THE BORDER REPORT

IT'S NEITHER HERE NOR THERE, BUT WOW, IS IT ENTERTAINING

By Dhiana Quiroz

HERMOSILLO, SONORA – A civic organization has presented a plan to Hermosillo mayor Ernesto Gándara to change the name of my city back to it's original name, Pitic. The name is an ancient Pima Indian name meaning "place where the two rivers join," an allusion to the regions of the Río Sonora and Río San Miguel. Well, I thought that was an interesting proposition, it's not every day that someone tries to change the name of a major city in this country, so I decided to investigate this a little. Hermoso Hermosillo No doubt, few people outside this city know the origin of its name. It doesn't derive from Hermoso – beautiful – at all. It's the last name of a Spaniard taken from his region of that country. And since this proposal was put forward, many people have shown their ignorance in trying to keep the name Hermosillo. In reality, it has nothing to do with the history of this city. La Santísima Trinidad del Pitic Originally a Spanish provincial capital, this city was founded in 1700. "The Holy Trinity of Pitic" was shortened to Villa de Pitic and then, in 1828, changed entirely to Ciudád de Hermosillo in honor of General José María González de Hermosillo. Gen. González was a military envoy sent to these lands by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla during the war of independence. History shows he never actually made it. The closest he got was Sinaloa. My Humble Opinion So if this person's name has nothing to do with the history of my city, why should we conserve it? It's simply giving unjustified honor. Well, maybe because he fought for our independence, but so what? Aren't we better served recovering our roots? Furthermore, consider who is more affected with the change of name. It'd be tedious explain this entire context to everybody. It's become an international city, known for the best oranges in the world, its baseball team, and is a birthplace of many Mexican leaders. I'm a 100 percent Naranjera. I was born right in the middle of summer, when the 40 degree temperatures (104 Fahrenheit) burn and I lived there 18 years. I have the obligation and the duty to express my own sentiments about this name change. Oh, let's be real, the name of a city cannot be changed just like that or next thing you know, tomorrow, there'll be someone who wants to change the coat of arms of the city, removing the wheat insignia and replacing it with hot dogs and carne asada tacos. But these cases exhort us to think and form an opinion, to investigate and learn about our roots. I do hope that this doesn't become a political farce; and I do hope that the name change is considered. Perhaps an online vote on the city's Web site can be taken and campaigns held – even if they take us right back to where we started. Dhiana Quiroz is a Puerto Peñasco resident. Have an idea for a guest commentary? Let me know: marizco@borderreporter.com -- Michael Marizco