This time, the video I introduce is about discrimination and prejudice.  In this video, a woman from Africa talks about being unable to give her name due to discrimination.  She said her name was difficult to pronounce in English, so she was called by teachers and classmates with a derisive name.  For some time after that, when she introduced herself, she continued to use nicknames that were easier to pronounce in English than her real name.

The next man also has a name that is difficult to pronounce in English.  He says he usually uses an alternative name because the easier it is to pronounce the name, the more convenient it is to work and the easier it is to communicate.

A name is an important element of one’s identity.  Therefore, being given a nickname for the sake of convenience is a very hurtful and discriminatory act.  Also, Japanese people are no exception to this problem.  A friend of mine who went abroad told me that because English-speaking people find it difficult to pronounce Japanese names, Japanese people were laughed at by their names and given strange names.  In order to communicate smoothly with English-speaking people, it is necessary to have a name that is easy to call, but I hope that it does not lead to discrimination or prejudice.