#foreign name

How to use: Each name presented is a name-root, meaning, they need to be modified with a suffix to be legitimate.

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Hi there!

I’m so sorry you feel that way love and completelyunderstand what that feels like. I know how difficult it must feel to know thatwhenever someone tries to pronounce your name, they may struggle with it.

But I don’t think that should be a reason for you to changeit, while it may become quite mundane having to correct and explain your name,it shouldn’t have to change. Taking that extra moment to correct somebody doesn’tmake you selfish, and shouldn’t make you embarrassed, it stops you from havingto constantly feel ashamed about it. Your name is beautiful because of where itcomes from, what it means and who it belongs to. Often, people do care enoughto learn and correct themselves with the pronunciation of names and won’t be asoffended as you think when you speak up about it.

A name eventually forms part of you and what you are; onethat means blue sky is magnificent. A blue sky is something is of marvellous;its honest, pure and bright.  Please don’tfeel embarrassed about that, people don’t know what they don’t know andsomething that wonderful should be shared. If you let the people in to whatyour name means, the chance of them remembering how to spell it and pronounceit correctly will be higher because they’ll make that link with that beautifulmeaning.

As with all things different, and beautiful, your name justadds to your individuality and it makes you unique – something that is so vitalto your existence and keeping you a diamond in the masses. I used to feel thesame way, but now I don’t think I could imagine having any other name. People still get things wrong, but that’s alright. 

However, if you do still want to consider changing yourname, there is a process to follow. This is carried out through the courthouseand is a legal process. In the United States, a series of forms and petitionmust be filled out (this should also detail a reason for the change of name).These forms should then be filed at your local civil court, this does indeed requirea filing fee. In California, this fee can be up to $435. You are also requiredto attend a hearing, but these are often straightforward. This will eventuallymean that the name in all your important documents, bank accounts, divers licence,and your social security card etc. will also have to be changed.

Alternatively, if you still are struggling with this, youcould come up with a nickname that might be slightly easier for the people aroundyou to pronounce. This way, it doesn’t become a legal matter, and you can stillcome up with something that you like and is still a nod to your full, andbeautiful, name.

I hope this helps in some way. All the love,

"Waitress" - LJP on HBO Def Poetry (by LizaJP7)

Presented by Liza Jessie Peterson.

"Please don't ask the beautiful nigress where she's from. It will ruin your dining expertise."

One pet peeve of mine when I was going through the school system was everyone's inability to say my name. It's not that they couldn't say it, it's just that they wouldn't say it.

A name like mine is as foreign as you can get from the English language. I understand that it's different from what you'd normally see on a piece of paper holding the names of Canadian students.

But if you expect me to say names like "Kevin", "Michelle", and "Jessica", properly, than I should expect the same of you.

I remember my white classmates would react with laughter, or even mild anger, when one of the minority students pronounced an English word, or name wrong.

But those same students never pronounced my name right. And if they did, they completely whitewashed it with their English accents.

Or they tried to shorten it to an actual English name. I usually got Sharan, whether I wanted it or not.

But after highschool, I wasn't going to let anyone call me that anymore.

Hi, my name is Sharanja.

Not Sharioagaongao.

Not Sharaohngoenhegj.

And not "Sharon".