Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wa.) looks on during a House Judiciary Subcommittee meeting on July 29, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Graeme Jennings-Pool/Getty Images)
Oct 18, 2020
Republican Sen. David Perdue willfully mispronounced the name of his Senate colleague and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris on Friday, and the "incredibly racist" stunt gave rise to the #MyNameIs hashtag on social media over the weekend, which drew attention to the diversity of names found in the U.S. and called for the creation of a more tolerant and inclusive nation.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) explained that his name Rohit means "bright light" in Sanskrit, while Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) noted that "Ilham" means "inspiration" in Arabic.
Omar said that her name "inspired me to lead a life of service to others," and that she, like Khanna, is voting for Harris and her presidential running-mate, Joe Biden.
\u201c#MyNameIs Rohit, and my friends call me Ro. It means bright light in Sanskrit. This election, #IWillVote for an inclusive America by voting for @joebiden & @kamalaharris\u201d— Ro Khanna (@Ro Khanna) 1602968269
\u201c#MyNameIs Ilham, I prefer Ilhan. I never liked the M sound \ud83d\ude1c. It means \u201cInspiration\u201d in Arabic. My father named me Ilham and inspired me to lead a life of service to others. \n\nIn his honor I am voting for an inspirational ticket over desperate and maddening one.\u201d— Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan Omar) 1602975329
"That's right! Righteous Rashida," tweeted Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), explaining the meaning behind the name given to her by her Palestinian father.
\u201c#MyNameIs \u2935\ufe0f\u201d— Rashida Tlaib (@Rashida Tlaib) 1602985277
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wa.) noted that her first name, which comes from "prem," a Sanskrit word meaning "love," is frequently mispronounced, as is her last name.
"I only mind that when it is done willfully and continuously," Jayapal said. "Let's build an inclusive America."
\u201c#MyNameIs Pramila. It comes from the Sanskrit word \u201cprem\u201d which means love. The name is constantly mispronounced as is my last name. I only mind that when it is done willfully and continuously. Let\u2019s build an inclusive America. Vote #BidenHarris2020. Our vote, our power.\u201d— Pramila Jayapal (@Pramila Jayapal) 1602981557
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a physician, epidemiologist, and public health expert whose 2018 gubernatorial campaign in Michigan was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), explained the meaning behind his name, Abdulrahman.
"It means 'devotee of The Most Merciful.' It reminds me how important mercy is in this world."
\u201c#MyNameIs Abdulrahman. It means \u201cdevotee of The Most Merciful.\u201d It reminds me how important mercy is in this world.\n\nFor a long time, I thought it meant I couldn\u2019t run for office. \n\nThen I did. Because my name is as American as apple pie...and baklawa.\u201d— Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (@Dr. Abdul El-Sayed) 1602985413
"For a long time," El-Sayed said, "I thought it meant I couldn't run for office."
"Then I did," he added, "because my name is as American as apple pie... and baklawa."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Kenny Stancil
Kenny Stancil is senior researcher at the Revolving Door Project and a former staff writer for Common Dreams.
Republican Sen. David Perdue willfully mispronounced the name of his Senate colleague and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris on Friday, and the "incredibly racist" stunt gave rise to the #MyNameIs hashtag on social media over the weekend, which drew attention to the diversity of names found in the U.S. and called for the creation of a more tolerant and inclusive nation.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) explained that his name Rohit means "bright light" in Sanskrit, while Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) noted that "Ilham" means "inspiration" in Arabic.
Omar said that her name "inspired me to lead a life of service to others," and that she, like Khanna, is voting for Harris and her presidential running-mate, Joe Biden.
\u201c#MyNameIs Rohit, and my friends call me Ro. It means bright light in Sanskrit. This election, #IWillVote for an inclusive America by voting for @joebiden & @kamalaharris\u201d— Ro Khanna (@Ro Khanna) 1602968269
\u201c#MyNameIs Ilham, I prefer Ilhan. I never liked the M sound \ud83d\ude1c. It means \u201cInspiration\u201d in Arabic. My father named me Ilham and inspired me to lead a life of service to others. \n\nIn his honor I am voting for an inspirational ticket over desperate and maddening one.\u201d— Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan Omar) 1602975329
"That's right! Righteous Rashida," tweeted Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), explaining the meaning behind the name given to her by her Palestinian father.
