Quetzalli Castro - Embracing Quetzalli

 

 

I am the Mexican daughter of two Mexicans. Who would have thought? My parents were born too late to be hippies and too early to be hipsters, but I definitely know they did a lot of things before it was cool. They met each other at a Mexico City ashram. They got into vegetarianism. They did a lot of yoga and meditation. And then, they decided to immigrate to America with me. [chuckles] In their wisdom, they decided to give me the name of Quetzalli. Let me spell that for you. Q-U-E-T-Z-A-L-L-I. Quetzalli. Quetzalli.

 

Now, I love my name. I really do. My parents have told me the stories, and I've done the research, and Quetzalli means beautiful feather of the quetzal bird. This bird is important to Mesoamerican mythology, because these are probably the feathers that go on a feathered serpent God named Quetzalcóatl, or as the Mayans call him, Kukulkan. And that's so cool. I love this name. I loved it even when I was little until I got to school. [audience laughter]

 

Now, everyone knows this moment. It's the first day of school, and the teacher's like, “Sssssh, I'll wait. [audience laughter] I'm not going to talk while you're talking.” Erin Anderson, Brittany Barton, Miss Castro and that's quickly followed with, “Do you have a nickname? What's your middle name?” Isabel? Izzy. You're an Izzy. Now, normally, I guess I didn't mind that when I was a kid, but nowadays, it makes me think about Ellis Island and how so many people came into the US. 

 

At that island, they had to make some big decisions. They probably just came from their home country where they had just been rejected. They are not about to get rejected by the US, and neither am I, all right? In these moments where I'm back in this classroom and this teacher is asking me what my name is, “I guess it's Izzy,” all right? In other moments, they'll start off with, “I'm going to butcher this. You know, it's the first day of school, and I'm going to butcher some names and probably yours for the rest of your life. So, let's start now, okay?  Quetzalli? Quetzalli?” There was this one really nice white lady teacher who didn't even pause and proudly called out for, “Quesadilla Castro.” [audience laughter]

 

“It’s Izzy. Call me, call me Izzy. I've been Americanized.” That's okay. But I want you guys to realize that it takes quite a bit of nerve for a student to stand up to an adult and fight about how their names are pronounced. These decisions have to be made really quickly. When these moments start happening, you get this sense of a small rejection from a community, like an emotional paper cut. You really have to decide, “Do I fight this teacher today? Do I take this paper cut? Do I change? Do I become less of who I am?”  

 

That really created a craving in me and a reason to start fighting back in my own way. I dared to dream of a future where people would be culturally competent. [audience laughter] They would say names, my name the right way the first time. [chuckles] And so, I started this crusade. One eternity later, I'm the teacher. I'm the teacher now taking attendance. And oh, my goodness, so much and so little has changed in public schooling, let me tell you. 

 

There are Black Lives Matter posters, there's all sorts of rainbow things everywhere. You have the Hate Has No Home Here. I'm glad for that. But I still see that Ellis Island is alive and well in a lot of my students. One of them didn't even let me take attendance first. He's like, “Call me Aki.” “Okay, Akindele. I practiced though. [audience laughter] [audience cheers and applause]

 

My [unintelligible [00:27:03] wants to be called Leslie. A teacher will come in looking for Gail. “You mean Gail? Gail's here. Go, Gail.” Gail. It takes a lot of coaxing, but I get most of them to really start thinking about how they are valued and they belong and their name is their name. Sometimes when I give my spiel to students, they also get interested and they're like, “Miss Castro, what's your name?” That's when I like playing this game. It starts with a Q and you'll never guess what it is. [audience laughter]

 

They usually never do, until one year, this girl raises her hand and she's like, “Is it Quetzalli?” “What? Who told you? [audience laughter] Who told you?” “Oh, no, that's my little sister's name.” “[gasps] what? [audience applause]

 

I am so ready for her. [audience laughter] Oh, my goodness. If Quetzalli is on her way and I get to teach her in a couple of years, if she knows now what I wish I knew back then, I would get her to tell those teachers and those bullies, often one and the same. But I would tell her to tell them that you are named after a precious feather of a feathered serpent God, that this God has a pyramid in Mexico, that many travel to go see. It is a wonder of the world, and they should probably take better care of your name lest they displease these gods. [laughs] 

 

[cheers and applause]