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LOL, so true. When I moved to Puerto Rico I knew nothing about Caribbean geography. Really nothing and I didn't really care. I was much more interested in the geography of Africa or Asia. The Caribbean just seemed like a huge tourist destination.
Anyway I was really confused because there are a lot of illegal people from the Dominican Republic in Puerto Rico.
The illegals from the Dominican Republic don't speak English whereas as all the Puerto Ricans learn English starting at age 5. Then I met quite a few people from Dominica and I was confused as there English was perfect with a Caribbean flare accent and all of them were in PR legally. In fact it turns out I ended up going to school with 4 people from Dominica, all who were US citizens and all 4 retained citizenship by different means. Anyway I realized that Dominica and the Dominican Republic are both in the Caribbean. And I think both countries the people are called Dominicans which certainly makes it confusing.
LOL I'm half Dominican (not Dominican republic) and there official language is English unlike DR where the official language is Spanish.
In argentina we say:
yanki
gringo
estadounidense
norteamericano
never heard someone refeering to a person from USA as an "american", since here american is the continent.
When i was in italy last year visiting relatives with my dad, my italian relatives reffeer to us as "los americanos" and they called my dad "Il american", cause we are from America, the continent.
I find that strange, its like me referring to my German friend as a "Eurasian"
The United States of America is the only country in North, Central or South America which incorporates the word "America" into it's name.
People the world over refer to citizens of the USA as "Americans" - it's not because US citizens push it, it's just a shortened version of the rather long name of our country.
When I travel internationally, I rarely (if ever) say to people, when asked, that I'm "from America." I don't know of anyone who does. Most US citizens, when asked, will say something along the lines of, "Oh, I'm from the States" or "the US" or "I'm from Texas" or "California." Not, "Oh thanks for asking - I'm from America." That actually really sounds stupid in fact.
However, invariably, when we say where we're from (in our case, we say, "We're from Texas,") the other person from another country will grin and say, "Oh, you're an AMERICAN."
So let's get this straight P London you are Dominican from Dominica and not Dominican from the Dominican Republic? Whew, this is confusing. :-)
Yes my mum is from the Commomwealth of Dominica not the Dominican Republic. Dominica is an African - English speaking (with some French creole speakers) nation in the lesser Antilles. Unlike the Dominican Republic where the culture is Spanish, African and native based.
People confuse the 2 nations all the time.
The United States of America is the only country in North, Central or South America which incorporates the word "America" into it's name.
People the world over refer to citizens of the USA as "Americans" - it's not because US citizens push it, it's just a shortened version of the rather long name of our country.
When I travel internationally, I rarely (if ever) say to people, when asked, that I'm "from America." I don't know of anyone who does. Most US citizens, when asked, will say something along the lines of, "Oh, I'm from the States" or "the US" or "I'm from Texas" or "California." Not, "Oh thanks for asking - I'm from America." That actually really sounds stupid in fact.
However, invariably, when we say where we're from (in our case, we say, "We're from Texas,") the other person from another country will grin and say, "Oh, you're an AMERICAN."
Sophie, most people in the world call the USA America. Only Latin Americans (except Puerto Ricans), the Spanish, and possibly the French call North and South America as America. Everyone else calls people from the USA Americans and people that learn to speak British English call the USA America. When the BBC talks about the US, 99% of the time they call my country America. What is the big deal with us latinos saying that North and South America are called America, when NONE of us call each other Americans? To me, you're an argentina, I'm a puertorriqueño, people from Venezuela are venezolanos, we don't call each other americanos, do we? Hell, I NEVER call any person from Latin America a latino/a when I'm outside the US
I can't imagine ever saying "United Statesian." If I really want or need to refer to myself as "American" and specify the country rather than the continents, I might try "US American."
I can't imagine ever saying "United Statesian." If I really want or need to refer to myself as "American" and specify the country rather than the continents, I might try "US American."
'United Statesian' is completely weird in English, but 'estadunidense', both in Spanish and in Portuguese, makes sense.
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