Amanda Zamora
Brooklyn, NY
As the youngest in a large (seven children!) Mexican family, I was always jealous of my brothers and sisters for having strong Spanish first names. Mine was too easily anglicized: Amanda. So in the 6th grade, I took the opportunity to switch to Mercedes, my middle name, hoping to claim more of my Mexican identity. I had just switched from private to public school, and was adjusting to a completely new set of peers. I had no idea that my new name, of which I was so proud, would be such a problem. Boys teased me. White kids wondered why I was named after a car. And the Mexican girls challenged this little güerita to prove herself to them. I was traumatized. The next year, I switched back to being Amanda. I’ve struggled with that tension ever since. It’s not always easy being a white Mexican.
