United Statian

Adam   Tue Jun 26, 2007 6:08 pm GMT
"This shit again?

Silly Hispanics, the only true Americans live in the United States. Get over it!"

That's just annoying American arrogance.

America is actually the whole of North America and South America, just as Eurasia is the whole of Asia and Europe.

Therefore Canadians and Brazilians etc are also Americans.

That means that people are wrong to call the inhabitants of the United States as "Americans" when referring to their nationality. The nationality of the people of the US is NOT American. That would be like the British saying that their nationality is Eurasian, and we are the only TRUE Eurasians.

Americans should call themselves something like "United Statesians" instead of "Americans" in the same way that that we call ourselves "British" rather than "Eurasians."
Guest   Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:19 pm GMT
Nah, we'll continue to call ourselves Americans, for obvious reasons.
Guest   Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:24 pm GMT
united statian = shit.
I hate this country, they are all dark skinned and retarded as hell
Skippy   Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:31 pm GMT
Because the US doesn't have a 'real name' American is just the easiest thing to call us "Americans." That's the only reason I can ponder as to why we go by "America."
Dude Who Knows   Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:51 pm GMT
<<Because the US doesn't have a 'real name' American is just the easiest thing to call us "Americans." That's the only reason I can ponder as to why we go by "America." >>

I think it's also because the United States of America is the only country to use "America" in its official name, and that we were the first new nationality to exist in the Americas post European colonialism. At that time Canadians were still British and Latin Americans Spanish or Portuguese.

Anyway I think it's the right of any group to call themselves what they wish in their own language no matter how it's perceived elsewhere.
Guest   Wed Jun 27, 2007 12:17 am GMT
We're the oldest democracy in the Western Hemisphere, as well as the strongest power. We're the TRUE Americans, the rest are South Americans or North Americans (which actually also includes us).
Adolf   Wed Jun 27, 2007 12:19 am GMT
The true americans are the native americans.
Guest   Wed Jun 27, 2007 12:35 am GMT
They're also the "true" Mexicans, Canadians, Guatemalans, Brazilians, Peruvians, Colombians, etc.
Adolf   Wed Jun 27, 2007 12:52 am GMT
Yes, and since there are more native mexicans, peruvians..., these countries are more american.
Skippy   Wed Jun 27, 2007 2:12 am GMT
Technically I'm a 'native American.' I know what you're trying to say, but you're not saying it very well. Dude who knows explained it pretty well, so can we finally put this issue to a rest?
Guest   Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:35 am GMT
Lalonde shoots and scores!

How long have you been a moderator by the way?
K. T.   Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:58 am GMT
"Estadouniense"

I've heard this on Spanish television, but I'm not sure if this is common. Three Spanish speakers (two natives) were not able to come up with this term when I was describing it.

I have heard of a Mexican using "North Americans" to describe Mexicans, Americans and Canadians as a group-a group of people (in the Mexican's opinion) warm-hearted, not like " " a certain nationality in Europe.
I found this usage a little odd, but interesting.
Guest   Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:07 am GMT
Oh, come on K.T., don't censor your own post, you can repeat what "nationality" it was that your Mexican friend mentioned. :)
furrykef   Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:38 am GMT
I do think that, ideally, "America" should refer to the two continents and there should be a specific term to refer to "United Statians" instead. But that's not the way it is, and it's not going to change.

Moreover, the argument that people in Latin America consider themselves "Americans" is just a matter of terminology. What a Mexican calls a "tortilla" isn't the same thing as what a Spaniard calls a "tortilla", and what a South American calls an "American" (or rather "americano") isn't necessarily the same thing as what somebody in the U.S. calls an "American". Just because it's the same word doesn't mean it's the *same word*.

- Kef
Guest   Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:28 am GMT
"The Americas" works just fine to refer to the two continents.

I wonder if when Neil Diamond sang "we're coming to America" he had Bolivia in mind. Haha.

furrykef what time zone are you in?