- A TikToker has struck a chord with viewers with a video explaining why she changed her Chinese name.
- She said when she changed her first name from "Xinyuan" to "Sage" she was treated profoundly differently.
A TikToker said her decision to drop her birth name "Xinyuan" and go by the Anglo name "Sage" has changed her life, and helped curb some of the name-related discrimination she faced before. A video explaining her decision has amassed tens of thousands of views, with many commenters cheering her on and saying they too have been treated differently because of their name.
Xinyuan Ye, who goes by Sage now, told Insider that she is ethnically Chinese and grew up in the United States. Ye said she's been using Sage as a "Starbucks name," or for food orders and other customer service transactions, for the last few years.
@sageisgroovy Sadly, changing my name was the decision of my life
♬ original sound - Sage
She decided to start implementing the new name into her daily life around four months ago as she was starting to look for jobs.
In the video, she said there have been striking differences since switching to an English name, proving that "name discrimination" is an issue in the US.
"Before, when I used Xinyuan, I would go hours or even days without really hearing my name being said," she said. After going by Sage, Ye said she's noticed people called her by her name a lot more prevalently, even in casual conversation.
Ye also said she has started receiving way more inquiries from hiring managers on LinkedIn, and she receives more likes and matches on dating apps.
"The minute I changed my name, I've been getting way more likes," she said. "I'll open Hinge and I'll have 50 to 60 likes. I can't even keep up with all of them anymore."
Ye said the way people are treating her now has boosted her confidence. "Sadly, changing my name was the decision of my life," she wrote in the video description.
Ye told Insider that she's planning to get her name changed legally, although she's been putting it off because the process is arduous and expensive. She said her family has been supportive of the change.
"My parents didn't really think about giving me an English name, whereas they gave my brother an English name because he was born here," she said. "I think my parents were also able to tell that because we had different names, there was a little bit of name discrimination on my end, and they've always regretted not giving me an English name."
The reaction to the video has been overwhelmingly positive, with many viewers complimenting both of her names. It's also struck a deep chord with people who can relate and who said they too have experienced name discrimination.
"This video hits sooo close to home for me I also have an ethnic name (Yiling) and def notice how people will just … not say my name," one commenter wrote.
"Growing up with an Asian name in a white town meant that no one said your name or they would make fun of it," another person said. "I feel your pain."
Some commenters said the video inspired them to make more of an effort to say non-English names out loud, which Ye thought was "really great to see."