Why You Can't Pronounce My Name | Taesun Shim | TEDxChadwickSchool

America prides itself in being culturally open and aware. But if America surely is open and aware, why are racial stereotypes still present in our society today? In his TED talk, Taesun Shim presents his story of being an Asian in America and the possible reasons behind racial comments and remarks--for example, why one questions how to pronounce his name.

Tyson is very outgoing. Tyson's real name is Taesun, but you would have pronounced it "Tyson" anyway, so it was left misspelled. But now that you have realized what his real name is, Taesun is a sophomore at Chadwick School. His favorite sport is writing essays, and his hobby is getting A's on tests. His favorite subject is, with no doubt, math. He plays the piano. He has a very prominent accent as he is probably from China. If you thought this bio was being serious, shame on you. Taesun's favorite sport is actually soccer, and his hobby is not getting A's on tests: he likes photography. His favorite subject is history, and he does, in fact, have a prominent accent but probably not the one you are imagining right now; once again, shame on you. He is not from China; he is from Korea. No, not North Korea. And yes, he wrote his speech by himself. No tutor involved.

[sharaali-nadarajah]

I love the name Taesun. Do you know what it means?