MC Quixote

Que le Importa? August 24th, 2009, Salt Lake City, Utah Part 3

Somewhere between "What's it to you?" "Who cares? and "Who's asking?" is how I'd translate "Qué le importa?" into English. I use the joke when I meet people who speak Spanish and I want to let them know I'm a goof, not a threat.

You see, my name is Caylee, and when people who know Spanish ask me my name I say, "Caylee, ¿Que le importa?" With the right timing, it always gets a laugh. I'm not sure if it's cool to recycle jokes, but if I keep getting laughs, I'll keep doing it, even if it's kind of a harsh joke. Sometimes a laugh is worth more than the shame.

I don't really know where the name Caylee comes from. I think it has to do with my dad wanting to give me a name that sounds "American". And when I say "American", I mean, from the U.S.A. This is a distinction my grandmother trained me to clarify. I can still hear her voice in my head, from the first time I referred to The United States as "America",

"Mexicans are Americans too." she said,

"and North Americans to boot!"

Well, as far as giving me an "American" name, my dad did a pretty good job. "Caylee" is one of those names that just doesn't sound, "Mexican". But, I'm not sure how my dad would get the sounding of a name, he was born deaf. Maybe he saw a Hollywood movie and the main character's name was Caylee, or maybe it's because Caylee isn't a common Mexican name. I should just ask him. And I really should ask my mom why she let him name me in the first place.

I don't mind the name "Caylee" and it does sound geüra. But in some ways, this theory about my name doesn't really make sense because my dad didn't change my last name. So, thinking Caylee Cervantes is going to get me anywhere in the United States was a bit short-sighted and in my dad's case, short sounded. So yes, I have thought that this name comes out of his deafness, but I don't know how. And my full name?

My full name makes it even more complicated: Caylee Adela Cervantes Piña. Caylee is basically my first name. Adela is my middle name, which I get from my grandmother on my mom's side. She was named after the famous female Soldaderas  who helped fight in the Mexican Revolution. Cervantes is my dad's family name which carries the ties to Don Quixote. And last but not least, Piña, my mom's family name, with that "enyea". That thing always causes problems here en el otro lado.

I'll never forget my dad filling out the registration card when I first started school in Utah. The registrar lady seemed like she was having a bad day, and I remember her short tone, "Just a first and last name! Only two names, you choose the two out of these four."

My dad was confused, he thought we were being turned away, and he started signing to me,

"Let's go! Let's go Caylee."

Then registrar lady handed him a new registration form and wrote on it in large letters,

"ONLY TWO NAMES! COMPRENDO?"

Dad's hands were shaking in fear as he scribbled "Caylee" and the lady snapped at him,

"One more out of these three!"

Dad passed me the registration card at this point, and I wrote in, "Cervantes", and this is when I felt the spirit of Quixote enter the room.

I smiled at the registrar lady, and politely said,

"Sorry Miss", even though I was furious inside. From then on in "America", I knew it was a good idea to keep it simple, and use only two names.