G: "In Japan, your last name comes first; there is an emphasis on family. But in America, your nickname comes first 'cause there is an emphasis on accessibility." The poetry in that, of taking something we look at every day and then shining a light on it, is just bonkers. This whole piece is such a great example of critical thinking and visioning for something more.
This poem reminds me of the Warsan Shire quote: “give your daughters difficult names. give your daughters names that command the full use of tongue. my name makes you want to tell me the truth. my name doesn’t allow me to trust anyone that cannot pronounce it right.”
This poem is so amazing. I'm navajo and my great grandfather moved off the reservation to texas in an attempt to give himself and his family a change to survive but he couldn't find a job being native so he changed his last name to Rodriguez. inevitably my family gave up their native ways for hispanic ways. Not a day goes by that I don't get angry that my family had to assimilate. And so my dad married a white women and my name's Britany. I guess it represents my half-breed ethnicity. But both names are empty. meaningless. So this poem means a lot to me.
i wish i could erase this video from my mind and watch it again to experience what i just felt. so good!!!!! i generally love poems with more than one person performing them
Reminds me of the amazing story and quote by Uzo Aduba when she asked her mom to call her Zoe. “If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky and Michelangelo and Dostoyevsky, they can learn to say Uzoamaka." Same energy as this poem. I love it. This made me reconsider how I respond to people who mispronounce my name.
I love this poem.I can definitely relate to it lol. My full name is Oluwakemi Eniola Uthman and its means ,"You are God's gift to me". I hated it lol. Nobody could pronounce it so I dumbed it down to Kimmy for them. What a shame.Its pretty hard to take pride in your name when you live in a country where no one else gets it. I'm glad I'm not alone!
I feel this 💯 percent. My full name is Neh-Bih Sangbong. That's it. No middle name. I had to dumb it down to simply "Neh" during adulthood because growing up I was the butt of jokes when it came to name pronunciation butchering. And even in adulthood people accuse me of giving myself a "strange" or "unusual" nickname or say it sounds awful next to someone's surname should I marry that person and take their surname. People are just awful. Xenophobic and racist. If you don't have a westernized European name they treat you like a "where are you from?" person....
Wow, I can completely relate. I was given an "American" name that I've hated my whole life. That's why I've taken on the name Kiyoko which truly reflects my Japanese heritage. It makes me feel stronger, somehow more "me".
You know, knowing a lot diverse people and writers, I've seen a lot of work about being sensitive about having an "ethnic" name, and wanting a more "white-sounding" one. This is the first time I've seen it the other way around. And I think that's even more beautiful.
When we name something or someone, we think we understand it. We even think we own it. We take away our children's potential & power by naming them something forgettable. Very powerful piece.
I used to hate my name before watching this because when i came to America no one knew how to say it right after watching this I realized that having culture here is important to remind people I am from another place that culture is important and i should stand by it and not forget who I am. The poem is a reminder to me.
I have rewatched this so many times i can't remember. I have shared it on Facebook and twitter twice and I am still not tired of it. i love this poem SO MUCH.
Wow that was fantastic. It left a feeling of ambivalence regarding their parents, who understood that "acceptance" into a new society would be easier with a "white" name but who, it was implied, made the "wrong" choice for these people.
I can really relate to this poem because my parents switch the order of my name to make it easier for the Americans to say. I really enjoyed this poem, it was well done and it hit home.
I love this so much!. It resonates and speaks the truth about what we first generation Americans go through and it sends an important message. Sometimes I wish I had a European name because of the shame and mockery I used to face growing up for having an ethnic African name and people butchering it. Plus I'm the only person in my immediate family without a European name which isn't surprising as I've always been the black sheep.
You seem to be the most recent comment so perhaps I'll ask you. Do you understand what that line means when they say that their name wasn't given to them but to the rest of the country? Thanks so much in advance! :)
@@Varaidzo1 I would never pretend to speak with authority on the intention of a given artist, but I can tell you how I interpret it given the context of the line and the overall message of the poem. It harkens the reality these artists speak to throughout most of the poem: that their first names are associated more with the prevailing white power structure and culture and ancestry than the actual culture and ancestry of the individuals performing. For example, Patrick shares that his name is rooted in Irish culture, whereas his ancestry is from Cameroon. Another good example is the boxer Muhammad Ali or the civil rights leader Malcolm X, both of whom changed their respective names from Cassius Clay and Malcolm Little. Both leaders separated themselves from the lineage of white supremacy and slavery, held in the names passed down from white power structures and white culture, i.e. "the country." In doing so, they gave their names to themselves. I'd be happy to hear any and all criticisms on this interpretation. And I hope there's at least a little something in here that may be of use. Cheers.
For greater historical accuracy, it should be noted that the leader who is best known in history as Malcolm X did end up going by his Muslim name later in life, el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz.
@@bluetown82 Thank you for your depth of insights! So in this sense they are saying that their names, their "new" names were kind of created for the sake of the country "America" almost like a type of sacrificing of their original names for the new names. I suppose that's how I thought of it at first.
