Almost everyone here in Taiwan has an "English name" because we whiteys have such issues pronouncing (and let's face it, remembering) their Chinese names.
These names are almost invariably the most white-bread, Anglo-protestant names around. I'm currently sitting in a class teaching Melody, Eva, Grace, Tiffany, Jenny, James, Alex, and Armani.
I had a student who's name was Jessica, but her mom decided she needed a new name so she became Stephanie. I told her there was no point in her mom doing that, because Jessica and Stephanie are exactly the same name.
If you take a little girl named Jessica and change her name to Stephanie, that kid is going to live exactly the same life. However, if you took Jessica and renamed her Raquel, that girl lives a completely different life.
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