The Government Ate My Name
15 hours ago
- #bureaucracy
- #immigration
- #identity
- The author recounts how their name, Leonel Giovanni García Fenech, was altered and simplified when they moved to the U.S., reflecting broader immigrant experiences with name changes.
- Names carry identity, history, and culture, but bureaucratic systems in new countries often modify them, leading to loss or confusion of original meanings.
- The author's name origins trace back to their grandfathers—Leonel (Spanish Jewish ancestry) and Giovanni (Italian version of John)—and their last names García (father's) and Fenech (mother's, Maltese meaning 'rabbit').
- Upon becoming a U.S. citizen, the author dropped 'Leonel' to simplify their name to Giovanni Garcia Fenech, but bureaucratic systems still mangled it (e.g., DMV: 'Giovanni F Garcia'; passport: 'Garcia' as middle name).
- Moving to Spain revealed new bureaucratic hurdles: Mexican consulates required documents with the author's full original name, but U.S. records had inconsistent versions, complicating passport applications.
- Spanish bureaucracy, while not as archaic as imagined, still struggled with names (e.g., bank account listed 'Giovanni F.' as a first name).
- Anecdotes highlight the absurdity and frustration of name-related bureaucracy, from Starbucks mispronunciations to a Chinese store owner adopting the name 'Lola' for convenience.
- The author's quest for consistency in their name across documents reflects broader themes of identity, cultural assimilation, and systemic inefficiencies.