曾 Pronounced “zong” or “song” or “jong” or “chong” or “dzztahng” if you’re really giving it some oomph!
Scholars have spoken at length on the Asian American diaspora. This includes the long history of “westernizing” Chinese names. I’m not qualified to do a deep dive on that subject, so I’ll spare myself, and you, Dear Reader, what I can only imagine would be an unpleasant slog for all of us if I attempted it.
What I can tell you is our story.
When my grandparents immigrated to the US, our family name was altered in the immigration process.* This was likely due to a combination of factors: a clear language barrier, my grandparents’ unfamiliarity with the English alphabet, and the limitations of that alphabet to express the nuances of pronunciation and tones of Cantonese, their native tongue. And so, in that process, our name was inadvertently changed from a Chinese surname to a Korean one.
This mistake, made without malice, had far-reaching impacts for me. Being misidentified as Korean has been a hurdle, something I needed to regularly correct, and I found myself often apologizing for a spelling mistake made over a lifetime ago.
In short, it impacted my ability to connect with other Chinese-Americans, especially in online and professional spaces. It especially made it a challenge in the DEI work I did as a college professor.
Asian American communities simply can’t be lumped together into a monolith. This isn’t news. It’s been echoed many, many times throughout AAPI communities.
While many of my extended family have embraced our new name, a choice which I respect and support whole-heartedly for them, I chose to return to using our surname with the traditional spelling and pronunciation that would have been prevalent in the region and the dialect of my grandparents.
While little more than a symbolic gesture, it honors the countless sacrifices shouldered by my father and grandparents as they worked tirelessly to build lives and connections in a country and dominant culture that were not always open or kind to them.
多謝 // Thank you
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