The Elm 2016-2017 2017 The Elm Literary Magazine | Page 16

MY NAME IS GWANDOYA.
by Miyang Tamanji
I am an immigrant from Ghana and I moved to the United States. Through hard
work and perseverance, I am accepted into Georgia Tech. Knowing my moth-
er and father are proud of me means everything, and I know that moving from
Ghana was the right decision.
Today is the first day of my bachelor’s degree. The professor mispronounces
my name. Everyone laughs. I tell him the correct way to pronounce my name.
Everyone laughs at my broken English. The professor tells me it is easier to call
me “G.” I refuse and say that is not my name; sir, my name is Gwandoya. I hear
snickers and laughs in the background. I hear jeers urging me to move back to
Africa. Do they know that Africa is a continent? Can they tell me the name of a
single country there?
My name is Gwandoya.
I go to my first job interview for an internship. The man tells me to get rid of my
braids because I look “too ghetto.” He tells me to invest in an English tutor to fix
my broken English. Does he even care about my qualifications? The interview is
over.
My name is Gwandoya.
I walk the campus of my university. Everyone shies away from me because I
have an “African scent.” One girl is brave enough to tell me that if I stop wear-
ing my traditional Ghanaian garb, and dress like an American, more people will
talk to me.
My name was Gwandoya.
I allow the professors to call me “G” because it is easier.
My name was Gwandoya.
I laugh away the jokes people make about me and Gwandoya. I perm my hair
and wear the clothes everyone else wears. I fix my accent. I get the job. Every-
one begins to like me. I begin to feel joyous. I am exactly who they want me to
be.
What was my name?
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Ol’ Rusty Bug
Kara Zerkel
12th Grade
Ceramic with acrylic paint
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