We can demonstrate our inclusivity and care for one another by being aware of how we pronounce someone's name. In the 2012 study titled 'Teachers, please learn our names!: racial microaggressions and the K-12 classroom', it was found that the mispronunciation of names of students of color 'affected their social-emotional well-being and by extension, harmed their ability to learn'. Names, often, have significant cultural and familial meaning connecting a person to their ancestors, ethnicity, or country of origin. While mispronunciations occur for both white and non-white persons, the addition of historical and continued racism for persons of color contributes to a significant negative impact. It leads to the feeling of their cultural heritage being devalued. When we hear a name that is difficult to pronounce, it is crucial to take the time to learn how to pronounce it correctly, which can be done simply by asking and taking the time to actively listen. In an interview with Ruchika Tulshyan on the NPR podcast Life Kit, they share why pronouncing a name correctly is more than common courtesy. As far back as the seventeenth century, indigenous people, Mexicans, and Africans were renamed and given an Anglo or Christian name. As recent as 2009, a Texas legislator stated that voters of Asian-decent should adopt names that are "easier for Americans to deal with."
In the article, Honor Your Students' Heritage by Pronouncing Their Names Correctly, by Fançoise Thenoux, they state, "For a student, hearing their name pronounced correctly is a reaffirmation of their identity and a celebration of who they are. Mispronouncing it, on the other hand, has the opposite effect." Pages Matam, Elizabeth Acevedo, and G. Yamazawa, share in their poem Unforgettable, "That's because my name wasn't given to me. It was given to the rest of the country." they speak to names given to children to assimilate and to make it 'easier' for others. Actress Uzoamaka Aduba explains why she is proud of her name and states, "Do not ever erase those identifiers that are held in you whether it's your gap, whether it's your name, whether it's your food. It is yours, and it was given to you at birth, and it is yours to own."
How can we do better, foster a sense of belonging, and build positive relationships by correctly pronouncing our colleagues' and students' names?
- Ask the person for the pronunciation
- Listen and write it down phonetically
- Use the following tools and to assist you: Nameshouts.com or Pronounce Names Correctly
For additional education and personal development related to diversity, equity and inclusion, the following resources are available: DDEI Education and Resources, DEI & Antiracism Resources from the UNC Libraries, the Education Equity Toolkit from the Colorado Department of Higher Education, and the UNITE workshops for faculty, staff, and students.
