The Hidden Coconuts

The Right Way or the White Way?


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When Juliet says "What's in a name?", does that apply to us coconuts whose names are not only unique among our surroundings but exposed to mispronunciation repeatedly, stripping them of the meanings they are meant to convey? Agnibarna & Maira discuss their experiences with their South Asian names and how they've just accepted over the years that there is the white way and the right way to pronounce them. For Agnibarna, this meant dealing with people changing up the phonetics of her name to make people "comfy" (FYI don't do that) and even accepting a nickname, which has stuck with her to this day. For Maira, though an easy pronunciation, she has heard many editions, from Maria to Mara. How does the name debacle tie in with these two coconuts' ambitions of becoming exchange students, and what are some ways a coconut's fears and anxiety over travelling to a foreign place, alone, differ from that of someone from a superior race?

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The Hidden CoconutsBy Agnibarna Hassan & Maira Anser