Call Me By My Name

One of the first things we are given with birth, is our name.

A word that carries a deep understanding and reflection of one's identity, it one of few practices that humankind practices and share globally. Yet a common social practice that has been on the rise lately, is carrying a substitute name, or an English name as some might call it, to be used internationally. This social phenomena is becoming a practice that many Easterners are subjected to when dealing in a society of white supremacy, of Americans and British in particular.

International students in academic institutions are asked about their "other name" when being introduced with their birth-given name. Newly hired employees are expected to have an english name along side their actual one, as if it's a default response to the new social norm. Can we stop for a second and articulate how racist and politically incorrect this practice is! Asking students of certain nationalities to refer to themself as "Ashly" or "John" for the sake of remembering their name, is an indirect statement that white culture is more supreme than another, it is a statement that basically screams, "I don't want to put the time or effort to learn your name, so here is a name that you relate 0%, for my sake."

Racist much?

Another common practice in countries that depend on maids and helpers in the domestic world, is welcoming this foreigner by giving him\her a new name that goes along with the local language, doubtfully if he\she even gave consent.

When was the domination of one culture or language over another ever acceptable? Such practices brings shame on those who don't fit in or assimilate with the dominating culture, where does democracy stands here?

A research published by the university of Toronto states reflects the true nature of systematic racism in many institutions, as mentioned in a HBR article,"...resumes with white-sounding names were 28% more likely to get a callback for a job interview. In France, resumes with North African-sounding names were less likely to receive interview opportunities."

Even if such practices are carried out with good intentions, that lack of effort and respect is a true reflection of culture domination and racism, even in the middle east. Who ever gave permission for such a practice to take over? for it to be socially acceptable? Respecting one's identity is one of the most basic rights, citizens of the 21st. Century must comply with. The belief that one culture or one language is more easy to utilize, is an indirect representation of modern racism. Social pressure has been on the rise on these easterners/foreigners to comply with such practices, going through the daily practice of correcting the speaker with their name, until giving in and submitting to the same social phenomena many have undergone through.

Keya Roy, author of "The Racist Practice of Mispronouncing Names" article shares, "As a person of color, I've always felt like the right to my name was a concession I had to make. It's like a tax I have to pay to be here."

When typing a name or introducing a person, make sure you check the correct name and spelling of your messenger, before going on stage to introduce a speaker, make sure you know how to pronounce the speaker's name correctly. And the next time you deal with individuals of a different culture, remind yourself that to bridge the gap between two distinct cultures, we must pay effort. To learn about another's culture instead of forcing our own culture on another.

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.Sources

Tulshyan, R.(2020) "If You Don't Know How To Say Someone's Name, Just Ask". Harvard Business Review.

Roy,K. Ali, Z. Kumar, M.(2019). "The Racist Practice of Mispronouncing Names". KUOW's RadioActive.