President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Many neighbors in the Coastal Bend enjoy fishing, swimming, boating, etc. in the Gulf. Neighborhood News Reporter Erin Holly wanted to find out how Port Aransas locals feel about the name change.
“Well, it’s a little weird because all my life, I’ve known it as the Gulf of Mexico," Jordan Cody, a Port Aransas neighbor, said.
Many neighbors in Port Aransas told KRiS 6 off camera that they are unsure about this name change to a body of water that they grew up calling 'The Gulf of Mexico.'
“I don’t know that at 40 years old, and calling it that my whole life, if I could call it anything else. But, you know, it is what it is. So, life changes," Cody said.
Other neighbors even offered thoughts on alternate naming options for the Gulf.
“It should be called the Gulf of Texas, because Texas has the majority and the biggest line the Gulf of Mexico than any other state," Richard Titus, another neighbor in Port Aransas said.
According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, The Name of the Gulf of Mexico has been officially changed to the Gulf of America. Google announced that Google Maps users in the United States will see Gulf of America on their digital maps. Google Maps users in Mexico will still see it named the Gulf of Mexico, and users in other parts of the world will see both name options. Google did not yet mention when the map changes will occur.
“I don’t like it because this is a Trump thing, and Trump just wants to have his name in it," Titus said.
President Trump also signed an executive order to change the name of the tallest peak in North America from Mount Denali to Mount McKinley, which it was previously named from 1917 to 2016.
“Well, I think it’ll be a little bit weird. But there have been so many changes the last few years, I feel like nothing now is weird," Cody said.
Neighbors in the coastal city of Port Aransas, said they are feeling uncertain of the change in name to the body of water that they grew up fishing and boating in.
“But yes. I mean it’ll hurt my heart a little bit because it’s always been the Gulf of Mexico to me growing up, but I’ll adapt and after so many years of hearing it, I’ll probably just start saying it without even knowing it," Cody said.
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