Thank God I found a full understandable recording of this!! I've loved this poem for like a year but the video I watched was too echoe-y to understand it all XD I loooooooooove this poem!
I think it’s relevant that the auto generated captions got all their names wrong but got all the examples of white guys completely right (yeah I know they’re famous but still)
does anyone know where i can get the written out version of this? im trying to perform it in my class, of course the credit and source will be given and everything.
G: "In Japan, your last name comes first; there is an emphasis on family. But in America, your nickname comes first 'cause there is an emphasis on accessibility." The poetry in that, of taking something we look at every day and then shining a light on it, is just bonkers. This whole piece is such a great example of critical thinking and visioning for something more.
Nah it's because of emphasis on individuality. If there's one thing this lacks, it's critical thinking
This poem reminds me of the Warsan Shire quote: “give your daughters difficult names. give your daughters names that command the full use of tongue. my name makes you want to tell me the truth. my name doesn’t allow me to trust anyone that cannot pronounce it right.”
This gives me goosebumps every time I watch it.
me too
This poem is so amazing. I'm navajo and my great grandfather moved off the reservation to texas in an attempt to give himself and his family a change to survive but he couldn't find a job being native so he changed his last name to Rodriguez. inevitably my family gave up their native ways for hispanic ways. Not a day goes by that I don't get angry that my family had to assimilate. And so my dad married a white women and my name's Britany. I guess it represents my half-breed ethnicity. But both names are empty. meaningless. So this poem means a lot to me.
i wish i could erase this video from my mind and watch it again to experience what i just felt. so good!!!!! i generally love poems with more than one person performing them
Me too. I feel like they make them JUST that more powerful.
+Carmen Ortiz you replying to this gave me a notification which made me watch this video again. and holy, chills
@@funnyjuiceeffects watch it again
"Like our last names were made of barbwire", instant chills.
The fact that Elizabeth has a book now! I’m so proud of someone I’ve never even met!
Reminds me of the amazing story and quote by Uzo Aduba when she asked her mom to call her Zoe. “If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky and Michelangelo and Dostoyevsky, they can learn to say Uzoamaka."
Same energy as this poem. I love it. This made me reconsider how I respond to people who mispronounce my name.
Love that!
I love this poem.I can definitely relate to it lol. My full name is Oluwakemi Eniola Uthman and its means ,"You are God's gift to me". I hated it lol. Nobody could pronounce it so I dumbed it down to Kimmy for them. What a shame.Its pretty hard to take pride in your name when you live in a country where no one else gets it. I'm glad I'm not alone!
Same
I feel this 💯 percent. My full name is Neh-Bih Sangbong. That's it. No middle name. I had to dumb it down to simply "Neh" during adulthood because growing up I was the butt of jokes when it came to name pronunciation butchering. And even in adulthood people accuse me of giving myself a "strange" or "unusual" nickname or say it sounds awful next to someone's surname should I marry that person and take their surname. People are just awful. Xenophobic and racist. If you don't have a westernized European name they treat you like a "where are you from?" person....
I get wanting a different name. I don't get the anger at others. Take the name you want and leave the trauma.
Elizabeth really over here feeling every word❤
Just listened to this for english class as an example because we have to write a poem or a song about ourselves
Wow, I can completely relate. I was given an "American" name that I've hated my whole life. That's why I've taken on the name Kiyoko which truly reflects my Japanese heritage. It makes me feel stronger, somehow more "me".
My parents gave me the middle name Melanie,so that non-spanish speakers wouldn't have to stumble over my first
You know, knowing a lot diverse people and writers, I've seen a lot of work about being sensitive about having an "ethnic" name, and wanting a more "white-sounding" one. This is the first time I've seen it the other way around. And I think that's even more beautiful.
This is wild. 3 GREATS on the same piece. Historic
coming from a Haitian american girl named ashley i can say this is very very true
When we name something or someone, we think we understand it. We even think we own it. We take away our children's potential & power by naming them something forgettable. Very powerful piece.
Best. Poem. Ever.
"My name wasn't given to me it was given to the rest of the country"
holy sht this made me cry
I used to hate my name before watching this because when i came to America no one knew how to say it right after watching this I realized that having culture here is important to remind people I am from another place that culture is important and i should stand by it and not forget who I am. The poem is a reminder to me.
SO MUCH POWER HERE I SCREAMED.
I have rewatched this so many times i can't remember. I have shared it on Facebook and twitter twice and I am still not tired of it. i love this poem SO MUCH.
Beautiful
Thank you
Wow that was fantastic. It left a feeling of ambivalence regarding their parents, who understood that "acceptance" into a new society would be easier with a "white" name but who, it was implied, made the "wrong" choice for these people.
I can really relate to this poem because my parents switch the order of my name to make it easier for the Americans to say. I really enjoyed this poem, it was well done and it hit home.
this is so important and needs to be shared all over!
Brilliant, beautiful and powerful art.
Beautiful! Sensational.
Glad you like it!
this made me so proud of my name woah
ALWAYS get chills when watching this video
Love this ❤❤❤❤
GOOSEBUMPS.
Thanks!
Welcome! You rock Shahram!
