Skip to main content

The German Marshall Fund of the United States

  • Who we are
    • Programs
      • Alliance for Securing Democracy
      • Asia Program
      • Balkan Trust for Democracy
      • Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation
      • Congressional Affairs
      • Europe Program
      • Fund for Belarus Democracy
      • Future of Geopolitics
      • GMF Cities
      • GMF Digital
      • Leadership Programs
      • Mediterranean Program
      • Security and Defense
    • Offices
      • Ankara
      • Belgrade
      • Berlin
      • Brussels
      • Bucharest
      • Paris
      • Warsaw
      • Washington, DC
    • About Us
    • Marshall Plan
    • Our Partners
  • Experts
  • Events
    Jan
    25
    Upcoming Event

    The Future of Transatlantic Security: Leaders' Roundtable

    January 25, 2021 | 9:00AM to 10:15AM EST
    • Major Conferences & Forums
      GMF brings together hundreds of policymakers, elected officials, academics, and business leaders from around the world to discuss topics from energy to migration, economics to security, urban growth to diplomacy.
    All Events →
  • Our Work
    • Topics
      • America
      • Asia
      • Europe
      • Cities and Regions
      • Security
      • Trade and Economies
      • All Topics
    • Research
      • Publications
      • Transatlantic Takes
    • Perspectives
      • Audio
      • Video
      • Blog post
      • In The News
  • Stay Informed

Photo Credit: SvetlanaSF / Shutterstock

In the News

America’s Maps Are Still Filled With Racist Place Names

October 6, 2020

Isaac Stone Fish

Visiting Fellow, Asia Program

We have a naming problem.

According to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (the division of the U.S. Geological Survey that maintains “uniform geographic name usage throughout the Federal Government”), there are 29 place names in the United States that contain the word “Chinaman.” They include Chinaman Trail in Oregon, Chinaman Bayou in Louisiana, Old Chinaman, a mine in New Mexico, and Chinamans Canyon in Colorado. In Texas and Oregon, hikers can still summit peaks called Chinaman Hat, probably named after the conical cap worn by Chinese laborers in the late nineteenth century. Even California, a state that prides itself on its wokeness, has a Chinaman Creek.

“Chinaman” is a derogatory term for a Chinese person, and it’s shameful that this word dots the American landscape. The reasons for changing these place names, and reckoning with their histories, are both ethical and strategic. The ethical is obvious: The term denigrates people of Chinese heritage. (Comparing “Chinaman” to the terms “Englishman” and “Irishman” isn’t apt, because those words aren’t wielded as insults.)

The Washington Post
Read the full article

Explore:

Asia Program

Related Content

Photo Credit: Enjoy The Life / Shutterstock

In the News

Why Disney’s New ‘Mulan’ is a Scandal

Oct 6, 2020 | By Isaac Stone Fish

Photo Credit: Huyuss / Shutterstock

In the News

Why Can’t the World Do a Better Job of Calling Out Racism in China?

Apr 17, 2020 | By Isaac Stone Fish
Strengthening Transatlantic Cooperation

Our Organization

  • About GMF
  • Career Opportunities
  • Our Partners
  • Press Room
  • Support Our Work
  • Core Values

Our Work

  • Leadership
  • Policy
  • Civil Society
  • Research & Analysis

Our Experts

  • Find an Expert

Follow

  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Diversity Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Credits

Stay Informed

Don’t miss out on the latest from GMF. Sign up to receive emailed newsletters, announcements, and event notifications.

Subscribe