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Here is an interesting article about opposition to the term "American" being used for Americans. It is a good illustration of how ridiculous it is that some insist that the imperialist Americans stole the name from unassuming Latin American countries. Or how silly it is when someone purposefully confuses the word "American" to mean everyone in the western hemisphere during a discussion that is clearly about the United States. Suddenly a noneventful conversation turns into a political stand against the name-stealing Yanquis. You've got to wonder where these people were before America became a superpower!
I confess to having had some fun with this while travelling overseas. Meeting and talking with Americans will get you some odd looks after them telling you they're from America or they're American and you respond: that's nice, which America, North or South, there's two of them you know and both of them are very big continents with numerous countries.
It's all in fum really because it certainly isn't anyones fault today your forefathers chose to name your country The United States of America when it should have been just simply The United States or The United States of North America to be geographically correct.
She can claim to be from America, she cannot claim to be an American. We are the United States of America, it is the "America" in the full name of the US that is the reason it's citizens are rightfully called Americans.
She is from Columbia (a country, not a state, by the way, she didn't really answer your question), and is Columbian, not American.
Now that I know this is out there, If I ask what state, and they reply with a country name, rather than fall into the trap, I will say "Oh, your xxxxx-ian, not an American at all!" and watch the slow simmering melt down of the idiot.
In many other nations they don't make the distinction between north and south america so all of the americas is considered to be "The continent of America". Here, we teach that we are exceptional and the other nations in america are just there
I wouldn't mind if they changed the denonym for US Americans but its too late now.
The person who wrote this also sounds very annoying IMO
As far as I know the Western continent consists of North America, Central America, and South America. I don't believe the framers of the constitution, or the Native Americans that followed the track of the Bison across the Beringa Bridge to settle in Alaska, Canada and the Great Lakes ever heard the term "Latin American" much let alone STOLE it from someone living in poverty south of our border - that had not yet been established. . .
The Latin language of Europe died 2000 years ago. The only latin I hear today is in a Latin Mass in the Catholic Church, and it is rather rare find. Respect is a two-way street. If you want me to respect your view, then respect the fact I AM an American - whether you like or not. If you don't like Americans do not try to engage me in conversation; I am not interested in one more pretender. We have an ample supply.
Dictionary.com defines Latin America "Those areas of America whose official languages are Spanish and Portuguese. It should make the Brazilians very happy to know they are Latin Americans and no longer citizens of South America. What a crock!
I was born inside the continent of North America in the United State of America. I am a natural born American, and when I die I will die a natural born American. Nothing in history will change that the fact that the citizens of the Unites States of America are called Americans. It is not going to change the fact citizens of Canada are Canadian, or the citizens of Mexico are Mexican.
OP, from my point of view I would not engage in conversations with hostile rabid people as nothing good comes of it. I will leave them to their own unhappiness while I either find like minded others or find a good book or two. And I would be greatly annoyed by some dumbaxx chiding me about my place of brith. Columbia is one of the prime suppliers of illegal street drugs in America. It is not a friend to America or Americans. .
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The terms America and Americans follows the same pattern used for Mexico/Mexicans and Brazil/Brazilians.
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