In America, What’s in a Name?
The immigrant’s dilemma. July 17, 2023 11:02 am ET Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto Maggie Hroncich delightfully articulates the dilemma of those whose last names don’t line themselves up in familiar Anglo-Saxon spelling formations (“I Don’t Know How to Say My Own Last Name,” op-ed, July 13). In my immigrant grandparents’ generation, the solution was more direct, if self-denying: “Americanize” it. Kempinsky became Kaye, Shlomowitz metamorphosed into Sims. Prescott, née Preschutto. I’m glad Ms. Hroncich’s family didn’t choose that route to acceptance, validating her point that “anyone can become as thoroughly American as anybody else,” without sacrificing your own heritage. I realize not everyone can reap the benefit I did of having Mel Brooks turn your name into an intergalactic blessing. “May the Hroncich be with you” probably wouldn’t work as well.
Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Maggie Hroncich delightfully articulates the dilemma of those whose last names don’t line themselves up in familiar Anglo-Saxon spelling formations (“I Don’t Know How to Say My Own Last Name,” op-ed, July 13). In my immigrant grandparents’ generation, the solution was more direct, if self-denying: “Americanize” it. Kempinsky became Kaye, Shlomowitz metamorphosed into Sims. Prescott, née Preschutto.
I’m glad Ms. Hroncich’s family didn’t choose that route to acceptance, validating her point that “anyone can become as thoroughly American as anybody else,” without sacrificing your own heritage.
I realize not everyone can reap the benefit I did of having Mel Brooks turn your name into an intergalactic blessing. “May the Hroncich be with you” probably wouldn’t work as well.
Alan M. Schwartz
Teaneck, N.J.
The sad part to Ms. Hroncich’s story is how some immigrants suppress their own identity. It seems that later generations of her family let go of the history and memories from Croatia, depriving their children of knowledge of their former culture and language. I left Croatia 45 years ago, and I am American because I love this country and signed the Pledge of Allegiance when I was naturalized. Still, I proudly followed Croatia’s metamorphosis into a democratic state, its political ups and downs and its soccer successes. Doing so, I didn’t destroy “the patchwork quilt that is America.”
Raoul M. Fischer
Surfside, Fla.
Ms. Hroncich’s op-ed resonates with me. Within the collage of ethnicities I possess, one is Portuguese. My great-grandfather’s surname was Alves. (I am told it is pronounced Alvesh.) He migrated from the Azores.
Once he came to America and started a family, he changed the name to Alvarez because he thought Alves sounded too Spanish. Huh!
His children split on its pronunciation: One faction pronouncing it AL-va-rez; the other al-VA-rez. I couldn’t shake off a funny feeling hearing two great-uncles pronounce their last name differently. My grandmother was spared the conundrum; she married a Thompson.
Jim Thompson
Oakland, Calif.
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