Runninghead:THENAMEGAMEGrady1

WhitneyGrady
UWRT1104
Raymnd,Lynn

TheNameGame
Yournameiswhatmakesyouunique,yournametagforlifeifImaysayso.Withthat
beingsaid,yourfamilyhasspentanumerousamountoftimefiguringoutwhattheyweregoing
tonameyou.Withanamesometimescomesalongfamilyhistory,thathasbeencarriedover
fromdecadetodecade.SuffixlikeJr,ortheII.showthatthereissomesortofhistorybehind
yourname.NowaswefurtherintothispaperIwilltouchonmultipleculturesandthewaythey
nametheirchildrenandwhytheynametheirchildrenwhattheydo.
AsanAmericanwethinksoinclusiveasifeverythingissupposedtobeourwayorno
wayatall.Whenitcomestonamestheyareourstereotypesforhowwhitepeopleshouldbe
named,blackpeople,andlatinopeople.MostpeoplewhentheyhearanamelikeHeather,or
Mirandatheyautomaticallythinkthatithastobeawhitegirl.Weaskourselves,whatmakesa
nameblack,orwhatmakesanamewhite?Well,aswefurtherthisdiscussionIwillmakesome
keypointsthatwillstandoutthatwilldefinitelycontrastoneanother,butatthesametimeshow
youthatwhatyounameyourchilddoesnotdefinethem.EverydaynameslikeTyrique,Lakisha,
Shequita,andTyshonagetstereotypedforthewaytheysound.Howarethesenamesany
differentfromAshley,Rebecca,andSarah.Iwilltellyou.blackness,whenIspeakon
blacknessImeanitsjustthewaythenamesoundsasourceofidentitythatcomesalongwithit.
WhenAmericawasjustbeingfoundedandslaveswerebroughtoverfromAfrica,theirnames
werealltheyhadtothem.Thewhitepeoplewouldtryandgivethemnewnamesthatwhite
peoplewouldhaveornamestheywouldgiveadog.Nomatterhowhardtheywouldtryand
breakaslavefromsayinghisoriginalname,theslavejustwouldnt.Apassageisopenedwhen


Grady2

yougiveaname,awaytotellastory.Everynamehasastorytotell,nomatterifyoureblack,
white,asian,ormexican.
Asablackperson,Ivebeenaskedwellwhydomostblackpeoplehaveghettonames,
welltodeflectthatquestionwhydowhitepeopleormexicanshavesuchbasicnames.Ireadan
articleonwhatmakesanameghettoandhereswhatitsaidEachday,blackpeopleare
denigratedforallegedlymakingupnames.Despiteallnamesbeingtechnicallymadeup,
societyhasultimatelydecidedwhichonesreceiveasealofprofessionalapproval.Andthrough
thisapprovalprocess,Ihavenoticedthatblackpeopleoftenreceivenegativetreatmentfrom
othersfailingtounderstandourculturalidentityandexpression.Andsometimesthislackof
comprehensioncanmakeusfeelbadforbirthgivennames,culturalorotherwise.(Mitchum,
2014)Inanarticlebythe(DailyBeast)theysaythatduringtheblackpowermovementthe
meaningfortheirnames,andtheirnaturalhairwastofighttheclaimsofblackinferiority.Black
peoplealsowantedabetterwaytodistinguishthemselvesfromwhitepeople.Ithinkacultureas
awholewefindareasontosaywellthatsnotright,becauseweonlythinkofourselvesnotwhat
othersthinkorfeel.WhatImightlikemightnotbewhatthepersonbesidemelikes.AndIknow
thateveryracecanbeegotistical,butitalwaysseemsthatnomatterwhattheblackraceisbeing
calledout.
Nomatterhowfarbackwegoinhistory,racismstillprevailshere.Peoplecanactnaiveall
daylongbutweallknowthatitsstillthere.Nomatterwherewegosomeoneisgoingtohave
somethingdiscriminatorytosay.