If you go into Google Maps, you’ll see a distinct change in the name of a certain gulf. The Gulf of Mexico has recently been renamed the Gulf of America in the United States. However, if you reside in Mexico, then you’ll see the Gulf of Mexico. Similarly, you would see the Gulf of Mexico with the Gulf of America in parentheses if you are outside the country. The name change has sparked debates regarding the importance and necessity of renaming the gulf. Mexico is even threatening to sue Google if they continue to keep the Gulf of America. President Trump signed the name change as an executive order on January 17th, 2025, and took effect on February 10th. Senior Aleeza Syed says, “I think it’ll definitely cause a little confusion at first, especially since we’ve grown up calling it the Gulf of Mexico.” But, how will this affect history being taught in the classroom?
Some teachers believe that it won’t change, much like how many people still refer to X as Twitter. According to history teacher Mr. Haynes, he says that, “It’ll be a minimal change in the classroom, but it could be a bigger change to the government.” However, it remains to be seen for the younger generation who might grow up calling it the Gulf of America, especially since Trump has made plans to change official maps and government sites. However, many teachers say that they’re open to students using both names. Civics teacher Mr. Jackson has also stated that, “I fully expect to hear both names used in my classes.” So, it’s safe to say that the history classes will have great material for future discussions.
Following the renaming, Mexico has also threatened to sue Google in regards to the change. The primary reason behind the lawsuit is that the United States does not own the gulf itself. Despite its name, the Gulf of Mexico is considered international waters, and Trump’s executive order only applies to waters that touch the United States, which would be 22 nautical miles off the coast. Not to mention that the Associated Press was also banned from government spaces like the Oval Office and Air Force One. The reason for this ban was that the Associated Press declined to use the Gulf of America in their articles, leading to lawsuits against the Trump administration. While both of these lawsuits are still ongoing, these events will definitely be ones for the history books.
