Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – U.S. Congressman Vicente Gonzalez of Texas urged the U.S. Board on Geographic Names’ Domestic Names Committee to reject a proposal to rename Boca Chica Beach as “Cyber Beach.” The committee provided less than 24 hours’ notice before a vote scheduled for July 9 at 2 p.m., according to Gonzalez, who said the process lacked transparency.
In a letter to the committee, Gonzalez wrote, “I understand that the Committee conducts its due diligence before moving forward with name change proposals. Submitted proposals must be evaluated for local usage, historical precedence, and community support. However, I am disappointed to see a federal entity fail to notify federal representatives of activity occurring in their district. Due to the lack of transparency, my constituents and my community must be afforded ample time to properly review the proposal and formally submit their input before any final decision is made. For the aforementioned reasons, I urge the Domestic Names Committee to reject this proposal and retain Boca Chica Beach’s historic name.”
According to the congressman, Boca Chica Beach has been known by that name since at least 1936 and is often referred to as “the People’s Beach.” He said the beach has long served as a cultural, historical, and communal landmark in South Texas.
According to reports cited in the announcement, the proposal to rename the beach was submitted by an individual from Mississippi and is opposed by local officials and SpaceX.
