Francisco Javier Remes Sánchez was puzzled as he watched President Trump signal an government order final week renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America as a part of his pledge to honor “American greatness.”
“That man talks loads and we’ve no selection however to defend Mexico,” mentioned Mr. Remes Sánchez, 52, who manages a 15,000-member fishing affiliation in Tamaulipas state in northeastern Mexico. He has fished within the gulf for 20 years and estimated that he spends 2,000 hours a 12 months on its waters.
“He’s altering the title of a cultural and pure heritage of Mexico because the sixteenth century, when america hadn’t even been fashioned,” he added.
To be clear: Mr. Trump’s order renaming the world’s largest gulf solely modified the title in america, the place he has authority, not internationally. He requested the Secretary of the Inside to take away all mentions of the Gulf of Mexico within the authorities’s official geographic database and be sure that “all federal references,” together with maps, contracts and different paperwork, mirrored the brand new title.
On Friday, the Inside Division announced the switch.
However nonetheless, throughout Mexico and Cuba, the opposite nations with maritime boundaries within the gulf, Mr. Trump’s transfer was met with a mix of bewilderment, indignation, indifference and, at occasions, laughter.
“For us and for the entire world, it’s nonetheless the Gulf of Mexico,” President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico mentioned, briefly chuckling when addressing the subject final week.
For some, renaming the gulf reminded them of different international disagreements over place names. For instance, the physique of water south of Iran has lengthy been a source of tension, with Iran, like a lot of the world, calling it the Persian Gulf, whereas Saudi Arabia and another Arab states favor the Arabian Gulf.
The Rio Grande, the river alongside the southern fringe of Texas that serves because the nationwide border between america and Mexico, known as that on the northern aspect. However in Mexico it is called the Río Bravo.
The gulf has had many names, from the Gulf of Florida to the Gulf of Cortés, however there’s proof of the Gulf of Mexico title sticking as early as 1552, utilized in print by a Spanish historian, mentioned Samuel Truett, a professor on the College of New Mexico who makes a speciality of U.S. and Mexican historical past.
Although the title got here almost 300 years earlier than the nation of Mexico was based, its origins are from the Aztecs, who constructed a metropolis on which Mexico Metropolis was later erected. He famous that whereas folks from america sometimes use “America” to imply their nation, the time period lengthy predates the nation and initially meant one thing a lot broader. To many Latin People, it nonetheless does.
“It’s this U.S. conceit of taking one thing that was utilized to the hemisphere, actually, and claiming it just for one nation,” he mentioned.
When Mr. Trump first steered he would alter the gulf’s title earlier this month, Ms. Sheinbaum showed a world map from 1607 that labeled North America as Mexican America and recognized the Gulf of Mexico as such — 169 years earlier than america was based.
“Why don’t we name it Mexican America? It sounds fairly, no?” she joked then.
Since Mr. Trump signed the order, a number of different Mexican officers have defended the gulf’s title.
Rocío Nahle, the governor of Veracruz state, which has over 450 miles of gulf shoreline, wrote the morning after the signing: “For 500 years, it’s and can proceed to be our wealthy and nice ‘Gulf of Mexico.’” After rattling off the explanations it was necessary to her state, from commerce to petroleum to fishing, she wrote, “It’s not a decree, it’s actuality!!”
Even the nation’s nationwide tourism ministry chimed in, saying in a social media post selling visits to the physique of water: “Lengthy dwell the Gulf of Mexico! The great thing about our Mexico is marvelous, earlier than the eyes of the world and because it has been referred to as since 1607 on world maps.”
(Up to now, the Cuban authorities hasn’t mentioned something on the topic.)
In Tampico, a port metropolis in Tamaulipas state, José Antonio Zapata Hinojosa, 45, an economics and political science professor, in addition to an area beginner historian, mentioned that folks there have been unconcerned with Mr. Trump’s resolution. He mentioned he imagined that everybody — even vacationers — will proceed saying the Gulf of Mexico.
“It’s like after they change the title of a road or a stadium, the unique title nonetheless stays,” he mentioned.
In Cuba, Edel Pérez, 54, runs a lodge together with his household in Santa Lucía, a city on the northwestern aspect of the island, from which he can see the gulf. He mentioned he has been fishing for grouper, snapper and extra in these waters all of his life.
“I don’t perceive how an individual on a whim needs to vary the title,” he mentioned. “Our half will proceed being the Gulf of Mexico.”
Mr. Pérez mentioned he was astonished when he first heard the information however admitted that the Cubans he knew would probably shrug their shoulders. “The folks right here don’t fear about that stuff.”
He mentioned it was curious, although, that Mr. Trump, in search of to glorify america, selected the title “America,” since “we’re all People.”
Oddly sufficient, the most well-liked and profitable Mexican soccer staff known as Membership América, which has turn into fodder for memes on social media in Mexico.
Virtually, although, the gulf’s title doesn’t matter, mentioned Capt. Paul Foran, a maritime guide primarily based in Florida who as a ship captain navigated by means of the Gulf of Mexico numerous occasions.
Whereas it could be lots of work to vary all the U.S. authorities paperwork and packages, Captain Foran mentioned, mariners solely fear about utilizing the right navigation charts and conveying the right coordinates and pace to close by ships over the radio.
“The man on the opposite finish listening to me say ‘Gulf of America,’ he’s going to take a look at his chart and he doesn’t care what it’s referred to as,” he mentioned. “All he’ll care about is, ‘OK, I see that man, I do know the place I’m. I’m within the Gulf of Mexico and he’s calling it the Gulf of America. Who cares? Simply don’t run into me.’”
The gulf’s title might change once more in 4 years when Mr. Trump’s time period is over, mentioned Mr. Truett, the historical past professor in New Mexico.
But when Mr. Trump’s “America first” logic had been to be utilized elsewhere in america, wouldn’t the state of New Mexico even be weak to a reputation change?
No, Mr. Truett mentioned whereas laughing, he wasn’t frightened that his state’s title could be switched to “New America” anytime quickly.
