Please see the video with the red background embedded on the right to see the proper pronunciation of Lan in Vietnamese. Lan means "orchid" in Vietnamese 🌸. I am also okay with the pronunciation in the video with the white background embedded below.
No, I hate my name pronounced "lawn". Do not call me "Lawn".
Please see the video attached that describes the complex relationship that the Nguyễns living in America have with our name. Skip to the last 10 seconds for common pronunciations. 40% of Vietnamese people have the last name Nguyễn and I am proud to be one of them :)
My preferred Anglicized pronunciation of "Nguyen" is "nu-win"
As an ethnic studies teacher, I like to practice what I teach. In ethnic studies, we teach students to stay true to their culture, even if their culture is not the dominant culture. In America, teachers go by "Ms. or Mr." followed by their last name. In Vietnam, teachers go by "teacher" followed by their first name. In Vietnam, surnames ("last names") are rarely used, because in Vietnamese culture, we are all the same family (metaphorically). My use of "Ms. Lan" instead of "Ms. Nguyễn" is a subtle refusal to assimilate to the dominant culture in America and remind students that different cultural norms exist. It is also my way of suggesting with students that like in Vietnamese culture, I consider them a part of my family.
Furthermore, in my practice as an educator, I strive to emulate the best qualities of the educators who impacted me deeply in my development as a person. All of these educators happened to go by their first name, so this practice is in hope that maybe will allow me to follow in their footsteps.
** If you are a fellow staff member or the parent/guardian of a student, please call me "Lan" without the "Ms"!
For most of my life, I accepted whatever mesh of sounds people would put together to refer to me. I didn't want to cause trouble. I've been asked multiple times if I have "an American name" that I go by, and there were many times I wish I had chosen one. Later in life, I learned that this is called assimilation. My name is my identity. I am relieved I never picked an "American name". My name, Nguyễn Hoàng Lan, represents my family, my culture, and my ancestors. Please get it right.