Asian American Commercial Watch: P&G’s ‘The Name’

I saw someone retweet this P&G ad the other day, and I teared up after watching it:

“Everyone has a name — and from birth through a lifetime of introductions, it becomes the cornerstone of our identity. For many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), their given names carry an even deeper history and significance. But bias, indifference, and unintentional mistakes can lead to misidentification and mispronunciation. This film hopes to elevate the importance of a name, and how meaningful gestures — like pronunciation and understanding its meaning — can create a greater sense of belonging for us all. Join us in celebrating AAPI names, together, and opening the door to belonging.”

The commercial also made me think about how I might have felt as a kid if my parents had given me an English version of a  Chinese name (I do have a Chinese name).  I thought of all the Asian Americans with anglicized Asian names have felt while growing up. I wondered about all the hassles that they might still live with today in regards to others pronouncing or spelling their names.

For some reason, the commercial reminded me of this moment in the television show ‘Lost’ where Jin & Sun are at the hospital where Sun is getting an ultrasound of their baby daughter, Ji Yeon, especially the part where Juliet tells them their English is fine. There’s also a scene in the commercial where the girl Yeong Joo Park reminds me a lot of my 11-year-old niece.

Whoever produces P&G’s commercials, they’re doing a great job, as the last P&G commercial I blogged about that featured Chloe Kim, in my min, was a real winner as well.