Inclusion Infusions: What’s in a name?

Posted on Friday, November 8th, 2019

With the incredible diversity that surrounds us comes with many names and spellings that we have not encountered. With so many names on our campus, it is reasonable to struggle to get pronunciation correct for all of them immediately. But what is not forgivable is not making an effort. Even worse is mangling a name, and then shortening or westernizing it without the expressed request of the individual. Changing a name or purposefully not making the effort to learn to pronounce a name is considered a micro-aggression. Micro-aggressions are “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioural, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color” (Sue et al., 2007). If you can’t make an effort to learn an individual’s name, that tells the other person they don’t matter – that they are different and don’t belong.

When you come across a name you just can’t seem to get your mouth around, don’t worry. Simply ask the person to repeat the pronunciation and try to practice repeating it back. Perhaps jot down a phonetical spelling to help you, then fine-tune it a few more times against the person’s own pronunciation. Don’t be embarrassed to check back later to make sure you still have it. Doing this will make sure that you are recognizing the value of the individual and that a name is a key part of our identities.

When we have events like convocation, or awards where we are announcing someone’s name for an important event, it is even more critical that we pronounce the name right – when family and friends are watching we need to provide a respectful experience for everyone. Luckily, you can go online to hear names pronounced properly using helpful tools – one such site is Name shouts.

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