Whose name am I?! Musings on patriarchal naming practices.

<p>I need to change my Virginia license to New York.&nbsp;<em>Why is this interesting or relevant?</em>&nbsp;I hear you say. Well, I have long wanted to claim a certain middle name, and the renewal of official documents and identifications presents such an opportunity.</p> <p><em>OK, so what?!</em>&nbsp;I still hear you say.&nbsp;<em>Is this a feminist blog or what?!</em></p> <p>Yes. Hang on.</p> <p>My last name &mdash; AbiRafeh &mdash; is my father&rsquo;s last name. I think this is true for most of us. What&rsquo;s more, in Lebanon, where I was born, your de facto middle name is your father&rsquo;s first name. So you are: (first name) (father&rsquo;s first name) (father&rsquo;s last name). And you&rsquo;re required to fill out your father&rsquo;s name on every official form.</p> <p><a href="https://linaabirafeh.medium.com/whose-name-am-i-musings-on-patriarchal-naming-practices-8ac0603eb62c"><strong>Visit Now</strong></a></p>