Growing up, I noticed that my name was different from a lot of the other names girls my age proudly said when asked their name.

And how was it different?

Because it wasn't an Americanized name.

I was surrounded by girls named Crystal, Kelly, Caroline, Elissa, etc. And my name? Alicia. Not pronounced how you would pronounce Alisha, but said as "AHH-lee-see-Ahh."

So why didn't I like my name growing up?

Because I thought it wasn't pretty enough. And most importantly, because I thought my name was "too Mexican."

The craziest of things is that these ideas and feelings grew inside of me because of society and how it doesn't acknowledge names like mine on the media. I would never hear my name on TV except on telenovelas. I didn't see any character in a movie named Alicia, nor in a book I was reading at the time. This made me believe that my name wasn't "American" enough to be heard in the media or even on other little girls. Till this day, I've only met two people named Alicia, two people who I didn't have an actual relationship with.

Anyway, my point is that for a girl of eight years or older/younger to think her name is "too Mexican" is sad. I truly believed I wasn't as valuable as a girl named Danielle or Megan. It's super shocking that at such a young age, I already had thoughts like these engrained into my mind. I remember being a few years older, telling my friends that I wanted to change my first name when I grew up.

"I hate my name. It's not pretty and it's really Mexican," I clearly recalled saying.

I wanted my name to be Crystal. That's how much society and the media influenced my thoughts and how it led me to believe I wasn't as good enough because my name is a Spanish name.

Years later, in high school, I began to like my name because it wasn't common, it was unique. I then realized that my name is a beautiful name. And I began to love my name even more because it was the name my parents chose for me together.

Now, I embrace my name. Not only because it is the name my parents chose for me but because it's part of my personal identity. And also, because it represents my roots and my culture. It's a pretty Spanish name. I love my name.

My advice to you all is to embrace your names because they are the first thing people learn about you and it is also the first taste of personality someone gets from you when hearing how you pronounce and say your name. Also, your name, whether it's Americanized or not, represents your roots. So with that being said, I hope you don't think I'm against Americanized names, because I'm not. I just want you to know I believe it's important to love your name, it's a part of you, and always will be, but most importantly, it reflects your background.