>Hi Peter,
>
>In the US this happened a lot in the days when Ellis Island was still the gateway for most immigrants (late 19th to early 20th), when this country still welcomed immigrants. The changes were due to the arrogance of the immigration officers on one hand, who refused to make an effort to pronounce or even spell the names of the newcomers correctly in their documentation, and on the other, to the newcomers' inability to communicate properly with the immigration officers.
>
>In any case, I don't see why someone would change their name or lastname upon immigrating somewhere. Was this the practice at some point in the Netherlands?
Centuries ago several groups came to the Netherlands. Most well known are the French Hugenotes, the Portugese jews and the jews from Eastern Europe. The jews from Eastern Europe have invariably changed their name, for example they adopted the name of an animal.
Immigration is a theme again, since 40 years. But these immigrants (from Turkey and Morroco) were not forced or stimulated to change their name. Their names are difficult to pronounce and remember. I think they are a drawback when solliciting for a job.
Groet,
Peter de Valença
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