren and children, non-Asian names. Because they've been made to feel it's unacceptable and dangerous. They had come to see it as painting a target on their children, a glaring omission that they aren't "American enough".
As a biracial Japanese American who is lucky to have a name from my country of origin, the country my mother was born and raised, the country I was born in, I had to go through teasing and have faced racism based solely on my name. A name given to me by my maternal grandfather as he wished, he hoped, that I would live because I was born prematurely and had holes in my heart. My grandfather who put a lot of consideration into the kanji for my name. Even though my mother was terrified that my first name was of Japanese origin, it had been decided to not change it to an English/European name because of its significance--that it was given to me in the hope that I will live despite being born prematurely and having holes in my heart; that my maternal grandfather gave it to me because my mother was so close to him. It's the gift I received from him before he passed away.
Raiden--and any Japanese names, for that matter--is not for people who are not Japanese.
If, for example, you have a Greek name despite not being of Greek descent you're far less likely to be targeted by racists. The reason? Because it's considered "acceptable" (i.e. white-sounding enough, connected to whiteness, associated with whiteness) even if it might be "difficult to pronounce"; because it's often reinforced, however subtle, that English and European names aren't so "weird".
Our Asian names are incredibly important as they contain the hopes and wishes from our parents through the kanji chosen to create them. Whether in its literal meaning or by association. In the case of Raiden, it's the association--it's wishing for the child's strength in character of a thunder deity, whom is often depicted as a protector. Many non-Asian names are the same in some way, but for us Asians? Particularly those of us who haven't grown up in our home country? It's practically sacred because it's something that further connects Asians suffering from diaspora to our country, culture, and ancestors.
When non-Asians use names from our country of origin, it's considered "cool", "pretty", and "different from other more common names" it's hurtful. Yet Asians have always been insulted for having Asian names. For non-Asians, it sadly seems accepted that insults and teasing are considered a part of childhood and is justified as simply being the cruelty of children "finding something to tease about". That doesn't justify it. It doesn't erase the underlying racism that Asians experience in association to their names just because it's a child doing the teasing and making the insults. It doesn't matter if you think otherwise, it doesn't take away the racial othering, the discrimination, the hostility. I would know. I've experienced that.
Even Asians studying outside of their country are made to feel like they need to choose an English/European name because "it's easier" since oftentimes non-Asians don't bother to put in the effort of trying to pronounce our names correctly and are thus made to feel they need to accommodate non-Asians. It's easy to ask and practice pronunciation; yet, as Asians, our names are often not given that level of effort or consideration.
When someone of Asian ancestry has an Asian name, we are often teased relentlessly because our names are "weird" and a large number of other unsavory descriptions. We are often targeted by racism. Asian parents often choose not to give their children a name from their culture because they're trying to protect their kid, to assimilate into the non-Asian country they moved to with the hope that their children are more accepted in the non-Asian county and lessen their child's struggles as much as they can within that country. By using an "acceptable" name that generally is of some English or European descent, the child is hopefully "safe" to some extent as our Asian names are considered "unacceptable" because they're not white-sounding enough.
Look, no matter if you disagree and have an opinion to counter what I've written here, that doesn't matter because you're not Japanese. Nor does it matter if you have a Japanese or Asian friend who says it's okay, they're only trying to appease non-Asians and/or don't have a lot of care about how Asian names and culture are appropriated. Having "permission" doesn't matter. To use an Asian name when you're not Asian is ignorant and hurtful. And if you disagree, well, I suggest you take a good look at yourself; because what it says is you're perpetuating a certain branch of racism.