Not All Names Are Equal

PIROOZ MALEKTOJAR

During one particular carride home from school, when I was just ten years old, I told my mother that I wanted to change my name to Dillon. My mother was a little bit taken aback and paused to ask me why; she was shocked. At the time, my response was simply that I was tired of hearing other children and teachers frequently mispronounce my name. This memory comes back to me every once in a while, and I always have mixed emotions when I recall the brief conversation that I had with my mother. I am glad that my mother did not let me change my name at the time, but I still wonder about how my life would have been diferent if I had changed my name. White privilege is a misleading term because the privileges that white people receive are rights that everyone should have access to. Utilizing the language of privilege instead of rights makes the fght against racism more diffcult because it suggests that white people must give up their privileges when in fact, they would keep their rights while allowing other ethnic groups access to human rights.

I grew up with a close friend named Dillon. We went through all of grade school together and I feel lucky to have Dillon as one of my friends that I trust with just about anything to this day. This is one of the few stories that I have never told him, or anyone for that matter, because I feel shame in the fact that I questioned my identity, and the cultural heritage, associated with my name at ten

years old.

I felt mistreated because all of my friends with non-ethnic names, including Dillon, would always have their names pronounced correctly. They did not have the right to have their names pronounced correctly stripped from them because the society in which we live is one where their skin colour is dominant and more powerful. Only later, in my frst year of university, would I come to learn that there is much more associated with a name than just proper pronunciation. As Reni Eddo-Lodge indicates in his work, names are highly valued (Eddo-Lodge). People with white sounding, nonethnic, names have drastically better chances at being interviewed and being ofered employment opportunities than their ethnic counterparts even when all else is equal (EddoLodge 68-9). On a resume, one of they few standard pieces of information which can be used to identify someone’s ethnicity is their name. Locations of educational institutions and of previous employers may also be used to identify someone’s ethnicity but are referenced less frequently given that a person’s name is the frst item on their resume. The right to a fair consideration for an employment opportunity is just one such example of white people receiving rights that are denied to non-white ethnic groups.

As a visible ethnic minority, I have lived my life questioning my ethnic background and how much easier my life could have been had I been born into a life where all of my rights were upheld; the true privilege of being white is such that one does not have to question their ethnic background or the colour of their skin. And much like Reni Eddo-Lodge, I too have occasionally given up when discussing the topic of racism with my white friends and colleagues. For one to fully

racism, it is my belief that one must experience it frsthand and thus one must live as a non-white person for their entire life. I say this because racism is not enacted in a single instance, but rather racism is a structural dilemma that plagues society and one’s life from birth until death (EddoLodge). That is not to say white people should not try and be allies, but simply that they can never fully understand what it means to oppressed based solely upon the colour of your skin.

One such difculty in discussing racism, as presented by Leong, is that perspectives and experiences are diferent based upon the colour of one’s skin and one only sees the positive or negative perspective depending on their ethnic background (Leong). The American Dream is one such experience that is presented as glorious, however one’s authentic experience may vary depending on the colour of their skin (Leong). African Americans therefore have a wildly diferent image and experience of the open road than their white counterparts. They are more frequently pulled over by the police and charged with crimes solely because of the colour of their skin (Leong 318-9). They are also more likely to be mistreated and physically assaulted by the police without reason (Leong 318-9). The American Dream is thus a tainted ideology that presents itself as reality, when in fact it is only a reality for white people.

The language of privilege warps our understanding of racism by making it seem as though white people must give up their privileges, otherwise known as rights, to help achieve societal equality; if a white person must truly give up their privileges, than those privileges were received through generational mistreatment of other ethnic groups and that is whole other dilemma

which cannot be expanded upon given the restraints of this paper. Thus, white people giving up privileges should, generally, just be an act of allowing other ethnic groups access to human rights; allowing them access to basic human rights. Members of nonwhite ethnic groups should not have to question their identities simply because their skin colour deviates from the dominance of white skin. Yet, this is case. And this will continue to be the case until white people start showing widespread allyship in order to support other ethnic groups and help advocate for their rights.

Works Cited

Eddo-Lodge, Reni. Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race. Bloomsbury Circus, 2017.

Leong, Nancy. ‘The Open Road and the Trafc Stop: Narratives and Counter-Narratives of the American Dream’. Florida Law Review, vol. 64, 2012, pp. 305–52.