My Last Name

 I think almost every immigrant kid who speaks a different language at home has experienced those dreaded yearly WIDA tests. And if you don't know what WIDA is, it's basically a series of English language proficiency assessments for students in kindergarten though grade 12. In order to stop taking these tests, you have to quote on quote pass these tests with flying colors. Because apparently, if you don't know the difference between their and they're like every other child at 6 years olds, you can't pass. For me, I had to take the WIDA test until 5th grade. By that age, I was perfectly capable at reading and writing in English, but according to them, I wasn't. This was just one, of many things that I noticed differentiated me and my peers.  

    Another thing that has always stuck with me was whenever someone tried to pronounce my full name. They would always quickly and fluently say Megan as if it was second nature to them, but whenever it got to my last name Nguyen, I could sense the hesitation. Which is why, throughout elementary and middle school, I started to say that it was pronounced like "nu-gen". To the point where I almost forgot that it wasn't how to actually pronounce it! I find my situation similar to Dumas, and how she went by the name Julie in order to mold herself into society more. But as time passed, and I went into high-school, I feel like I stopped caring. I stopped being ashamed of how my last named was pronounced. I think this was mostly due to the fact that I made a lot more Vietnamese friends who I could relate to. But if I were to go back in time, I would tell my younger self to just embrace the last name that was given to me. Because by me shunning a part of my name, it felt as though I was leaving a part of my identity in the shadows.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_BcIg_ffrw&t=96s


Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 9, 2025 at 1:05 PM

    I really like your sarcastic tone when your attack the WIDA tests for being unreasonable and silly for a 1st grader to take. I also think it’s very interesting the way you described how you assimilated yourself to make it easier for others, and you eventually lost yourself because of it as you forgot how to pronounce your own last name. Very heartbreaking, but eye-opening. Great job!

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