Mr. Chang, Mr. Liu, and Mr. Wang meet Mr. Anderson, Mr. Miller, and Mr. Smith

Hundreds of Chinese last names, yet only a dozen of them cover over 50% of all Chinese descendants. The top last names stem from dominant tribes of huge dynastic lines, while smaller last names often mark vanquished tribes and disappearing kingdoms. Due to American immigration history, no singular last name shows its prevalence as clearly as in the Chinese setting. In a classroom of 30 Chinese students, there may be only 10-12 last names. When Chinese give self introductions, their last names might be given rather quickly because their Chinese audience is familiar with the small set of possibilities.


About Author

yvonne.liu.wolf

Yvonne Wolf was born in Taiwan and educated in the U.S. and Europe. She has extensive experience living and working internationally (Denmark and Japan). She is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Danish, and has studied Japanese, Spanish, and Greek. Between work and personal travel, she has visited more than 20 countries and well-traveled within the U.S. and Canada. She has worked with organizations and business executives focusing on communication strategies working with Chinese and East Asian partners. Among her many skills is mediating across cultural misunderstandings.