NPA councillor under fire for use of Chinese name during civic election

A Non-Partisan Association councillor in Vancouver is coming under fire for her use of a Chinese name.

Melissa De Genova, a two-term Vancouver city councillor and daughter of former Vancouver Park Board Commissioner Allan De Genova, is one of 15 city council candidates that will have “special characters” — like Chinese, Persian, and other non-Latin characters — in their names on the ballot in the upcoming municipal election in October.

The addition of non-Latin characters comes after a provincial court judge adjourned an application by the city’s election officer challenging the candidates who included their name in English and another language.

However, immigration lawyer Cheng Hay Man (Veronica Cheng), who shares the same last name in Chinese as De Genova, asserts it is opportunistic of candidates to attempt to have languages other than their own on the ballot.

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“It’s obviously a vote-getting concern for them, and not really for any authenticity, or genuineness related to being tied to the Chinese culture,” she said to CityNews.

Cheng’s beliefs come as De Genova says she was gifted a Chinese name by members of Vancouver’s Chinese community, as she “pretty much grew up in Chinatown” with her father.

However, Cheng says it doesn’t feel authentic, as De Genova, who has Italian ancestry, “wasn’t born with [the Chinese name].”

“She’s not going to die with it. It’s not going to be on her headstone. She only seems to be in Chinatown when it’s election time,” Cheng said.

Cheng has heard of people being gifted Chinese names, however, notes they tend to have a deep connection with or they were in service of the Chinese community.

“In this case, I don’t know how she obtained her Chinese name. Perhaps it was because of her father’s connection to the Chinese community that she was given this name, but for her to use it only during election time, it’s just not genuine,” she said.

Fellow 鄭s (Cheng, Zheng, Jang, etc.), please aask @MelissaDeGenova to stop using our surname for political gains. I am proud of my surname & I don’t just use it when it will get me votes.
How would you feel MDG if I gave myself an Italian name & run for Council! #VanPoli

— Veronica Cheng (@VeronicaHCheng) September 16, 2022

Chinese people and Chinatown tend to be politicized during elections, Cheng said. “You can see that is the case because all politicians go to Chinatown, and they go to Chinese events more so during election time than non-election time.”

Having a non-English name can be a “burden,” Cheng said, noting that studies show when you have a surname in a language other than English, you have less of a chance of receiving an interview for a job after seeing your resume.

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“And so for these candidates now to suddenly have a Chinese name, and that they never use except for election time, it’s extremely opportunistic, and it’s definitely a slight to our communities,” she said.

Cheng believes there should be only English names on municipal ballots, as there’s plenty of time before the election to help voters understand who their candidates are and what their English names are.

“Federal Elections don’t have Chinese names and Chinese candidates still get votes. So, why should this municipal election be any different?” Cheng asked.

Speaking to CityNews on Friday, De Genova said her Chinese name is near and dear to her heart and believes that anyone who has a “legitimate” Chinese or Farsi name should be able to include it on the ballot.

“I was actually quite concerned to see that some people with other English names like ‘Evil Genius’ are allowed to run [and] their names aren’t being contested, but my Chinese name is being contested,” she said. “I’m also deeply disturbed to see some candidates making this political. And I was very concerned by the argument today that was made in the courtroom, that only those who are ethnically Chinese should be allowed to have a Chinese name, and that’s what the lawyer for Vision Vancouver and Forward Together said.

“That was very concerning to me, because we live in a multicultural city and as a city councillor, I can tell you that I do spend time in the Chinese community and I did before I was elected as well,” De Genova said.

De Genova says that by using her Chinese name, she not only gets to honour the name, but gets to show “that I also am a part of their community and I’m here to listen and represent them.”

With files from Crystal Laderas