Post-migrant voices at times of hyper-visibility 139 change of first and last names is an effective strategy for many migrants to decrease disadvantages, as the award-winning jour- nalist Vanessa Vu reveals by revealing her original name as Hồng Vân Vũ. In this episode, you learn about her decision to change her first name and what it meant for her. You also learn about the strict German law for changing first and last names, which can only be done in exceptional cases. However, in the case of naturalization, foreign names can be changed more easily, that is, in a less bureaucratic way. The hosts ask for more stories from the listeners on how to deal with their foreign names in everyday life. Stories are told about giving oneself more Euro- pean sounding names in everyday life encounters with Germans in order to melt in and/or increase one’s status. For example, a Spanish sounding first name is sexier than an Arabic one as guests reveal. By questioning the strict German rules for chang- ing first and last names, the hosts accuse the inherent nature of the law as being “one-sided … and therefore racist”. At the end of this episode, they raise broader questions such as “why is it not possible for all inhabitants to change their names, easily?” There also are larger identity issues addressed beyond the bureaucrat- ic fact of changing one’s name, such as “Why can’t I be called Hassan and be a German?” and what it means in the long run when you want to adapt, that is, “When you give up your name, you give away something of your identity”. With that, the listen- ers gain new perspectives to reflect upon, which sparks further communication on other online platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. 5.1.2 Stereotyping: “Racism in soccer is deeply rooted” (4.12.20) A currant event gives the occasion to treat the issue of racism in sports, especially in soccer, including sports journal- ism. This episode departs from a sports show on mainstream TV that discusses the performances of soccer players. When a connection was drawn between aggressive behavior and ethnic origin, in this case concerning players of Algerian and Moroc- can origin, all participants of the talk show seem to agree that the hosts of the podcast should engage in deeper conversations
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