Critical and Cultural Studies Commons^™

Who Cares About Their Names: Case Study In Starbucks, Emi Kanemoto, Zehui Dai

Ray Browne Conference on Cultural and Critical Studies

According to Institute of International Education report (2013), 764,495 international students enrolled in the U.S universities in 2012. The number of international students in the U.S continues growing. This study focuses on a common experience among international students on university campuses: their names are misspelled or mispronounced by cashiers or workers at on-campus coffee stores. The researchers chose a Starbucks at a Midwestern mid-size University as a site to conduct this study.

It is possible for anybody to have their name misspelled or mispronounced. Through observation and focus group, this study focuses on revealing how international students interpret the situation …