[elabayarde]

I use this to troll upperclass Latinos who think there ish don't stink. They get there panties in a bunch and it makes me feel good inside.

[Carlos100]

You can use this for some lively banter with las chicas:

Her: De donde vienes?
Me: Soy do los estados unidos. Soy Americano?
Her: Claro que si. Todo los paices en el hemisfero occidental son parte de los Americas.
Me: Pues, tu eres Americano tambien? Que bueno, somos hermanos [or say "paisanos"]!

And so on. Easy way to establish rapport and show that you aren't an ugly American without being supplicating.

[Ethan Amarante]

(06-21-2014 04:32 AM)Akula Wrote:  

This annoys me.

It's the United States of AMERICA for Chrissake. America is in the country's name!! It's that simple. Nobody is saying "hey I'm from America" out of some sort of arrogance it's just actually part of the name of the country.

As another example, Mexico is technically Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United States of Mexico) and is commonly referred to as "Mexico."

Duh.

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. Surely by that logic Qatar isn't an Arab country because the United Arab Emirates has 'Arab' in the name and so its citizens are the only people who should be referred to as 'Arabs'.

If people from the UAE ("Emiratis") began using the demonym 'Arab' to only refer to themselves, a lot of other people would probably get annoyed, with I think fair reason.

Anyway, I agree that referring to people from the USA as Americans does not fit well with the political-geography of the Americas.

It seems fairly obvious to me that Mexicans, Peruvians and Chileans, for example, are also Americans.

Unless the demonym 'United Statesian' becomes popular, there will probably be some ambiguity, which pedantic people should probably just put up with.

I don't really see a problem with the term 'United Statesian', to be honest. Some other demonyms are fairly awkward, but there are plenty of other strange-sounding ones.

[buja]

(06-21-2014 05:39 AM)Roosh Wrote:  

I've never met anyone outside of the US who referred to themselves as American.

I have only heard this in English.
I've never heard it in Spanish.

[buja]

(06-21-2014 05:34 PM)azulsombra Wrote:  

The only latinos I know who get bent out of shape with the whole "you're not the only americans" thing are chileans and argentinians.

It has made its way to Guatemala now.

I can't imagine it will seep into Mexico though...

[buja]

(06-22-2014 06:48 AM)Ethan Amarante Wrote:  

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. Surely by that logic Qatar isn't an Arab country because the United Arab Emirates has 'Arab' in the name and so its citizens are the only people who should be referred to as 'Arabs'.

Apples and oranges. "Arab" refers to a distinct ethnolinguistic group.

(06-22-2014 06:48 AM)Ethan Amarante Wrote:  

I don't really see a problem with the term 'United Statesian', to be honest. Some other demonyms are fairly awkward, but there are plenty of other strange-sounding ones.

Just keep using the term "United Statesian". Maybe you'll start a trend.

[Safado]

A number of Brazilians over the years have tried to pull me into this pointless argument.

I just say that I'm from the US instead of saying that I'm American to not give anyone the opportunity to waste my time with this bullshit.

It's always idiots who say this shit too. No intelligent Brazilian would say "We're American too." No proud Brazilian would say that.

[Sonsowey]

I have heard lots of Colombians use "Norteamericano" to mean Gringo.

Also there is Chavez's popularization of the term "Yanqui", do many Venezuelans say that?

[Ethan Amarante]

(06-22-2014 11:20 AM)buja Wrote:  

(06-22-2014 06:48 AM)Ethan Amarante Wrote:  

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. Surely by that logic Qatar isn't an Arab country because the United Arab Emirates has 'Arab' in the name and so its citizens are the only people who should be referred to as 'Arabs'.

Apples and oranges. "Arab" refers to a distinct ethnolinguistic group.

I don't follow your logic. Why does that make my comparison invalid?

[kerouac]

If you wanna play the hippy angle, you can say something like "soy del mundo, mamacita"

Bitches, especially the hairy armpit ones, lub dat shit.

[hipster]

In Brazil "estadounidense" is a thing the communists try to push, it sounds ridiculous in portuguese too and nobody uses it but commies always come with this BS.

[jimukr104]

(06-21-2014 04:32 AM)Akula Wrote:  

This annoys me.

It's the United States of AMERICA for Chrissake. America is in the country's name!! It's that simple. Nobody is saying "hey I'm from America" out of some sort of arrogance it's just actually part of the name of the country.

As another example, Mexico is technically Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United States of Mexico) and is commonly referred to as "Mexico."

Duh.

Agreed...weird how no one else got that point lol.
USA or American, same shit

[The_CEO]

In a lot of (most? all?) spanish speaking countries they they don't say USA - it's translated as EEUU (Los Estados Unidos).

[kavakid]

I have had this SAME problem. I usually answer like thus:

1. No one ever uses the term American to refer to latinos. No one from argentina says "I'm proud to be american". Everyone in the world knows that American or Americano means USA.

2. Like mentioned, everyone keeps calling us "Americans". Other countries use that term even more than we do, and we use it a LOT.

