The Name of the Game

I have never thought much about my name. It has never been an issue. It is easy to pronounce and comes easy to people. I have to ask myself, what struggles others are dealing with because of their name? Does it make a difference when someone is interviewing for a job and their name is Kandy or a name of a different culture? I imagine management teams separating a large stack of applications and the first thing they notice are names, names they can read and names they can barely sound out. One goal they have in mind is to shrink the pile of interviewees down to a hand full.
I remember calling Time Warner over a cable issue; the person on the other end was walking me through steps to fix my cable. I ended up being on the phone twice as long because I could not understand the person, I was bitter and annoyed. Should this person be discriminated against because they are hard to understand, especially when their job is reliant on their voice? This is not discrimination because they are not adequately fulfilling their duties.
However, people are being discriminated against when their names are difficult to pronounce. Maybe this kind of discrimination is subconscious. We are creatures of habit and cannot make room for someone unusual. Some are born and raised in the United States by first generation immigrants who decide to name their children culturally ethnic names. On a job application this person would probably be viewed as having an accent or being unfamiliar with the American culture, when in reality they could be extremely intelligent and sufficiently fit for the job. People are too busy to take the time and really understand where people come from.
One of my friends went to a private school in Pennsylvania, called Linden Hall High School. The school encouraged transfer Korean students to change their name out of respect for the other students and teachers who would find it difficult to pronounce their names.
The concept of America being a melting pot is continuously defining what it means to be an American; Americans pride on this. However, when it comes to the struggles of different cultures living in unity, we sometimes fail. We fail to take the time to understand one another, even if it is as simple as learning one’s name. Names should not be a reason to stereotype, but rather a representation of one’s identity and true nature. Americans have become custom to conformity. Most aspire for the same dream of the white picket fence, the two kids, and dog. Sometimes it seems people of other cultures just do not fit.
Barack Obama was told he could not be president or successful in politics because of his name. They thought it was weird, unlikable, and closely associated with Osama Bin Laden. Well, he is president of the United States! People can rise above and they should. It makes America a better place and Americans better people!

Krystle Aldana