(Changing one’s name into another name—or I call ‘re-naming’—is a common practice among international students when studying abroad. I use name Lucy, because my last name in China is Luo. )
The purpose of Project 1 is to understand the reason why you decide to use a particular name in the US (either using a given name or change it into another name). The essay needs to have two parts:
A description paragraph where you describe your (re-)naming practice include one (and one only!) critical incident (or lived experience) that led you to decide on using that particular name.
An analysis paragraph where you need to analyze this (re-)naming practice in relation to its effectiveness. These are some questions you can address in this section:
What is the purpose of the name? Why did you decide to use this particular name?
Who might be the intended audience for the name be? Who might appreciate or enjoy this name? How can you tell? Who might be disadvantaged by the name?
What stereotypes or possible conflicts could this name perpetuate?
Remember:
My Namestory essay, like any other academic essays, needs to have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
Make sure you use keywords about rhetorics we have learned (e.g. target audience, rhetorical situation, ethos, etc.) in the essay.
