My Name, My Identity

Every one has a name. Every one is different. Some can even have more than one name. Let’s take an example: me! I have two names. James, the one that everybody call me. And my real name: Vo Minh Quan.

Because I have two names, you can say that my name is meaningless and meaningful at the same time. The name that I associated to in everyone eyes is James. It is a Western name, and we all know that a lot of the time, Western names are… pretty… meaningless. So, to me, “James”, is just a “flat character”, or as we know it: sound interesting, but deep down you are nothing but a boring name.

My other name, Vo Minh Quan, is a different story. My family name, Vo/Vu means martial art or literature, or perhaps success. Vo/Vu has a long history, as the name according to legend started in Vietnam as far back as the year 804. My middle name “Minh” means intelligent, and wise. My first name “Quan” means emperor or leader. So, combined together, my whole name means: successful and wise king.

Do I live up to that namesake of mine? I don’t know yet. Now, I am nobody, and I am finding a path to become somebody in this world. Perhaps ten to twenty years from now, we will know the answer.