Here are some FAQs about me: Is your last name Steven? Can I have your last name? How come you don’t have a last name? Is your dad’s last name Steven?
You know, if I had a dollar every time someone asks about my last name, I’d probably afford paying my uni tuition for next term. (I’m exaggerating. international student tuition are too insane).
My Answer
I thought I’d write a post to answer them all. But to be honest, I never had a good answer for it. It’s just the way it is - both my parents have no last name too.
If you need an answer, read:link:This Vice Article by Alice (just Alice). You can simply replace the word ‘Alice’ into ‘Steven’ in that article, and that would be my story too.
She talked about the assimilation policies in the 1967 Suharto era, which caused many Indonesian Chinese to loose their ancestral names, and the difficulty of registering a last name in those days. Not 100% sure if this was the case for me since I was born a year after the end of Suharto’s regime. But who knows, maybe my parents had just forgotten or didn’t bother to put one for me :baby:
I do have a Chinese Name
My Chinese name spells out as Huang De Di. Like most names, it’s what my parents gave me when I was born. However, it’s not written in any legal papers, and no one calls me that. It’s kind of shameful to say, but I don’t really know how to write it in Chinese either :no_mouth: (have to ask my dad).
“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” - saying
Can I say that it’s my name if it isn’t registered/used anywhere and by anyone?
Is it common for Indonesian to have no last name?
Not really
Steven Steven
I should clarify that my full name in passport is ‘Steven’. For administrative reasons, the school and the companies I worked at had me registered as ‘Steven Steven’. When I purchase a plane ticket, sign a contract for rent, or open up a bank account, and it requires a first and last name, I put in ‘Steven Steven’.
A part of me feels guilty sometimes for ‘lying’ about my last name. But what should I do when I can’t leave it blank? I mean, for the sake of inclusivity, maybe people should consider leaving the last-name field as optional in their form. Jk.
Loosing Identity and Existential Crisis
I personally don’t mind. I am more than just a name and it is simply a way for others to identify me. So as long as I’m the only ‘Steven Steven’ in the room, it’s all good.
Despite that, I think in most cases, a last name is supposed to represent your roots. Not knowing what my last name is, feels like I’m stranded all alone without any affiliation with my family or where I came from.
I definitely want to try doing an ancestry test someday.
Oh Shit. Not this again..
I have lots of moments when I had to give someone my full name (registered in their system) and I tell them:
Me: “Steven Steven”
He/She: “Steven… what’s your last name”
Me: “It’s Steven. Steven Steven”
He/She: “Uh.. Steven Steven?”
Me: *nods
He/She: “Uh.. okay..”
I must say that it’s undeniably a paperwork nightmare!! 😱 Especially when the opposing speaker doesn’t believe you or thinks you’re joking. Imagine having to justify yourself every time you tell your full name.
To this day, I still get irritated sometimes but I do understand that it’s not anyone’s fault. Maybe I should just change my name.
Leave a comment and I’m always open to suggestions for a last name :D