My name is Jiye Bae. If you cannot tell by my first and last names, I am an international student from Korea. This comes with a set of interesting situations and struggles, one of which is caused by my rather unique name.

As a foreigner living in the United States with a quote-unquote ethnic name, many people struggle to pronounce my name. Additionally, I often get this question: "Um, so, what is your English name?" I usually answer the question with a little smile and a two-second pause to give the person some time to think about what they were really asking. Then I say something along the lines of "Well, no matter where in the world I am, my name is Jiye."

I understand that some people may find it difficult to pronounce my name, and I could give myself a generic English nickname to make their lives a bit easier. However, I firmly believe that with a name comes not only a person but also an entire history of that individual as well as their language and culture.

To me, my name indicates where I come from (Korea), what my parents hoped for my little self (to have many talents), and the Korean history of my ancestor Hyunkyung Bae being one of the six people who played major roles in founding the Goryeo dynasty about eleven centuries ago. There is much more I can share about myself and where I come from, and I am always happy to answer questions about them.

So, for now, my name is Jiye Bae and, as of now, I do not plan to introduce myself by any other name.