why brie-yun?

Hi, my name is Brie. Well, actually my “real name” is Brie-Yun. Revealing my legal first name feels intimate, almost like it’s a secret. I rarely reveal this aspect of myself upon meeting and many of my friends didn't learn my “real name” until months into knowing me. I can’t even count the number of times the hyphen in my name has caused confusion and mispronunciation. But not many have stopped to ask why? Why Brie-Yun? 

When I was born, my mom felt it was vital that I have a name that both reflects my culture and honors one of our elders. My mom is the strongest Black woman I know and my dad is a mixture of white and Taiwanese. My dad’s mother, my grandmother, is named Yueh-Yun. A name that translates roughly to moon-cloud. Upon entering the United States, my grandmother was asked to select an “American name.” She chose Betty; A name that her friends, peers, children, and grandchildren call her. Soon Yueh-Yun was only stated in legal documents. My mother wanted to keep the name alive and chose to hyphenate my name with part of my grandmother’s. Now I carry the clouds with me, always.