\u201c#MyNameIs \u2935\ufe0f\u201d— Rashida Tlaib (@Rashida Tlaib) 1602985277
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wa.) noted that her first name, which comes from "prem," a Sanskrit word meaning "love," is frequently mispronounced, as is her last name.
"I only mind that when it is done willfully and continuously," Jayapal said. "Let's build an inclusive America."
\u201c#MyNameIs Pramila. It comes from the Sanskrit word \u201cprem\u201d which means love. The name is constantly mispronounced as is my last name. I only mind that when it is done willfully and continuously. Let\u2019s build an inclusive America. Vote #BidenHarris2020. Our vote, our power.\u201d— Pramila Jayapal (@Pramila Jayapal) 1602981557
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a physician, epidemiologist, and public health expert whose 2018 gubernatorial campaign in Michigan was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), explained the meaning behind his name, Abdulrahman.
"It means 'devotee of The Most Merciful.' It reminds me how important mercy is in this world."
\u201c#MyNameIs Abdulrahman. It means \u201cdevotee of The Most Merciful.\u201d It reminds me how important mercy is in this world.\n\nFor a long time, I thought it meant I couldn\u2019t run for office. \n\nThen I did. Because my name is as American as apple pie...and baklawa.\u201d— Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (@Dr. Abdul El-Sayed) 1602985413
"For a long time," El-Sayed said, "I thought it meant I couldn't run for office."
"Then I did," he added, "because my name is as American as apple pie... and baklawa."
Kenny Stancil
Kenny Stancil is senior researcher at the Revolving Door Project and a former staff writer for Common Dreams.
Republican Sen. David Perdue willfully mispronounced the name of his Senate colleague and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris on Friday, and the "incredibly racist" stunt gave rise to the #MyNameIs hashtag on social media over the weekend, which drew attention to the diversity of names found in the U.S. and called for the creation of a more tolerant and inclusive nation.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) explained that his name Rohit means "bright light" in Sanskrit, while Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) noted that "Ilham" means "inspiration" in Arabic.
Omar said that her name "inspired me to lead a life of service to others," and that she, like Khanna, is voting for Harris and her presidential running-mate, Joe Biden.
\u201c#MyNameIs Rohit, and my friends call me Ro. It means bright light in Sanskrit. This election, #IWillVote for an inclusive America by voting for @joebiden & @kamalaharris\u201d— Ro Khanna (@Ro Khanna) 1602968269
\u201c#MyNameIs Ilham, I prefer Ilhan. I never liked the M sound \ud83d\ude1c. It means \u201cInspiration\u201d in Arabic. My father named me Ilham and inspired me to lead a life of service to others. \n\nIn his honor I am voting for an inspirational ticket over desperate and maddening one.\u201d— Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan Omar) 1602975329
"That's right! Righteous Rashida," tweeted Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), explaining the meaning behind the name given to her by her Palestinian father.
\u201c#MyNameIs \u2935\ufe0f\u201d— Rashida Tlaib (@Rashida Tlaib) 1602985277
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wa.) noted that her first name, which comes from "prem," a Sanskrit word meaning "love," is frequently mispronounced, as is her last name.
"I only mind that when it is done willfully and continuously," Jayapal said. "Let's build an inclusive America."
\u201c#MyNameIs Pramila. It comes from the Sanskrit word \u201cprem\u201d which means love. The name is constantly mispronounced as is my last name. I only mind that when it is done willfully and continuously. Let\u2019s build an inclusive America. Vote #BidenHarris2020. Our vote, our power.\u201d— Pramila Jayapal (@Pramila Jayapal) 1602981557
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a physician, epidemiologist, and public health expert whose 2018 gubernatorial campaign in Michigan was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), explained the meaning behind his name, Abdulrahman.
"It means 'devotee of The Most Merciful.' It reminds me how important mercy is in this world."
\u201c#MyNameIs Abdulrahman. It means \u201cdevotee of The Most Merciful.\u201d It reminds me how important mercy is in this world.\n\nFor a long time, I thought it meant I couldn\u2019t run for office. \n\nThen I did. Because my name is as American as apple pie...and baklawa.\u201d— Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (@Dr. Abdul El-Sayed) 1602985413
"For a long time," El-Sayed said, "I thought it meant I couldn't run for office."
"Then I did," he added, "because my name is as American as apple pie... and baklawa."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.