My first name (Kiri) is Japanese. My last name, which I don't post on the internet, is Celtic in origin and very common all over the UK and US.
I have incredible amounts of trouble with getting people to actually hear my first name. They always assume that my name is some variant on the Carrie/Kerry/Keri/Kari theme, except when they think it is Kitty or Karen. Seeing things addressed to "Keri" infuriates the fuck out of me. So I spell my name for people.
Often, I spell my name "K-I-R-I" and they repeat back "K-E-R-I" and it's all I can do not to explode. "No, there is no e in it." "Oh, how do you spell it then?" in that tone of voice used on schoolgirls who turn all the y's into i's and so on. "My name isn't Keri. It's Kiri. It's a TOTALLY DIFFERENT NAME." Nobody ever LISTENS to me spell my name unless I tell them that it's Japanese FIRST.
Sometimes people actually find this offensive.
However, at one time in my life I was married to a Chinese man.
When I told them my name was Kiri (HisName) they ALWAYS spelled it correctly and heard it.
However, I had problems with people I had talked to on the phone not recognising me in person, receptionists ignoring me when I stood up in response to my name being called, and delivery people refusing to give me my own packages. Because clearly I could not possibly be Kiri (HisName) and be white.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-07-12 06:11 pm (UTC)I have incredible amounts of trouble with getting people to actually hear my first name. They always assume that my name is some variant on the Carrie/Kerry/Keri/Kari theme, except when they think it is Kitty or Karen. Seeing things addressed to "Keri" infuriates the fuck out of me. So I spell my name for people.
Often, I spell my name "K-I-R-I" and they repeat back "K-E-R-I" and it's all I can do not to explode. "No, there is no e in it." "Oh, how do you spell it then?" in that tone of voice used on schoolgirls who turn all the y's into i's and so on. "My name isn't Keri. It's Kiri. It's a TOTALLY DIFFERENT NAME." Nobody ever LISTENS to me spell my name unless I tell them that it's Japanese FIRST.
Sometimes people actually find this offensive.
However, at one time in my life I was married to a Chinese man.
When I told them my name was Kiri (HisName) they ALWAYS spelled it correctly and heard it.
However, I had problems with people I had talked to on the phone not recognising me in person, receptionists ignoring me when I stood up in response to my name being called, and delivery people refusing to give me my own packages. Because clearly I could not possibly be Kiri (HisName) and be white.
*headdesk*