There are a lot of ways to disparage a place, but some words carry more venom—and historical baggage—than others. Some version of what the U.S. president reportedly said has been said forever; it’s been said about the place I call home.

Truth be told: It’s a pretty effective narrative. Use it, and you’re able to mark entire populations with the traits you perceive in their environments—they’re unclean, and therefore, inferior. Then, you can justify colonizing them, enslaving them, profiting from …