Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily.

The Starbucks barista calls out “Joe, grande latte for Joe!” It takes him two tries before I remember I’m Joe and go pick up my coffee. A minor episode in the long history of non-Anglo immigrants changing their names after moving to America.

If your family immigrated to the United States in the 19 th century and/or you took middle-school social studies in the States, you’ve probably heard that officials at Ellis Island often changed newcomers’ names, either because they couldn’t spell them or because they wanted to make them sound more American. In fact, authorities in New York never actually wrote down anyone’s name, they just checked each immigrant against the

See Full Page