Episode 42: My Name Is . . .

Written By Andrea McCoy

Usually the first thing we know about someone is their name. Names can tell all sorts of stories - stories of history, family, location or tradition. Our name is what marks us as us. Our name is how others see us. More than just letters, a name is a person. But what happens when you change your name? 

Immigrants and people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, historically and even today, find themselves at the mercy of systems which don't dignify a person's name. The name might sound different than an Anglo-Saxon name and before you know it, changing the name to fit the crowd means giving up identity, ties to culture and traces to family lineage. Employment, housing and even social acceptance ride on the assumption that to be trustworthy or seen, you must have an English name.

But we believe the opposite. We're here to say that your name deserves to be as it is. 

And if you are struggling to pronounce another person's name (wink wink white people), stop with the shortcuts and learn.  People need to be known for who they are, not for how you'd want them to be known.

Andrea McCoy https://www.janklin.ca
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Episode 43: Where Are You From?
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Episode 41: Asian Joy