Hi my name is- What, your name is?

My name is Kavitha, meaning poem or poetry in Hindi.  I have been told that my name is very common in India, maybe like an Anne or Elizabeth is here.  My name is traditionally pronounced Ka- Vee-Tha.  After years of mispronunciation, my name has morphed into Ka-Vee-Tah or Ka-Vee-Duh to most of American heritage, including myself.

This entry is dedicated to the experiences that come with having an ethnic name in a small  community.  There are areas all over the country, for example Jackson Heights, Queens, where a name such as Kavitha is pronounced with ease and not given a second thought. I, however, do not live in one of those areas.

Since the age of 4, I can remember people creating nicknames for me. Kavit ,was the first I remember, said endearingly by my neighbor, who I often referred to as my 2nd mom.  In the 6th grade, I was called Kubby.  It was supposed to be Kavi, which is traditionally the nickname for Kavitha, however my friend's little sister accidently said Kubby, and it stuck.  I even had it embroidered onto my dance company jacket.  In high school, I hit a quasi-hippie phase and wanted to be called Sunflower, but that is a whole other blog in itself- lol.  College gave way to the nickname, Kaveets, given to me by my sorority sister, Lauren . This one really caught on and is what I am called by everyone who knew me during college and grad school.  The most recent change to my nickname comes from me not being able to fit Kaveets on to my personalized license plate.  Some co-workers now call me Kay-Veets in reference to the misspelled plate.

In addition to these given nicknames, there are many other slicings and dicings of my name that take place on a daily basis.  I used to correct people or get a little embarrassed.  Now, unless they ask, I let them repeatedly say my name wrong and either chuckle to myself or have a side splitting laugh later with my husband, who is often with me.  Ka-Vith (rhymes with "with")-ah is the most common mistake. It was great the other day John and I were at the fertility doctor and she kept saying "Kawitha , kawitha, kawitha".  It took my all to not crack up right there!  Needless to say, my husband and I referred to myself as Kawitha the rest of the day.

Some pronunciations make me question these people's ability to read or sound out words.  It's all about the phonetics, people!  Ka-Way-Tah, Ka-Bee-Tha, Kay-With-Aye... the list is endless.

I remember when I switched elementary schools from public to private, I BEGGED my parents to let me go by my middle name at my new school.  Sarah, a beacon of simplicity in a sea of less than easy to pronounce  (and spell) names!  My mom said no and explained how my name was representing who I was.  I did not appreciate it right away, it took me a while, since so many things rhymed with Kavitha (Velveeta, Chiquita, Nothing-Sweetah) and nothing seemed to rhyme with Sarah.  As I trudged through middle school being called everything under the sun that rhymed with my name, I started to embrace it.  Who wouldn't like being called Kavitha Nothin'- Sweetah?

My name had advantages.  In Spanish class, everyone got called the Spanish version of their name, Anna = Ana, Robert= Roberto.  Well, there is not a Spanish version of Kavitha, so I got to pick my name.  And ofcourse my name was a sassy tribute to the Plaza Azteca favorite- Margarita!

I remember when the 20/20 report came out that companies judge your resume by your name.  They have preconceived notions about you from your name.  My first and last name were as Indian as they come, so there was no mystery there.  I am sure that I am stumping them now since my last name is Johnson!

Once in grad school, I had a phone interview to be a waitress at a Connecticut Country Club.  I did the interview and somehow she had never asked for my name.  After I got the job, she realized she did not know my name.  When I told her, she paused, and was like that is not an American name is it?  She seemed very confused.  I explained that I was Indian.  My accent, or lack there of, threw her off! People are often amazed that I have no accent when they hear my name. If I did have any type of accent, it would most likely be a southern twang from my time in SC, TX, & VA.

Well, as I prepare for my trip to India, I will be interested to see what it is like for strangers to pronounce my name properly and possibly correct the way I say it!  I love my name now. I love the meaning, I love that it is unique, & I think it is pretty.  I like that it represents the fact that I am an American born Indian.  I even love that it brings me a lot of unexpected chuckles as people butcher it.

I honestly have no anger or annoyance that people can not pronounce my name.  I don't expect them to.  This is simply about reflecting my experiences. It is nice when people ask the correct way, but if not it just adds some humor to my life.  I grew up around Annes, Sarahs, Jenns, & Megans, so exotic names often stump me too!

In closing, I have noticed the trend of people with exotic names choosing a more common name to use in their place of work.  I, however, will never do that.  I look back on the lesson my mom taught me when I wanted to go by Sarah in the 6th grade.  My name is a part of me and I will not deny it.

Good night y'all & God bless~