How Important is an Identity free essay sample

A person’s identity will stay with them throughout their whole life and will provide many important purposes. Everyone has their own identity, it is what they are known as or known for. One’s identity could be derived from anything about them, whether it be race, religion, or political status. The most common example of someone’s identity, is what you call them every day, their name. A name can mean many things to many different people, sometimes circumstances can change how one feels about their name, but a name will always be a part of their identity. There is no limit on what someone’s name can mean, whether it to them or someone else. In Trikatikningsih Byas’s â€Å"Where the Land is Stepped On, The Sky Above Must be Upheld†, Byas talks about the importance of her name and what the meaning of it is to her culture. We will write a custom essay sample on How Important is an Identity? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The first part of her name indicates the order of her birth compared to her siblings, the second part is the meaning or source of her name, and the last part told whether she was a male or female (Byas 33). In different cultures names can have more and more significant meanings than most people would think. There are examples in Japanese names where their names mean other things whether it be moon, love, serenity, etc. Someone’s name is what they will usually be called for the rest of their life. No matter where they go in life they will always have a name that belongs to them. There are some who reject their name and refuse to use it. There are many things that can make someone like or hate the name that they were given at birth. When foreigners that only have one name move over to America to go to school they have to apply for a Social Security card and need a last name (Byas 33). Byas also brings up how when she moved to America she had to go through this process and it mortified her to have to change the name she was given by her parents. There are stories of when people trying to get away from persecution change their names in order to hide that they were of a certain people (Rosenberg 29). In Tom Rosenberg’s â€Å"Changing My Name After 60 Years†, Tom talks about how his family changed their last name to avoid persecution of being Jewish. Even though their name was changed it did not stop the bullying towards him which made him feel even more shame towards his already given up name. Other than these examples there are people all over the world who due to the circumstances hate the name they were given. A name is something that will stick with someone all through their life and can in turn shape their life. An identity can be affected in many different ways. A name can drastically affect someone’s identity. There are many who are bullied and treated differently based on their name because it can show their origins (Rosenberg 30). Tom states that if he would have kept his original last name many things in his life might have changed. There are certain fraternities he might not have been able to get in because of his Jewish heritage or he may have even became a respected member in the Jewish community. Regardless of his name change there was still stereotyping and racism towards him. In Lewis Sawaquat’s â€Å"For My Indian Daughter†, Lewis talks about how the discrimination of his race affected him, and how it is ignorance of people’s cultures that causes people to have misinterpretations of other’s cultures and make rude or racist comments (Lewis 60). Labeling is a form of stereotyping, by labeling someone there will be those who will automatically that they are just like everyone else who is labeled the same. Stereotyping affects a person in many different ways, whether it be in the case of and Indian getting persecuted because someone thinks they are taking something away from themselves (Lewis 60) or a Jewish kid getting bullied just because of his race. All of these experiences will change someone and mold them into a different kind of person. The hate and discrimination towards their name or race could change them for the worse if they choose to let it. Their names can mean many different things to them or to other people because everyone perceives it differently. The circumstances they go through in life can change how someone feel about their name or their identity. Regardless of what happens a name or identity will stay with someone for as long as they live and even after that. A name can shape one’s identity in itself. Although there can be many hardships in life just because of an identity, one should accept who they are and learn to have pride in who they are because all someone can be in life is themselves and no one else.