Names

            Today I will be talking about my last name first. My last name is Gastelum, it is Italian. My great-grandfather from my father’s, father’s side was born in Sicily, Italy, he migrated over to Mexico to form a family with a Spaniard woman and that is how my grandfather was brought into this world, and that is how my father came into this world too. I never knew my great-grandfather, but my father talks about him all the time and how my great-grandfather spoke Italian. My last name is important to me because it resembles me from the rest of the crowd. When somebody asks me my last name, and I tell them Gastelum they look at me like Gaste-what? Yes, many people might think wow really it’s so easy to pronounce but to some people it’s not easy. A lot of people have asked me, “Would you change your last name to something more common?” I always say NO! I tell those people that my last name is unique, and that they will probably never meet someone with the same last name. I tell them that my last name is not changeable because it is the last name that represents my ancestors. When I ask those people for their last name most of the time it is something more common like Gonzales.  

Now I will talk about my first name which is Michael. My first name is from Hebrew origin. Even though I am not Hebrew, I love my name. Its dictionary definition is a militant archangel, or someone who is like God. My parents were not going to name me Michael when I was born. Instead they were going to name me Robert. My sister was about four years old at that time when I was born and she told my parents to name me Michael. Now you might think, “how did she (a little girl) come up with that name?” Well she used to watch Barney back then and there was a boy with that name. That’s how my name came into place. When I was in elementary the other kids would try to make fun at me because to them I was Michelle. I know, it is not even spelled the same, but this was in elementary. Some of my friends still ask me if I would consider changing my name to something else. I tell them of course-Not! I would not change my name for anything else because it is the name that God decided to give me instead of Robert. Even though my name is common in the white community I do not care because to me my name fits me in every way possible.

My parents decided (well mostly my father decided), not to give me a middle name and to me that is alright because my father says that my grandfather did not have one nor my great-grandfather.

I am happy with the first and last name I was given from birth and I will never change or even consider changing my name for any reason, it is my name and I am proud to carry it until the day I die and still my children will carry my last name so really it will never die.