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From Pizza Buffets to Wall Street
From Pizza Buffets to Wall Street
By: Angeni Kabilan
My bloodline consists of men with questionable personas. My grandfather was an abuser who placed my father’s family in harsh circumstances. To help his debt-ridden family, my father (Kabilan) crossed oceans by himself to work at the ripe age of 16 with no higher education. Starting off as a Carnival Cruise chef and bussing tables at IHOP, he now owns multiple pizza buffets. Little does he know that he served as my biggest inspiration.
My last name is Kabilan, a sacred name that translates to Lord Ganesh, the Hindu god with an elephant head. My aachi (grandmother) used to tell me that she gave my father a god’s name because it’d give her the opportunity to repeatedly call after that god. Ironically, he became more of a savior to his family than Lord Ganesh himself.
As my father broke generational curses, being a Kabilan meant having a great support system when pursuing any endeavor. Despite neither of my parents having any formal education, they enabled me to receive an out-of-state education at a top university. It feels rewarding to see the name “Kabilan” written across diplomas and awards for the first time.
I decided early-on in my life that I would keep Kabilan as my last name. Unfortunately, a name destined to be used in high places came to be thrown around at a small pizza buffet. However, that same name will one day be used for a top position on Wall Street. When I accomplish my goal of one-day being self-employed, “Kabilan” will be branded into my company name. Aachi may have chosen this name to repeat Lord Ganesh’s name, but I will continue to choose this name to repeat my father’s name.
Even more than my first name Angeni, my last name Kabilan is a name many people associated me with. When it was time for my uncles to give speeches at my graduation party, the majority of their speeches consisted of praising my father and speaking on his amazing character traits rather than elaborating on mine. This overshadowing used to make me upset. With time, however, I learned to grow a profound respect for that name.
Kabilan is a last name only Tamil people have. A person’s ethnicity and cultural group can be revealed through their last name. Tamil culture is also one of the few cultures where a man’s child and wife inherit his first name instead of his last name. This has resulted in many misconceptions that my father isn’t actually related to me. Although having my father’s first name as my last name has certain drawbacks, it also makes me more passionate about my name. I am Angeni Kabilan, and for that I couldn’t be more proud.
Works Cited
Kabilan, Angeni. Photo of Angeni Kabilan. 28 Dec. 2023. Angeni Kabilan's personal collection.
“Kabilan: Name Meaning, Origin & More: MyloFamily.” Mylo, mylofamily.com/parenting/babynames/meaning-of-kabilan-43055. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.
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