Thread by @doriecp

I’m enjoying reading all the conversations I’m seeing on the practice of giving students “Spanish” names.

Here’s my 2¢. A thread.

When I first started working where I do, I was told that I was expected to give students a Spanish name in first grade. I wasn’t thrilled with the idea, but as a new teacher I didn’t push back.

So I found a website with top “Spanish” names and got to work switching Mary to María, John to Juan and so on. These more direct name switches didn’t bother me too much until I got to switching Tamashi to Teresa and Soham to Sergio.

It didn’t feel right to take a student who’s name had rich meaning (often cultural and/or religious) and changing it to what was most often a Catholic saint.

These are also students who often have their names mispronounced or are given anglicized names for the convenience of White speakers.

I was told by others that I was bringing culture into my classroom by introducing them to Spanish names.

But why not do that in an authentic way through stories and other authentic resources?

The summer after my 1st year teaching I spent 3 months living in the Dominican where I lived & worked w/ people who’s names were never on the lists I used. Nasheli. Yandri. Jenny. Yahaira. Jairo.

That year I diversified the name pool, but continued to give Spanish names.

The last straw was when I had a student named Andrew. This student was bilingual & spoke Spanish at home. His parents were from Perú & chose to name their son Andrew. Not Andrés. Andrew.

If he can speak Spanish at home as Andrew why do I have to change his name for class?

I felt like I was going against the direct wishes of his parents.

I decided to give my students a choice. On one side of their name tag I wrote their given name. On the other side I wrote a Spanish name. I told them they could turn their name tag to the side they preferred to be called.

Majority of the students chose their given games. The ones who chose to go by a Spanish game generally: 1. had a direct correlation (Matthew to Mateo) and 2. Had names that were in the top 100 names in the United States.

After that I abandoned the practice completely. There are some names I pronounce with a Spanish accent (Jessica for example) because it just flows better when speaking Spanish in class.

But even then it’s not always the case. I have a neurodivergent student who’s given name is a Spanish name too but cannot stand the sound of it in Spanish. It’s a lot of work for me to remember to pronounce it her preferred way, but I make an intentional effort each time.

But it’s an extremely complex topic. When I began learning Spanish in 7th grade I eagerly chose the Spanish name Juanita. Growing up my mom told me she wanted to name me Juanita Marie after my great grandmothers but was discouraged.

For me, using Juanita was a way to connect with my Puerto Rican heritage and aligned with my whole motivation for learning Spanish.

When I lived in Uganda and was given the name Mbabazi, it felt like I was finally part of a community and not just an outsider (the name was given just before I was leaving for the first time).

I know others have fond memories of their Spanish (and other language) names. For you they may represent acceptance, a sense of community or maybe you just don’t like hearing your given name mispronounced.

I wanted to share this thread with you to share my own personal growth. The more I learn about culturally sustaining pedagogues and trauma informed teaching, the further I distance myself from this practice.

I won’t ever make a recommendation for what’s right in your context. But I do ask you to consider not only your intentions, but also the impact it has.