I love this so much!. It resonates and speaks the truth about what we first generation Americans go through and it sends an important message. Sometimes I wish I had a European name because of the shame and mockery I used to face growing up for having an ethnic African name and people butchering it. Plus I'm the only person in my immediate family without a European name which isn't surprising as I've always been the black sheep.
I CRIED! THIS IS SOME POWERFUL SHIT! And people still "don't like poetry"??
INCREDIBLEEE I AM IN AWE
Yo, I might be five years late...but this is EVERYTHING!!!
You seem to be the most recent comment so perhaps I'll ask you. Do you understand what that line means when they say that their name wasn't given to them but to the rest of the country? Thanks so much in advance! :)
@@Varaidzo1 I would never pretend to speak with authority on the intention of a given artist, but I can tell you how I interpret it given the context of the line and the overall message of the poem. It harkens the reality these artists speak to throughout most of the poem: that their first names are associated more with the prevailing white power structure and culture and ancestry than the actual culture and ancestry of the individuals performing. For example, Patrick shares that his name is rooted in Irish culture, whereas his ancestry is from Cameroon. Another good example is the boxer Muhammad Ali or the civil rights leader Malcolm X, both of whom changed their respective names from Cassius Clay and Malcolm Little. Both leaders separated themselves from the lineage of white supremacy and slavery, held in the names passed down from white power structures and white culture, i.e. "the country." In doing so, they gave their names to themselves. I'd be happy to hear any and all criticisms on this interpretation. And I hope there's at least a little something in here that may be of use. Cheers.
For greater historical accuracy, it should be noted that the leader who is best known in history as Malcolm X did end up going by his Muslim name later in life, el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz.
@@bluetown82 Thank you for your depth of insights! So in this sense they are saying that their names, their "new" names were kind of created for the sake of the country "America" almost like a type of sacrificing of their original names for the new names. I suppose that's how I thought of it at first.
Me too! Lol
There is combination of words to describe how powerful the context of this piece is!
Powerful af
WOW I will never again complain about my out-of-the-ordinary name
The best poems leave me with chills and pride rising up in my chest
Excellent! histrionics strength, deep message: powerful. Too much to think in a word. Excellent
Is it weird that I’m sending this video to my English teacher?
This is amazing! Major respect! Great stuff guys! One love
oh my gosh this was beautiful beyond words
got chills listening to them
☀️💯🏆✊🏽✊🏾✨Powerful! I all-ways say My name ain’t my Real Name!✨🔑
Aye!!!!!!!! I'm Cameroonian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This poem is simply amazing.
Wow.
Uuuufffff. Epic.
Powerful! Where is the lie in this poem though? I hope you know there's none.
this is pure gold. wow. pages as always is amazing but i really need to check out the other two because this was awesome.
this gave me chills , love this poem
This gave me goosebumps :) so fantastic.
I love this so much!
Omg! Where are these shows held?!
This is the first slam poem that made me groan.
Oh my gosh. This is absolutely perfect.
holyyy badassary batman!
Real powerful stuff.
Simply amazing ♡
Breathtaking ♡
This is amazing.
This made my heart beat so fast. So truthful and so beautiful.
this gave me hills. amazing poem.
Thank God I found a full understandable recording of this!! I've loved this poem for like a year but the video I watched was too echoe-y to understand it all XD I loooooooooove this poem!
Woah crazy chills!
Fucking amazing.
ooooo this was amazing! so powerful and shows how much a name can change how people view you and treat you....so much power in this. amazing.
Well this poem is sure as hell unforgettable! Loved it
Yes, not Madaline, now Ahavia. Hebrew for Beloved!
I remember watching this in class
Omg yessss...one of my favs
you guys are unforgettable! Thx for kicking some conscious in to society!
definitely one of my favourites!! I think names are important parts of us and this poem was amazing with great delivery!
One of my favorite poems I heard at nationals.
I think it’s relevant that the auto generated captions got all their names wrong but got all the examples of white guys completely right (yeah I know they’re famous but still)
I respect this poem so much, ethnicity is a thing to be proud of
LOVE A MILLION TIMES! POWER!
This is amazing!mad respect! Great stuff guys! One love xo
Love it!
What I liked about the poem is that they had a lot of power when performing.
Gonna send this to my friend who wants to change her name to "Evelyn"
Elizabeth Acevedo is amazing!
awesome!
what did i just witness?! so fucking good!
Great One!
Blowwnnn away... wow
Wow! Powerful stuff!
A day
How fast do these messages reach you
Hey brother! What's up?
If you wanna reach mom you can do so through here
Oh cool! I will
So crazy DOPE!!!!!!
LETS GO!!!!!
Powerful
goosebumps
does anyone know where i can get the written out version of this? im trying to perform it in my class, of course the credit and source will be given and everything.
"straightjacket society" holy shit that hit me hard
Holy shit, this sums it up so perfectly! Great performance!
I love this video. Suck a powerful piece on assimilation's negative effects...
Wasn't the last Samurai named Tom Cruise?
+Everything but the Girl Fan 76 no that was the name of the actor in a movie by the same name
my high school english teacher taught G!