So-shay

I am Chris Saucier, pronounced "so-shay". That's the trouble of a French-Canadian last name. Coming from Athens, GA Saucier is not the most common of last names; therefore, the array of pronunciations I've encountered over eighteen long years are shocking, creative, and have taught me to laugh at myself. "Saucy-er" and "saucy-ay" are the most common mispronunciations, but what sticks out are the food related mispronunciations, most notably "sausage" and "squasher". I guess they are fitting since the origin of the surname is French for "sauce-chef". The constant mispronunciation of my last name comes at a cost of a loss of self-identity. When it came to having an administrator look up my identity by last name, I would just make it easier for the world and shamefully say "saucy-er" for the sake of efficiency.

Their is no reason for shame here in New Orleans. Local citizens, used to French-Canadian surnames, pronounce my name correctly (even though the "correct" pronunciation is incorrect in France) make me feel at home. Even though I am not technically from New Orleans, the hole of my self-identity is filled.