In "Names/Nombres," Julia Alvarez reflects on her experiences with her name and its pronunciation as she grows up in America. Initially, as a child, she feels a sense of pride in her name, which signifies her Dominican heritage. However, when she starts school, she encounters difficulties because her name is often mispronounced or overlooked by her teachers and classmates. This mispronunciation becomes a source of embarrassment and alienation for her, as it represents both a disconnect from her cultural identity and a broader struggle for recognition in American society.
As the narrative progresses, Julia's perspective shifts. She begins to understand the importance of her name as a central part of her identity, seeing it as a symbol of her heritage and family history. She learns to embrace her name and its proper pronunciation, rejecting the urge to conform to American norms that often diminish or distort her identity. By the end of the text, Julia recognizes that her name is a powerful expression of who she is and that it deserves to be pronounced correctly. This maturation process reflects her growing confidence in her identity as a Dominican-American and her understanding of the complexities of cultural assimilation.
Through Julia's journey, the text explores themes of identity, belonging, and the significance of names in shaping personal and cultural narratives. Her evolution from feeling ashamed of her name to taking pride in it encapsulates the broader immigrant experience and the challenges of navigating multiple cultural identities.
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