Last part I talked about I finally changed my name back to my original Chinese name.
However, I didn’t expect to experience two heartfelt gestures from two people after this change.
That was the first day at my new workplace. Before my official introduction to the team, Denison, one of my new colleagues greeted me when he saw me walking in: “Morning Qian.” Genuine smile with perfect pronunciation. Wow, what a pleasant surprise. I was so impressed and touched by his lovely gesture. Afterwards, he confessed to me: “The whole team had a special practice time beforehand on how to pronounce your Chinese name Qian properly.” Thanks!
I then started to meet our lecturers in the first few weeks. Countless introductions, but one lecturer Shameni won a special place in my heart.
“What’s your name?” She asked me.
“Xueqian, but you can just call me Qian which might be easier for you.”
“No, I want to be able to pronounce your full first name, because that’s part of your culture and I should respect that.”
“That’s so nice of you, but it’s very hard though.”
“Don’t worry. I’m happy to practice it every single time I see you if you don’t mind reminding me.”
And she did, consistently. Now she is a pro. If we set our mind to do something, there’s nothing can stop us from achieving it.
It also intrigued me to post a question on my social media:
“Should a Chinese student adopt an English name when studying overseas?”
The responses I got were so positive and unanimous: no, stick to the original name. Some comments are: “It’s far more unique and interesting” and “It makes the conversation more personal and honest”. A few had the same view as Shameni, and some were so honest. One teacher stated: “I feel bad for calling my students their English names, but some Chinese names are just too hard for me to pronounce and remember. My brain doesn’t work.”
Seeing those really encouraged me to start to explain some more exciting and unique facts about Chinese names to the people around me, and I found they loved them.
For example, a Chinese person’s full name has the opposite order: family name first followed by first name. China is a community-based country, and families are much more important than individuals. Therefore, some Chinse families still prefer to have a boy, because children usually keep their father's surname, a symbol of one's blood relationship. A conventional concept of carrying on a family line which has existed in China for thousands of years. However, things start to change. Now some children’s family name is from their mother.
Therefore, my advice to a new international student is:
Do what makes you feel comfortable.
If you like to be called by your birth name, then use it with pride. It’s not compulsory at all to adopt an English name. Don’t give in because of some people’s laziness. Life is much more fun to have some challenges, right?
I am a big supporter of using your ethnic names. It represents your cultural identity which makes you unique. And don’t you think it’s a perfect chance for others to learn about your culture, to accept and value the differences too? It can even be used as a fantastic ice breaker!
However, you also need to be prepared for some potential difficulties ahead.
Be patient. It may take some time for people to remember your names due to our differences. Meanwhile, if your name is too long or too hard for others to pronounce, try to think if there’s any English words similar to the sound of your name. Remember, shorten names is part of Australian culture.
Also, do not be too picky. Our pronunciation system and tones could be very different. To be forgiven and encouraging instead of feeling offended or frustrated if people cannot get your name 100% right. The fact that people are willing to try is already very commendable. It shows they respect your culture. Heart and attitude always matter.
Lastly, if you do want to adopt an English name, just do it.