3. What other term could we possibly use? USAyen?

Last time I pointed this out to someone giving me a hard time, they shut the fuck up and had no response to my answers. Bottom line is that people always hate the guy ahead (USA) whether they are right or wrong.

[Ethan Amarante]

(06-22-2014 07:47 PM)kavakid Wrote:  

I have had this SAME problem. I usually answer like thus:

1. No one ever uses the term American to refer to latinos. No one from argentina says "I'm proud to be american". Everyone in the world knows that American or Americano means USA.

2. Like mentioned, everyone keeps calling us "Americans". Other countries use that term even more than we do, and we use it a LOT.

3. What other term could we possibly use? USAyen?

Last time I pointed this out to someone giving me a hard time, they shut the fuck up and had no response to my answers. Bottom line is that people always hate the guy ahead (USA) whether they are right or wrong.

I think I've given fairly rational responses to your three questions in my previous posts.

My point is not that it is a huge issue which needs immediate attention - logical inconsistencies are extremely common in language and demonyms are no exception.

Rather, I'm trying to point out that a person can have good reason to object to the term - using it certainly isn't a sign of stupidity.

Nor does it demonstrate bitterness as you seem to imply. I, for example, am from a country which by many economic and social metrics performs better or roughly on par with the USA so I have no reason to 'hate the guy ahead', to use your phrase.

I think this is an obvious example of people needing to chill out and recognise that coming to one conclusion is not any more rational than the other; someone disagreeing with you on this matter doesn't demonstrate your intellectual or social superiority.

[kavakid]

As redneck as it may sound, I am proud to be American, for the most part. However, i see the evils that have also been done by Americans to latin american countries. So I understand anti-american sentiment. And I am usually open to discussing the evils of American CIA, etc with anyone. But when someone mentions the whole "americans" symantics thing its just annoying and pointless waste of time. It falls into the "everything American is wrong category".

Truth is that 99% of people on this planet love the word American for US citizens. Those that hate us still love to call us "esos americanos estupidos". That will never change. We will always be called American and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

[Ethan Amarante]

(06-23-2014 07:58 AM)kavakid Wrote:  

As redneck as it may sound, I am proud to be American, for the most part. However, i see the evils that have also been done by Americans to latin american countries. So I understand anti-american sentiment. And I am usually open to discussing the evils of American CIA, etc with anyone. But when someone mentions the whole "americans" symantics thing its just annoying and pointless waste of time. It falls into the "everything American is wrong category".

Truth is that 99% of people on this planet love the word American for US citizens. Those that hate us still love to call us "esos americanos estupidos". That will never change. We will always be called American and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Is this a response to my post?

Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not trying to be rude, but you might benefit from re-reading my previous comment.

[kavakid]

I'm commenting on the issue in general, as I have experienced both positive and negative american sentiment. I am not commenting solely in response to your posts.

But for a direct response to your last post....

Its reasonable to mention "I think the term American should be replaced with something new, such as _________ . What do you think?"

I wish that was the way foreigners put it. However, it's usually more like:

"how can you call yourself an american!? everyone in the western hemisphere is american!"

To which I agree. But these people still sound stupid for making a big deal about something that no one really wants to change anyhow.

[RexImperator]

Just say it's slang/short for "Person from the United States of America" which is way too long to say all the time. End of argument and who really cares.

Funny how we are named after a mapmaker... If you think about it we should all be Columbians (not Colombians).

Another thing... Why aren't Italian and French Americans also called Latinos?

[buja]

(06-23-2014 09:41 AM)RexImperator Wrote:  

Funny how we are named after a mapmaker... If you think about it we should all be Columbians (not Colombians).

Another thing... Why aren't Italian and French Americans also called Latinos?

Good points.

YOU are NOT the only Colombians/Columbians!
YOU are NOT the only Latinos!

[buja]

(06-21-2014 04:32 AM)Akula Wrote:  

As another example, Mexico is technically Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United States of Mexico) and is commonly referred to as "Mexico."

Duh.

YOU are not the ONLY UNITED STATES!

ha ha

[JJ Roberts]

(06-21-2014 01:11 AM)buja Wrote:  

There is no other word in English to describe someone from the US.

Not true. If someone asks you where you are from you can choose to say "U.S." which is quicker and less syllables than saying "american" or you can say "USA".

[buja]

(06-23-2014 12:23 PM)JJ Roberts Wrote:  

(06-21-2014 01:11 AM)buja Wrote:  

There is no other word in English to describe someone from the US.

Not true. If someone asks you where you are from you can choose to say "U.S." which is quicker and less syllables than saying "american" or you can say "USA".

While "US" or "USA" is an acceptable answer if someone asks an American where they are from, US/USA are not English words that are interchangeable with the demonym "American".

Likewise, "Mexico" is not interchangeable with the word "Mexican".

[WanderingSoul]

When I was in Spain I had a teacher who always brought this up when someone would say they were American. He had a big hard on about it. He went to university in the US for a while. Pretty sure someone banged his girlfriend.

[Sonsowey]

"I am from occupied Iroquois territory"