That's How Yubaba Controls You By Stealing Your Name?

“That’s how Yubaba controls you... by stealing your name."

As a young girl, I never understood the implications of this quote. Originating from the Japanese animated film Spirited Away, the story always intrigued me with its spellbinding artistry and magical narrative. The protagonist, Chihiro Ogino, is a budding ten-year-old girl trapped in the bathhouse of a spirit world by its malevolent proprietor Yubaba. In order to save herself and her parents, Chihiro signs a contract binding her to the evil enchantress who steals her true name and renames her Sen. Only when Chihiro remembers her real name will she then be able to break free from the curse. With eyes full of admiration, young me wanted to be like Chihiro, a heroine who overcame any obstacles that came her way by being true to herself and persevering.
Being one of the only Vietnamese students in my school, no one else knew how to pronounce my name correctly. I dreaded every day when the teacher took the daily attendance. As they made their way down the list, the names of my classmates would roll off their tongue with ease. However, when the teacher got to my name, there was always a heavy pause as they tried to pronounce the letters ‘N’ and ‘G’ next to each other. Most teachers wind up saying ‘Nuh-guy-en’ or ‘Nuh-goo-yin,’ while others gave up. I would hang my head down and quietly raise my hand, too embarrassed to correct them. Classmates who saw my last name on our name tags would call me ‘Nugget’ as they giggled amongst each other, intensifying the shame I felt as the nickname echoed in my ears. Unlike Chihiro, I couldn’t be the daring or fearless protagonist- I wanted a new name, a name that wouldn’t inconvenience others or humiliate