Hi Happy,
Your response is very relatable. When I was given my English name, Daisy, after my first English class, it became like a second identity. Gradually, most of my friends started calling me by my English name, and some of them barely know my actual Chinese name. I understand that using a preferred name in college might be easier for people to remember or pronounce, but as you said, it feels like a part of my cultural identity is missing. Sometimes I wonder if people are really seeing me, or just the version of me that fits more neatly into the English speaking world. It makes me think about how schools and society normalize these shifts in identity without asking what they cost us.
Your response is very relatable. When I was given my English name, Daisy, after my first English class, it became like a second identity. Gradually, most of my friends started calling me by my English name, and some of them barely know my actual Chinese name. I understand that using a preferred name in college might be easier for people to remember or pronounce, but as you said, it feels like a part of my cultural identity is missing. Sometimes I wonder if people are really seeing me, or just the version of me that fits more neatly into the English speaking world. It makes me think about how schools and society normalize these shifts in identity without asking what they cost us.