Jyoti Gopal: Hello. My name is Jyoti Rajan Gopal and I am Indian American, or as I like to say I'm an American Desi. My name is not an easy name to say, if you are not South Asian. People have called me Jayoti, Joyti, Josie, Jotie, Jodie. None of those are right. In my name, the Y is almost silent. It sort of slips in between the J and the O. And the T is pronounced with a soft "tuh" sound, Jyoti. I've lived in many different countries and in all of them, people have had a hard time pronouncing my name. But I always appreciate it when people try and try again to pronounce it correctly.

My parents chose the name, Jyoti, because I was born during Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. Jyoti is a Sanskrit word and means light, radiance, brightness. Rajan is also a Sanskrit word, which means king or ruler. And Gopal means protector of cows in Sanskrit and is another name for Lord Krishna, a favorite deity in the Hindu religion.

Jyoti Rajan Gopal, that's my name. I say it loud. I say it proud.