Western Education and the Mizo Approach: Impact on Naming Pattern

Abstract

In the postcolonial arena, questions of identity politics, race, gender, journeys, memory, problems of de-territorialization and re-territorialization in relation to exile and migrancy, the relationship between center and periphery and notion of home and abroad have gained significance. The impact of the west on Mizo society has resulted in a ridiculous craze for Westernized names, fashion and lifestyle in general. This is so because the once unadulterated Mizo culture that existed in the pre-colonial era has been tampered by the introduction of Western mannerism as well as Christianity. Today, there are as many Mizos bearing anglicized names as there are those having pure, unaltered traditional names in the local vernacular. This paper will attempt to explore the politics of anglicized names and its subsequent impact on the formation of Mizo cultural identity.