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People still do this in small US towns. Your last name defines who you are to the town heritage. If you have the wrong last name, then you don't matter.

As non-contrarian as it sounds, I'd argue that as someone who came from a small town, having to define yourself by your "tribe" last name is worse, because if it the "wrong" last name, there's nothing you can do about it. You can, within reason, change what you do for a living.


Discrimination due to one’s family history is not a requisite for caring about who someone is.

They have often gone hand in hand though, just as for example lawyers will discriminate against you if you aren’t elite educated.

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