OPINION: Should New Mexico be renamed? 

I have lived in Albuquerque for 46 years and there is one thing that has always bothered me — the name of this state. Perhaps it is time to consider changing it. There are, after all, a lot of people who agree with me. One even suggested that we have a naming contest. Why would changing our state’s name be a reasonable thing to do? The patron system and one party rule at every level of government has been a fact of life ever since statehood. What has that gotten us? We are consistently at the bottom of all the good lists (education, child welfare, crime) and the top of all the bad lists. We shouldn’t have to live like this.

We all know that if your cable television system suddenly isn’t working properly, the first solution is to disconnect it from the power source, wait a few minutes, and then plug it back in. This resets the system and usually solves the problem. New Mexico is certainly not functioning properly, so perhaps it is time for a reset. That can probably be accomplished with a name change, one that separates us from the sins of the past and gives us an opportunity to chart a different course.

There are a lot of peoples here who trace their heritage to Old Mexico. But if Mexico was really important to them, they wouldn’t be here. Moreover, there are a lot of Hispanics whose heritage lies elsewhere, who get terribly upset when they are referred to as Mexicans. Then there are the geographically challenged Americans who do not believe that New Mexico is a state. That is why we are the only state that has USA on our license plates.

I think that the new name for our state should be Enchantment. The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as “a feeling of great pleasure and attraction, especially something that is very beautiful.” The phrase “Land of Enchantment” first appeared in the title of a book by Lillian Whiting in 1906. In 1935, our tourism department began using it on all its advertising to encourage tourism. In 1941, the phrase began appearing on our license plates, and in 1947, the tourism department trademarked it. In 1999, the Legislature made it the official state nickname. For most of us, that slogan has been part of our lives forever. It signifies our unequaled combination of diverse and stunning landscapes and our rich, multilayered cultural history that is influenced by Native American, Hispanic and Anglo traditions.

Everyone entering our state by road encounters a sign at the state line that says “Welcome to New Mexico — The Land of Enchantment.” We have spent millions advertising our state as The Land of Enchantment and we can take advantage of that. The impact of such a name change to our tourism industries could be phenomenal. Renaming our state Enchantment would perhaps release us from the sins of the past (like the patron system and one party rule), be a prayer for a new beginning, point us in a new direction and lead us to the realization that this state can and must be something that we can be proud of.

David Ansell has lived in Albuquerque for 46 years.