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By Michael Chung A Name Sandwich My name is a sandwich, three words with two plain pieces on the ends and the meat in the middle. Michael B. Chung. MBC. It doesn't leap out at you like any other Asian name would. It could describe any of a thousand Chinese or Korean people on a given city block in the Los Angeles area. My name means my experiences, my life and my lifestyle. The name, dissected for each of its individual parts means a sandwich of ideas. The first part, Michael, was used because it was a simple and a common name, a name that would not deviate from the norm and draw attention to the firstborn son of already alien nonwhite parents. It was a name that was supposed to fit in with all the other kids when he grew up and interacted with all the other children. The second part, Chung is another common name that does not imply a deviation from the average Asian person. But the B, in most cases of Korean second generation Americans stands for a Korean middle name. My last name was a simple reminder of the heritage that preceded me, a heritage that I would not and could not neglect in my upbringing. But this type of name is not uncommon in most second generation households, as many immigrants grapple to plant their children firmly in the new society by giving their children American names so as not to cause any inconvenience or undue suffering for their children. But for me, my middle name, Benedict, causes more discussion than my first and last name combined. Other Korean children I have known, grown up with, and interacted with have all had a Korean middle name as a compromise to the aberration to the Korean culture of an American first name. But for me, as far as I know now, my very English middle name is a result of a risky bet on a football game that my father lost before I was born. I also have two Korean friends in similar situations who have the middle names of Woodford and Sterling. We have a bond that few Koreans can share. We have endured countless questions to where our names have come from, to being totally whitewashed and non-Korean people. But the odd thing I noticed is that we share much more than just preppy sounding middle names. We share a common value system and common interests. Unlike other Korean American students, we all chose majors in the liberal arts, history and English, and we all tend to dress, act, and talk alike. Some would call us the three white musketeers because we did not display the typical Asian characteristics of math proficiency or masochistic self-sacrifice. My middle name is Benedict I have endured allusions to traitorous English officers (Benedict Arnold), breakfast dishes at Denny's (Eggs Benedict), and snotty country club patrons ("Jolly good day, Benedict") with respect to my middle name. My name is unique and serves as a constant reminder of who I am and what I am doing here. I reflect the structure of my name because I am predominately American as the first two parts of my name imply but my roots lie in my proud Korean heritage. There are parts of me that were instilled from my parents and came from their parents and their parents' parents that will never change. Little things like taking my shoes off in the house and eating rice with every meal are a part of me, but things like Asian machismo are not. But most of me is made in America and my values are predominantly based on the American dream. In the Bible, a man was a reflection of his own name and if his character didn't match his name, his name was changed. I feel that this is applicable to me as my name is me. To deconstruct me, I am two parts American with Koran roots, and even though my name separately could be very mundane, my name together is altogether unique. My name is what I am and who I am, and I feel that no one could better fit my name than me. (Michael Benedict Chung is senior majoring in History.)