Agnieszka, 14, would disappoint her parents if she Americanized it.
I am a 14-year-old first-generation Polish American with a very Polish family. I don’t have a lot of issues, but I just changed schools, and nobody cares enough to learn how to pronounce my name, including the teachers.
I was named after a family member and the name has a lot of history, so my parents don’t want to Americanize it. But correcting people with no results is getting tiring. What started as a small issue now has me feeling split between my Polish and American identities.
Is it worth it to disappoint my parents to make it a little easier? — AGNIESZKA IN NEW JERSEY
DEAR AGNIESZKA: What would be worth it would be to explain to your teachers and friends the history behind your name. Shakespeare wrote, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” In this case, there’s a whole LOT behind your name, including the memory of a woman who was much loved by your family. That fact is worthy of respect. If your teachers don’t get it, perhaps your parents can explain it to them.
