What’s In An Ethnic Name?

defining cultures kids


Legacy. Popularity. Love. Uniqueness. Connotation. Culture. Any or all of these factors converge to bring a child's name to life.

Understanding this now is all good, but this thorough insight would’ve been handy when I was in the 4th grade.

Little Chi Chi clearly had no clue about accent marks, so can you imagine what was going through my mind anytime I heard one of my classmates being called Jesús?

I remember thinking: Why do people call him that? He says his name wrong ALL the time. This could go on forever. I’m going to have to be the one to tell him. I was dying for the perfect moment, and seized the opportunity when we were shoulder to shoulder at the coat rack.

In a concerned tone, I whispered: “You say your name wrong. You should be saying it like: Jee-zuss.” He looked at me startled and said, “Noooo. It’s Hay-soos.”

C: That’s not how you’re supposed to say it. It’s Jee-zuss.

J: It’s Hay-soos.

C: But Jesus is NOT said like that! You’re saying it wrong!

J: That’s what my mom named me! It’s Hay-soos!

Long story short – all I wanted to do was "help." Instead, it turned into a tiff.

Anytime I think about that moment, I just have to L-M-A-O! How in the world did I even have the audacity to tell another kid their name was pronounced wrong? Even with an ethnic name like mine, which people jacked up all the time, I was oblivious.

Sorry Jesús 🙁 Please forgive me.

Tip for parents of children with “ethnic names”: know that our journey in school may not be easy when it comes to identifying with our name. We may get picked on, laughed at, and pushed to go by a nickname (voluntarily or involuntarily) in order to fit in. It’s not until we get older that we truly understand how cool our name really is. Be patient with us.

Tip for anyone who thinks their name is jacked up: Ignore the people that laugh or make fun of you. Yea your name may be “different” and even hit 10+ letters, but who cares? Embrace it and be proud of it no matter what. I did.

xoxo,

Chi Chi