Growing up, my last name was always the butt of a joke. Its “complex” pronunciation was never brought to my attention until every first day of school when my teachers would conduct roll calls struggling with each syllable.
For years, I almost felt a little ashamed when everyone around me hesitated or avoided saying my last name. So I settled on letting people off the hook by abbreviating it — hoping that’d be the end of my embarrassment.
Whenever I would share these experiences at school, my parents would encourage me to own my last name. And thinking back on it, I thank my parents for constantly reminding me how beautiful and important our culture is — even though I didn’t believe it at the time. They always speak highly of where we come from and of our family members who are still there.
Fast forward, I’m older now. Instead of immature humorous remarks, I get follow-up questions about the origins and people begging for proper pronunciation of my name — all with a genuine, curious tone. And it’s exciting to tell people how notable my name is. I’ve been told that to be a Wanguhu means to represent. My family says that our name derives from a lineage of head chiefs in a town called Eldoret and embodies power when it’s heard in Kenya.
If I could tell younger me how much people appreciate Africa now, I wouldn’t believe it. I’m incredibly proud to be Kenyan at a time when African culture is taking over the media. Its influence on American celebrities today is groundbreaking. And I’m just happy to see the evolution continue.
Sydney Wanguhu (she/her) is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and is now an LA-based journalist who covers entertainment and culture. Follow her on Instagram and Spotify: @sydneyy._.
Edited by Amber Ly