Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Interrupted Rep. Debbie Lesko, Republican of Arizona, to correct how Lesko spoke her name during a Judicial Committee hearing on Tuesday about protests and the use of federal intervention in major cities .
In a video shared on Twitter, Lesko is heard asking Attorney General William Barr if he agreed that control of the autonomous protest zone in Seattle had not been taken.
Lesko asks, “Mr. Attorney General, do you understand what happened there? Do you agree with Ms. Jayapal that there was no takeover, it was just that …”
Jayapal interrupts, correcting Lesko’s pronunciation of JAY-a-paul. She pointed out that it is pronounced JYE-ah-paul.
“Jayapal,” she says. “If you’re going to say my name, say it well. It’s Jayapal.”
Lesko recognizes her, repeating, “JYE-ah-paul”, before continuing with her question.
Jayapal has represented Washington’s Seventh Congressional District, including Seattle, since 2017. She is the first Asian-American representative to Washington state and the first Indian-American woman to serve in the House.
While mispronouncements may occur, Twitter users have pointed out that Lesko’s mistake was directed at a colleague. Given their professional relationship, proper pronunciation is expected, if not required, and many people of color said they found the moment too familiar and that they respected Jayapal’s decision to speak.
Experts said that mispronouncing a name can be a form of racial microaggression.
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Rita Kohli, a race and ethnicity academic at the University of California, Riverside, said last month that mispronouncing names is part of moving in a diverse and multilingual world. Pronouncing a name correctly the first time can be difficult without the right tools, but mispronouncing and anglicizing names can suggest that the dominant culture is superior and that assimilation is the best option, she said.
Catherine Ceniza Choy, a professor of ethnic studies at the University of California, Berkeley, said last month that names are crucial to a person’s individual, family and ethnic identity. She said that the simple act of learning people’s names recognizes their history and presence.
