Web Magazine Online

Previous | Web Magazine | Next

By Roderick Sasis A Name Fit For A King Twenty years ago, a man nervously paced outside the delivery room of Manila Medical as the muffled shrills of agony seemed to emanate from the hospital walls. Perspiration began to trickle from his neck down to his back despite the air conditioned rooms. While staring at the lifeless Cuban cigars that he longed to finally release into the possession of his friends and family, thoughts and images of a healthy baby boy bombarded his head. After years of trying to have a son, he thanked God for another opportunity. Not to belittle the birth of his daughters, but he perceived a son as the rightful heir to his legacy and as the means to continue the family name. That night his dreams came true. He had prepared a name befitting a man destined for importance and greatness. He and his wife named the boy, Roderick, which according to a baby book had Portuguese roots that meant noble king. Together with the Sasis last name, whose Spanish origins meant from the reef, the boy's name stood for the noble king from the reef, a name that evoked future eminence. I was that child. Being the youngest and the only son of four kids, I was showered with attention as though the future prestige of the family name rested on my shoulders. Even as a child, my mother told me how the Sasis name would have ended if I had not been born since my father had only sisters that married into other families. Not that my parents showered my sisters with less attention, but from that period on, I always felt a certain importance. In addition, my parents chose the name Roderick because it sounded like an American version of my father's name, Rodrigo. My parents foresaw the need for American names for their children since they anticipated immigrating to the U.S. as soon as the petition paperwork was finalized. They believed that having American names would ease their children's future assimilation into U.S. society. I am thankful and proud of my name. While not being a truly ethnic Filipino name, such as Lakandula, or a plain American name, such as Fred, it allowed my acceptance in both cultures. It could be pronounced differently to accentuate its Tagalog sound or not. Having the option to enunciate the name two ways seemed to be the best of both worlds. Today, I feel blessed to have been enlightened with the origin of my name from an early age. It feels empowering to know such an integral part of your history. From a psychological perspective, whether consciously or unconsciously, I had always attempted to reach lofty goals in order to accomplish "kingly" expectations. A Name Fit For A King (Roderick Sasis is a Sophomore.)