essay — Identity
When Your Surname Doesn’t Match Your Face
On airports, intake forms, and the small daily work of being doubted.
Joon-Ho Ferreira
June 10, 2026 · 1 min read
On airports, intake forms, and the small daily work of being doubted.
Ferreira is the name that prints on the boarding pass. The agent looks at my face, then at the paper, then at me again, as if one of us is a typo.
I used to over-explain. Now I say the name the way it is spelled and let the silence do the rest. The work of being believed should not be my opening number.
Korean-Brazilian. Airports and intake forms are where the story starts, not where it should end.
A small, signed conversation under the piece — not an anonymous feed.
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