SpaceX test launch (photo: SpaceX) (SpaceX)
U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez is looking to make it harder to rename places in the United States after a name change was considered for a South Texas beach earlier this month.
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The McAllen Democrat filed the Hands off Our Boca Chica Beach Act on Monday, a bill that would codify the name Boca Chica Beach and require the Domestic Names Committee to notify the member of Congress representing a district where a proposed name change is being considered.
The move comes after the name “Cyber Beach” was proposed for Boca Chica Beach in reference to the beach’s significance to operations for Elon Musk’s SpaceX. According to Gonzalez, the name change was proposed by someone in Mississippi and was not supported by officials in Cameron County or SpaceX.
What they’re saying:
“It is absurd that a name proposal from outside our state was able to threaten the very essence of a cultural and historic landmark in South Texas,” Gonzalez said. “The severe lack of transparency from the Domestic Names Committee almost shut out the people of Cameron County from a decision that directly impacted our daily lives—and would have created a financial burden for local municipalities responsible for replacing signage and other publicly used identifiers. While our community was able to quickly band together to stop this initial proposal from being adopted, my bill would ensure that Boca Chica Beach always remains the People’s Beach.”
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U.S. Board of Geographic Names considers Boca Chica Beach name change
On July 8, the Domestic Names Committee considered a proposal to change the name of Boca Chica Beach to Cyber Beach. The DNC is the same committee that changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America after an executive order from President Donald Trump.
The change from Boca Chica Beach to Cyber Beach was proposed by Josh Hazel, from Mississippi, in November 2024. In , Hazel said the name was a nod to a group of enthusiasts who come to the beach for SpaceX launches.
The DNC rejected the name change.
Texas state Rep. Erin Gamez celebrated the decision on social media.
What they’re saying:
“Together, we showed that when a community comes together and makes its voice heard, we can influence government decisions and protect the places that matter to us,” Gamez said.
The beach has been named Boca Chica Beach since 1936.