Dear Prudence,
I (16F) work as a counselor at a local after-school program. It pays really well, my boss is very nice, and I enjoy getting to try new activities with the kids. I recently had two little boys join my group of second and third graders. They are brothers (7 and 9) and are really sweet, goofy kids who have adapted well to our program. They are also pale, blond-haired, blue-eyed kids named “Rakhi” and “Bodhi,” and I am an Indian American who was raised speaking Hindi and English.
I don’t have an issue with their names, but their mom has an issue with me. She is white, is American, and does not speak Hindi but is very into spirituality, chakras, etc., and pronounces her sons’ names as “Rocky” and “Body” (like Cody). I instinctively have been pronouncing them like they would be said in Hindi (“Rah-khee” and “Bo-dhee”) because it’s my first language.
Their mom has now pulled me aside multiple times and basically told me off for mispronouncing her sons’ names, despite the fact that I have explained to her that it is literally the way their names are correctly pronounced in the language they come from, which I have spoken from birth. She keeps saying that I am “mocking” them and is now threatening to take this to my program manager, who I’m pretty positive would take my side, but I don’t want the boys to get kicked out—they haven’t done anything wrong. I can’t change my accent and they can’t change their names, but I don’t want to spend three more months dealing with this! What should I do?
—Pushed to the Limit in Portland