Richard Crasta What's In A Name Summary

There comes a point in time in an individual’s life in which their name truly becomes a part of their identity. A name is more than just a title to differentiate people; it is a part of the person. In Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood by Richard E. Kim, names play a major role on the character’s identities. The absence and importance of the names in the story make the story rich with detail and identity through something as simple as the name of a character. Names are a significant factor affecting the story and the characters throughout the novel Lost Names.

“ Names/ nicknames” is a short story by Julia Alvarez that goes over Julia’s life with her culture. As she tries to follow up with her Dominican culture and her life in the US. The author explores the importance of names and how they shape our identities. Alvarez, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, reflects on how her name was mispronounced, misspelled and also misunderstood in her new home in the U.S. She tells the power of a name and how it can connect us to our original homes and roots.

The idea of the naming system in the Ju/’hoansi was very interesting to be because there were a few parallels that could be drawn between what is seen in the United States and there. Although our naming practices are not as complex, when you meet someone with the same name as you or someone you love there is an indescribable bond that can be formed. This connection although not as intense as in the Ju/’hoansi seeing each other as related is something that many people hold to a high importance. In the section of Dettwyler, it was humbling to see that the author takes the times to create relationships with her participants instead of treating them as if they were just the place she was getting data from.

This journal speaks on how names are seen as some form of “talent” as it is bestowed upon us on birth. This also has religious implications as some feel as their name is a gift talent given from god. Everyone's name within “their eyes were watching god mean something. An example of this would be Tea Cake. “John Callahan says that Tea Cake "revivifies" names” . The names also have a slightly overshadowed sense of racism, as in a way most of the names given to black people have a sort of dumbed down approach to them. Going back to the complete disregard of the “Afro-American” culture by the

Everybody in the society has an identity. No one is born with identity. People work hard, gets education, gets job and by contributing to the society, they create their own identity. It is the self-image of who one is. As an example, if a person is helping the society by providing education in schools, he or she has an identity as a teacher. This identity does not just belong to them automatically. Their motivation of working hard, education status, having the dream carrier and dedication to the world defines themselves to the society. But if someone gets eliminated from all these opportunity to prove themselves in the society just because having a different ethnic name, it becomes hard to achieve the success and creating identity. When a baby is born, its' parent want to name their baby according to their ethnicity, culture and religion, so that, their culture can be passed to further future. They might stay unaware about the fact that, having an ethnic name in the United States may eliminate their child from his or her future. The way identity is shaped in such a way today by culture, society and environment that if a person has an ethnic or black sounding name, he or she faces a lot of impediment situations. This is because their name highlights or marks them in different identity, which creates barriers; despite identity and its marks it is hard to achieve total personal and professional success.

The study explores different cases of immigrants who use their ethnic or English names. Some of the reasons for using English names are: the name provoking offensive reactions from the majority, growing too tired to explain the unfamiliar spelling and pronunciation, frequent questions about their ethnicity or where they originate from, assumptions of foreignness, name too long to fit in the system, frequent mistakes in the official documents because it is so unfamiliar (mixing up first/last name). Study states that the “unusual” name provokes and sets up a ground for power asymmetry; when a person from majority comments on an ethnic name, it can be viewed as having the right to make judgments about the immigrant, as if the name is subject for

Black America’s naming practices are a cultural standard which combine religious and or spiritual belief, identity at individual, family and community levels and, empowerment, along with internal and external perception. This is true of many cultures but it is especially important for cultures which have been historically and or systematically marginalized. Many of the naming practices are shared across minority and indigenous cultures. Ethnic naming is often intended to convey meaningful messages, invoke personal and group power and even provide blessings. Unfortunately the names are often used as a tool to further marginalization instead of one which will realize the goal of enhanced self-determination.

These names that have been given to the people of the City, as expected in such a society, are not at all sparkling with the individualism of the person you lay your very eyes upon in the City of collectivism. In these names, there are no expressions of personality. The name you are given may be yours and only yours, but it doesn’t mean as much.

Many people of different ethnicity have passed over many obstacles and difficult experiences where growing up in a new country has been like a great wall where you cannot exceed to the other side by much effort can put. Growing up in the United States may differ between types of culture and education given by parents. Over the years many people like me with double identity can struggle to be two person at the time where you communicate and experience new cultures in other family or persons. At home, you are the other person where you communicate with your first native language; you interact with family regularly with manners, traditions and culture. It 's really difficult to have two identities and do not know who you really are, in the book "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri author, demonstrates the theme of how hard it is to find an identity in America. The protagonist of the book Gogol, during his childhood went through many difficult stages related to his identity and find himself like another characters that passed the same way.

Sherman Alexie’s novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, reveals one of life’s most relevant purposes that stretches across cultural and relates to every person. The novel examines the life of the strong-willed Arnold also known as Junior who goes constantly back and forth with his identity as he lives between Arnold and Junior. Identity is most simply defined as a person's own sense of self, their personal sense of who they are. In this essay research was gathered from the novel; The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, as well as two journal articles such as; Accent, Identity, and a Fear of Loss? ESL Students' Perspectives by Shannon McCrocklin and Stephanie Link and lastly, Lost Without Each

In order to find his identity he went against his parent’s wishes in attending Columbia, but instead attending Yale. But before he set off for college he went through the legal process of changing his name. To his surprise it was a very mechanical task. His reasoning to the judge for the change “I hate the name Gogol, “he says I’ve always hated it.” “Very well”, the judge says stamping and signing the form, then returning it to the clerk. He is told the notice of the new name must be given to all other agencies, and that it’s his responsibility to notify the Registry of Motor Vehicles, banks, schools” (102). Although the moment in the courtroom was not as momentous as he had imagined, he stepped in there as Gogol Gangouli and left as Nikhil Gangouli in twenty minutes. A moment he waited eighteen years for finally arrived. Now that he is free of his parents and his old name, he can now be confident, especially with women in introducing himself without anticipating unwelcomed questions about his name.

At birth everyone is given a name by their parents. Your name is part of your identity and how you are addressed and recognized by the world. The different verities among the population created other names given to different races. These names are offensive, demeaning and are only used to refer to a person in a disrespectful manner. They can also cause a segregation among a nations people, these names are forced upon people weather they are rich or poor, old or young, male or female and are used to describe the same race of people. In the class reading "What 's in a Name? “by Henry Louis Gates he reminisces about a personal experience of his that he had with his father. In the story he describes his father was a hard worker and, because of this he was in high financial standings and, he was well respected and given privileges that at the time was rare for people of his race but he was still black and his name, his individual identity was not important instead he was given a racial identity, this is the only thing he was known as, this type of negative recognition is something many black Americans can relate to. One’s race is a predominant part of our identity and is what causes discrimination.

Names can suggest family origins, social status, racial and ethnic identities, and even religious beliefs.

In the essay “What’s in a name”, the author Richard Casta believes that name relates to a person’s individual identity and cultural identity but it will not affect the person’s individual development. A person’s name is a basic identity for a person and it has large connection with this person’s background. In the immigrant’s family, parents always struggle with what kind of name that parents need to give their children. If parents give a baby for a foreign name, they may hard to fit into the local society. Also the child may have extra worries of the problems of pronouncing the wrong name.

The meaning of names is a central focus of the novel, because names define people. Their worth and functions are summarized by the names. To some extent, the names also discourage originality. This occurs especially to