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The reality is a lot of people from other countries are jealous of the United States and take every opportunity to find a way to criticize us to even petty means like getting mad at us for referring to ourselves as Americans. I studied in Oxford, and the Canadians there would distance themselves from us and try to say they had nothing in common with Americans because we were easy targets from envious Europeans. And this was in the 80's. Having been exposed to this, when I travel to other countries, I expect this type of jealous backlash. It's really pretty flattering.
You're absolutely right, they envy our successes and our cultural dominance. America's the popular kid in school and these other countries hate the fact that we're the center of the world's attention.
Americans can call themselves Americans because we are Americans. There is no continent named America. The USA was the first recognized independent country in the Americas and was the first to officially use "America" to described itself. These other countries need to learn to live with this fact and get on with their lives.
This arises from the fact that a person born in Europe is referred to as "a European", a person from Asian is "an Asian" and a person born in the Americas is called an American. That's the region but not the country. In the case of the USA it is both, maybe this can be called a "language glitch".
Most countries have an official name for people from the USA, which you can find on your alien registration document but you will also be referred to as an American in the common everyday language in most places.
The one that struck me as very humorous was when I went to the UK, by accident I got into the line for people with European passports when I reached the immigration officer he pointed to another line and said "Colonials over there." Later I noticed that many older Brits used that term for people from former colonies. Maybe I looked like Ned Kelly.
This arises from the fact that a person born in Europe is referred to as "a European", a person from Asian is "an Asian" and a person born in the Americas is called an American. That's the region but not the country. In the case of the USA it is both, maybe this can be called a "language glitch".
The problem with this thinking is- "Europe" is a continent and "Americas" is not. We don't call Europeans and Asians "Eurasians" do we? So if Germany decided to rename itself the "United Germans of Eurasia" and the people "Eurasians", would it make sense for Europeans and Asians to be upset?
The problem with this thinking is- "Europe" is a continent and "Americas" is not. We don't call Europeans and Asians "Eurasians" do we? So if Germany decided to rename itself the "United Germans of Eurasia" and the people "Eurasians", would it make sense for Europeans and Asians to be upset?
A Eurasian is a person who is mixed with one European parent and one Asian parent. It has been a part of the English language for a century and a hslf.
A Eurasian is a person who is mixed with one European parent and one Asian parent. It has been a part of the English language for a century and a hslf.
It is because in other languages (not english) America means the whole continent, if I hear America I think about the continent, the country is USA or EEUU or EUA,for that reason a Canadian or a Peruvian are also Americans
It is because in other languages (not english) America means the whole continent, if I hear America I think about the continent, the country is USA or EEUU or EUA,for that reason a Canadian or a Peruvian are also Americans
In German it is also America for South, Central and North America combined. Seldom do people get more specific and say South America, in that case they usually use the country's name.
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