First Day Struggles

As shy kid, the first day of school was always nerve wracking. I especially hated having to do anything that brought attention to myself. But it was unavoidable. Every year I had to muster up the courage to speak up on the first day and correct my new teacher’s pronunciation of my name.

Mind you, it is Martinez.

For perspective, I started elementary school in 1991. As of 1990, Martinez was the 19th most common last name in the US. At that time the state’s MLB team had 2 active players with the same last name.

I don’t even do anything complicated, like spelling it Martínez.

But sure enough on the first day the teacher would call roll and say…

Jessica Martin……… ehzzzzzz?

He or she would start with confidence, thinking they had a nice white-sounding name to read. Martin. No problem. Until they found there were still letters left.

EZ

Except not so easy for any of my teachers. Every single year, on the first day of school I had to speak up and correct the pronunciation of my last name.

The only exception was my Spanish teacher. Like all of the other teachers during my public school career, they too were white. But the excitement in their eyes on the first day when they saw my last name was unmistakable.

Oh yeah, they read it - Martínez. With the accent mark.

Then they would go off in Spanish, talking to me for what felt like a painfully long time while all of the other students stared at me. I was again painted as something “other.” And, once again, I’d have to speak up and correct them.

“… I’m actually taking this class so you can teach me Spanish. I don’t speak it…”

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