Basically, colonism forced me to take a white name. Now that colonism is harshly banished, I’m a widow left with my white name.
Imagine Munich was a Chinese colony, you are Johannes Köch. You of course have to give to Chinese school to learn the language your colonizer, aka me, speaks, and German is such a tricky language to the tongue that no Chinese could speak it correctly and comfortably. So, I decided now all students in class have a Chinese name. Besides Johannes Köch, you’re also called Chan Tai Man.
If your name is Tom Baldwin, your first name is Tom, last name Baldwin. Easy. If your name is Ao Chan Nam, what is your first and last name? And why Anthony?
If I was born in Taiwan, my name would be Zhen-Nan Ou
If I was born in China, my name would be Zhennan Ou
If I was born in Hong Kong, my name is Chun Nam Au
If I was born in Macau, my name would be Chan Nam Ao.
Yes, four variations due to different name Romanization standard for the SAME Chinese name in written form 區震楠
Of course, Ao is not a popular name. People know Jacky Chan, but not Jacky Ao.
So when people see my name, they think Chan is my family name, and Nam Ao is my first name. Cringe.
Nobody should know this minute difference unless you have a degree in Chinese studies, which of course must not be a popular study choices when Macau was still a Portuguese colony. That’s why, when I went to school, we were required to come up a so-called “white” name. Otherwise, too many “Chin”s, “Chon”s, “Chong”s, “Chan”s, flying around for our international teachers to handle, who we paid premium for. So, let’s keep the classes rolling smoothly using English first name. No, you’re not Tom Baldwin, but Tom Wong.
Then, Portugal returned Macau to China when I was four. People born after this glory return don’t really have this white name anymore unless going to international schools, which is the same for any international schools in China. Interestingly, due to the 50 years no change promise, we’re sadly still not part of the 1.4 billion population. So we’re in this interesting time in the middle.
Surely, fewer and fewer people will encounter the identify crisis I’m encountering as colonism becomes more digital than geographical. Nonetheless, when i studied in the USA or the UK, there’s still insert preferred name. Since Germany is not popular for its colonism achievement, my German colleagues find this dual names unbelievingly interesting and I have so much fun igniting the German curiosity.
Of course, it’s not like insert airport. And it’s not as much of a nickname as Floyd Money Mayweather or i am him by Steph curry. It’s a name that bears historical significance, a byproduct of colonism, and a color you will not see from Tom Baldwin.