Journal #3

In the article, The F word, the author, Firoozah Dumas talks about her life experience growing up about what it was like having a Farsi name like hers. She says, “I wanted to be a kid with a name that didn't draw so much attention…” she says to be an immigrant is hard because all of their names are made with a z unlike American names. She felt as though there would be challenges but she did not expect to face discrimination through her identity, her name. She decided to change her name eventually to something more simple as a Julie so that people wouldn't judge her or treat her different. Once she changed her name she says “People actually remembered my name, which was an entirely refreshing new sensation”. When she was named Julie she started realizing that the people that she was hanging with we’re judgmental and would have probably judged her if they knew about her ethic identity. She felt as if she was living a lie and so she decided to go back to her original name, Firoozah.

                The way my name defines me is that it was passed on to me from my grandmother who died two months before my birth. I have thought about changing my name many times but when I have been told of my significance by my mother, I have just decided to embrace and stick with it. I agree with the author and where she’s coming from with her choices and perspectives regarding her name and cultural identity because it’s embarrassing when people don’t want to understand your name or always messing it up. I can relate because a lot of people spell or say my last name incorrectly and that irritates me. Especially when I had to go through it my whole life just like Firoozah. Nowadays I feel that discriminating and stereotyping other cultural names or any type of unusual name doesn't really exist. In this modern day there are a lot of strange names you’ll come across so it’s not really a big deal.