There’s tension over duplicating names, and in the past some officials have taken on Chinese names with meanings like “safety and pleasant” as a way to seemingly bolster their campaign.

One storyline we’re pursuing is the history of names and how Asian and Pacific Island cultures use names to pass on legacies, as well as create new ones. For a reader response article ...

San Francisco has printed candidate names in Chinese characters since 1999. But now the city is cracking down on ones that some argue go overboard with flattering, flowery phrases.