When you don’t say our names right, you are erasing us

It’s simple but very important. My name is not Mary, Mary Ann, Marian, Marina or Maria. Typos are ok but some people don’t even try to say it right… I’ve been very accommodating for years but, honestly, it’s not that hard. I am done with accommodating and feeling embarrassed by having a different name. I won’t anglicize my name.

Whenever you show you don’t care about the pronunciation of our names, you making it clear to us that we don’t belong, we don’t matter, and we are a just a stereotype of our race/ethnicity/origin. It’s a microaggression.

My name is Mariana. It’s not hard.

I am not Mexican. I am not Colombian. I am

From Brazil. And Brazilian people speak PORTUGUESE. I can communicate in Spanish but it’s not my native language. It’s not hard. There are over half a million Brazilians in the US, it’s about time to memorize it and show us you care after having Brazilian Immigrants doing so much for the US for decades (profiting off of us and taking advantage of the complicated immigration processes).

Stereotypes are ways to marginalize groups by erasing their real identities. When you don’t say our name right, you are erasing us. We are tired of being erased and won’t take it any longer. We will write our names in bold letters and scream them from the top of a building.

It’s not hard. It’s respect. It’s our birth right. We are not asking you for favors, but for respect and civility.

Thanks

Sorry for the rant. But not sorry.