Trump Renames Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America
Image Courtesy of CNN
By Tanner Brady
If you open Google Maps and zoom out, you may notice a slight change in the name of a significant body of water. That, of course, is the newly renamed Gulf of America. On February 9th, while flying over the Gulf of Mexico en route to the Super Bowl, President Donald Trump signed an executive order officially changing the name. Trump also declared Sunday, February 9 as “Gulf of America Day.”
This change was part of the president’s executive order titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.” This order also renamed Denali, the tallest peak in North America, to Mount McKinley after President William McKinley. President Trump has said that he renamed the gulf because it plays a “pivotal role” in the U.S. economy and the nation’s security. He also said he did it to “restore American pride.”
Since then, many major companies have jumped on the bandwagon and adopted the name. BP, Chevron, and Shell were quick to start using the new name when referring to their drilling activities and on their websites. In addition, big tech companies like Apple and Google have updated their maps with the new name. However, it is important to note that this only affects devices in the U.S. In other countries where the name is not recognized, it is still referred to as the Gulf of Mexico.
Not everyone is happy with this change. On Google Maps, many people left 1 star reviews criticizing the name. However, Google has been removing these reviews from public view, claiming that they are not legitimate since they are “not based on a real experience.” Simultaneously, the government of Mexico has threatened to sue Google over changing the name on its map. Google has reiterated that the “Gulf of America” name will only apply to devices that have their country/region set to the United States. Everyone else will continue to see “Gulf of Mexico.”
Most recently, in a controversial move, the White House has banned the Associated Press from White House briefings and Air Force One for refusing to use the new name. The argument of the AP is that, because it is an international publication and other countries do not recognize the new name, they should still refer to it as the Gulf of Mexico. However, the White House did not agree with that claim, barring them from attending any presidential events. This could interfere with the news outlet’s ability to do its job.
The AP is part of what is called the “press pool,” a group of press outlets which travel with the president and share information with the wider press world. The AP has been providing important White House coverage since the late 1800s. Now, with the ban in place, it’s unclear whether their spot in the pool would remain. The AP has said it will seek legal action.
So, how are students at CUA feeling about the name change? The students I talked to were shaking their heads at it.
“This is the most pointless thing that has ever been done. What was the point of this? What were we trying to achieve?”said Tim McGuire, a freshman media and communications major.
Andrea Suarez, a senior theology major, said that the name change disregards the cultural heritage behind the original naming.
“It appears that there is significant concern about the gulf’s proximity to America rather than to Mexico,” Suarez said.” This focus on geographical closeness seems to overlook the broader implications and historical significance of such names, which often transcend national boundaries and reflect shared cultural and ecological heritage.”
Even if the name change does restore national pride, many people are afraid of the conflicts that could arise as a result.
