Tin Swe Thant Had to Change Her Name in School – More about Alex Wagner's Mother

Tin Swe Thant grew up in Burma during the last years of British colonial rule. As her schooling career began in English schools, she was told she needed an English name. Her father named her after an Irish-American actress.

Tin Swe Thant may not be a public figure, but she has been significant in her daughter's life. Her daughter and only child is renowned journalist Alex Wagner, born in her former marriage to the late politician Carl Wagner.

Thant was born in Burma, now known as Myanmar, but relocated to America to study. The story of her name change is an intricate part of what led her daughter to interrogate her identity as a biracial woman in the United States.

Tin Swe Thant's Western School Name Was Maureen

When Tin's father, U Thant Gyi, enrolled her at school, the headmaster asked him what her English name was, as the institution clarified she wasn't allowed to go by her given Burmese name, Tin Swe.

U was perplexed by the question, and the only name he could think of was that of the late Irish-American actress and singer Maureen O'Hara. Tin was called Maureen Thant Gyi, keeping her father's last name; however, it would only be temporary.

Tin Swe Thant Relocated to America, Where She Kept Her Given Name

Tin moved to the United States in the 1960s. She studied at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, majoring in political science, and enrolled using her given name. In 2021, her daughter, Alex, said she gave little thought to the story of her name change.

But as she grew more conscious of systemic racism and oppression, she felt "outraged" and "unbelievably sad." She wrote, "Her Asian identity was willfully erased, and we let them do it to us. We accepted it and didn't ask any questions."

Although Tin used her Burmese name in America, Alex noted her mom still assimilated into American culture. Tin also found love in the States; she wed the late Carl Wagner, but their marriage ended in divorce before he died in 2017.

Her daughter once shared an eye-opening encounter while eating out with Carl at a diner. A line cook asked if she was adopted. "I remember answering this guy, almost embarrassed for the way I looked and saying, 'Oh, My mom's Asian,'" she recalled.

Tin Swe Thant Named Her Youngest Grandson

Tin's daughter married businessman Sam Kass in 2014. Former US President Barack Obama is said to have attended the wedding with his wife, Michelle Obama, and their daughters, Sasha Obama and Malia Obama.

Sam and Alex welcomed their first son, Cy, in 2017. The couple gave him a Burmese middle name, Mindon. They did the same for their second son, Rafael. Weeks before he was born, Tin called her daughter and told her she had a name.

"He will be called Thiha. It means 'lion,'" Alex remembered her mother saying over a call. Now retired, Tin lives in a small town on Long Island. She has an Instagram page, but as of this writing, she last posted in December 2022.

Occasionally, she appears on her daughter's Instagram page in sweet tribute posts. In April 2021, the pair celebrated Tin's birthday by going out for dinner following the reopening of restaurants after quarantine. In May 2022, they enjoyed Mother's Day with Cy and Rafael.