My daughter, Róisín, was given a name that reflects our family's cultural identity and ethnicity. However, Michigan's current regulations deny her the right to use her name as it is on any public documents such as birth certificates and IDs. This is because Michigan bans the use of diacritical marks in names. This ban not only strips my daughter but also many others of a significant part of their identity.

Diacritics are more than just accents; they shape a word’s meaning and pronunciation. They are integral to many languages around the world, including Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Polish and Irish among others. By banning diacritical marks from official documents, we are denying an essential aspect of cultural diversity.

The U.S Census Bureau reports that 65 million Americans speak a language other than English at home (U.S Census Bureau). Many of these languages include diacritical marks which form an essential part of people’s names. The current policy does not reflect this linguistic diversity within our state.

We urge Michigan lawmakers to change this policy and allow for the inclusion of diacritical marks in people's names on all government documents including birth certificates and state IDs. It is time for our public bodies to acknowledge and respect linguistic diversity by allowing all citizens their rightful identity.

Please sign this petition if you believe everyone should have the right to use their authentic name with its proper spelling on official documentation.