Job Discussion Forums

[Tamara]

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?p=183920#183920

I posted this question in the North American forum, but thought that some from actual Spanish-speaking countries might have a new perspective to offer. Please take a look when you get a chance.

Thanks!

[Guy Courchesne]

I don't see how it would be that hard to run a DB for two names. If you look at Mexico, you have the opposit problem. When my name goes into a DB, or if I fill out a paper form somewhere, I often run into trouble by NOT having two last names. Some DBs I've seen here in Mexico require that both the mother's and father's (for translation purposes) last names be entered, or it gets rejected. I often end up putting my family name twice.

As far as switching names is concerned, could a DB not be set up to allow for two last names, searchable by either feild? Most Latinos will put priority on their father's last name. My wife for example Ana Gabriela Ruiz Mata, will often use simply Gabriela Ruiz or Ana Gabriela Ruiz.

One question regarding your post in the NA forum. Why would any of your students actually swtich names? Because they marry? Because they are hiding? Is this not simply a clerical error?

[Tamara]

I think it should be possible to create a database that searches two separate fields as a last name. I mean, instead of expecting folks to show up with 3 names, they could expect 4. Then, when searching for files in the data base, it could search either of the "last name" fields.

Sounds great!

I don't think anyone would consider it worth money to upgrade to a new database. The one they used now is UNIX based (if I understand correctly).

When we've asked students what their father's last name is, they tell us, and we use that on the forms. The next form they fill out, they'll use a completely different last name. It's bewildering!

Another situation: For the new semeseter, we've created an orientation, a huge part of it dedicated to explaining the situation about name consistency to maintain records. We tell them it doesn't matter if they use the father's last name or the mother's or the husband's or make one up--as long as they're consistent! However, after presenting the orientation, I stopped by the coordinator's office and she mentioned that several of the students in orientation were returning students who were already entered into the system under different names than they chose to use this time. (After hearing the above explanation... ) So, she's making them go back to what they used before.

I'm very frustrated by what I perceive to be a power struggle over who gets to determine what students are called. We've gone for so long without understanding the issue (back to before I was involved...or maybe even a twinkle in my father's eye) that now we can't crawl out of the hole we've dug. But the powers that be don't seem to get that telling students which name we will use because we can't seem to find a way to adapt our system to their name seems like "Corleone" at Ellis Island all over again.