A mom called out her daughter's daycare for shortening her name because it's "too hard to pronounce".
Paris Tautu, who lives in New Zealand, was outraged to learn that her 5-year-old daughter was being called "Rangi" rather than "Mahinarangi", a name with deep ties to Māori heritage.
"My ancestors changed their original name from Perepe-Perana to Phillips because of colonization," Tautu told the New Zealand Herald. "I will not let something similar happen with my daughter."
Tautu and her family are Māori, the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand. The name Mahinarangi - which literally translated means "moon in the sky" - has been passed down through Tautu's ancestors.
Not only does shortening the name take away from its meaning, but in Māori culture, it can also be a sign of disrespect.
"It's important for our kids to be confident in their names, regardless of their ethnicity," she said. "Your name is your identity. Your parents give you your name for a reason."
Following the lead of daycare staff, other children have been mispronouncing Mahinarangi's name and even mocking her for it. Tautu was distressed to learn that her daughter is often too embarrassed to correct them.
"Can you imagine your child being too embarrassed to say their name because people won't make a decent effort to pronounce it properly?” Tautu wrote in a community Facebook group.
"I am sad that in 2021, in Aotearoa [New Zealand], a 5-year-old girl has lost the pride that comes with her beautiful name," she added.
Tautu has been teaching her daughter to sound out the syllables and educate those who can't pronounce her name. She also wants to remind other parents about the cultural importance of names, and why we should correct mispronunciation.
So far, Tautu says that she has received a lot of hate on social media for standing up for what she believes in. But there have also been people leaving positive comments and agreeing with her.
"Mahinarangi is a beautiful name and if broken down, not that hard to pronounce," wrote one Twitter user. "In 21st century NZ this young girl should be proud of her name."
"It is in the Teacher Code of Conduct to call kids by their preferred and proper name. It's a basic tool for building relationships," added another.
