Wang or Wang?

Hearts in Taiwan

This one is for everyone whose name is pronounced differently in America than it would be in your family’s original language. Angela and Annie discuss how even a simple name like Wang can be a hallmark of assimilation, a source of trauma, or an opportunity for reclaimed identity.

Invitation:

Tell us how you define Taiwanese! Send us a voice message on Instagram, Facebook, or at heartsintaiwan.com/voicemail and we’ll mail you a Hearts in Taiwan sticker.

Links:

“America Ruined My Name for Me” by Beth Nguyen

“When the Teacher Doesn’t Even Try to Pronounce Your Name” by comedian Tien Tran

Wangs vs the World by Jade Chang - excerpt in our show notes

"Level Up" by Vienna Teng (Spotify)

Visit our show notes for more about the topics in our episode

Connect:

instagram.com/heartsintaiwan

facebook.com/heartsintaiwan

heartsintaiwan.com/voicemail

Connect:

instagram.com/heartsintaiwan

facebook.com/heartsintaiwan

buymeacoffee.com/heartsintaiwan ← Buy us a boba!

heartsintaiwan.com

Hoofdstukken

1. Two ways to pronounce Wang (00:00:00)

2. Assimilation through pronunciation (00:03:43)

3. Angela's story of childhood teasing (00:10:14)

4. Vietnamese names in America (00:15:39)

5. The Wangs vs the World (00:18:59)

6. Making a conscious choice (00:20:52)

7. How do you define Taiwanese? (00:22:55)