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Embracing my Cultural Identity
Embracing my Cultural Identity
by Anagha Nair
The meaning of my name being “sinless” has always seemed funny to me because I don’t think I fit that description the most perfectly, but I’ll take the compliment. My first name is Anagha, which means “sinless” or “pure,” and I was named after a suggestion that my aunt gave to my mom. My name is also a synonym for the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi, who is known to be prosperous, beautiful, and charming (“Anagha - Girl’s Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity”). Contrary to popular belief, my last name, Nair, does in fact not have anything to do with the hair removal brand. According to, in Sanskrit Nair translates to “leader lord” because Nairs are known to be guardians of the land (“Nair Family History”). My last name also gives away the state of India that my parents are from, which is Kerala, a state in the very south of India, which is something that makes me feel connected to my culture.
For long, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with my name. While I like my name for the most part, it is honestly very frustrating to have an Indian name in the U.S. sometimes because most people have never heard my name before. I’m used to people saying it completely wrong (which I don’t blame them for the first few times), and I remember dreading the first days of school when I was younger because it meant I had to introduce myself – and more importantly my name – to new people.
I’ve also noticed people avoid saying my name like they would avoid the plague. Sure, we all hear Amy and Dylan’s name, but uh-nuh-guh, no. Condescending much! I remember a specific instance that happened just at the beginning of this semester in my film class when my GSI was doing roll call. He was saying the names when after about ten or so names, he started to stumble on his words, and I instantly knew my name was about to be called.
However, it’s a different story when I’m visiting India. There, my name is very common and people say it with ease. There, I find comfort in introducing myself rather than dread. I especially appreciate how I don’t have to resay my name three to four times on average to have people remember how to pronounce it, which I think is something people with more common names take for granted.
However, the reality is that I live in the U.S., which means I must embrace the unique nature of my name. As I’ve grown older and more mature, I’ve learned to stop keeping away from meeting new people just to avoid introducing myself and to not get bothered when people can’t remember my name. Instead, I embrace that my name is special and an integrated part of my identity. Now, I’m proud to share a part of my culture simply by telling people my name.
Works Cited
“Anagha - Girl’s Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity.” BabyCenter, www.babycentre.co.uk/babyname/25076349/anagha. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.
“Nair Family History.” Nair Name Meaning & Nair Family History at Ancestry.Com®, www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=nair#:~:text=Indian%20(Kerala)%3A%20from%20Malayalam,as%20protectors%20of%20the%20land. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.
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