Japanese school memories, Part II: My Japanese names
My full legal name is Victoria Emily Mariko Kraus. Growing up, I responded to Bikki, the Japanese pronunciation of Vicki, my English nickname. My mother, friends and relatives in Japan, and Japanese family friends in the U.S. all called me Bikki’chan. (The “chan” being the Japanese version of the Spanish informal, affectionate and kiddish suffix, “ito” or “ita”, as in the names Juanito and Juanita.)
Before starting Japanese school, I was accustomed to the two versions of my nickname, Vicki and Bikki, and until starting Japanese school, I naively thought Bikki was my Japanese name. (I was seven years old.) …
!--break-->