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This kind of response is unnecessary. It's a perfectly reasonable request as the nearly 1 billion people who live in entire Western Hemisphere can rightfully call themselves Americans. How much harder is it to say "I'm from the USA" instead of "I'm American"?
Do you insist on calling British people, English? They live in the United Kingdom, but it's considered acceptable to call them British (as it is acceptable to call people who live in Northern Ireland British, even though NI is not part of Britain). It is offensive to them to use terms like "The Queen of England" which shows a lack of understanding of history.
Latinos speak a language that comes from Latin. Most of the vocabulary of English now comes from Latin, even if the grammar remains Germanic. The term, "hispanics" was used in the modern world mostly by academics to denote people of Spanish and Portuguese heritage. It became commonplace when the census department started using the word. Most Latinos think of "hispanic" as a somewhat bureaucratic word
In the BBC/Starz production , 'Da Vinci's Demons" there is a fantasy voyage to South America with Amerigo Vespucci and Leonardo da Vinci that beats Columbus by a decade. Amerigo is a bit of a loudmouth, and they kid him that he will try and name the bay that they are in after himself. He laughs out loud, and says he will name the whole f@ckin' place after himself - "Vespuccia".
Becoming educated won't kill you.
Your entire post isn't necessary. Firstly, when did Northern Ireland cease being part of Great Britain? The people there are considered British subjects.
Secondly, if you insist that Spanish and Portuguese speaking people are "Latino" because they speak a language that is descended from Latin, then you had better included the Quebecois in that group as French is also a language descended from Latin and Canada is on one of the American continents. See how stupid this starts to get?
The last line is really humorous. "Becoming educated won't kill you".
You are aware that British is both a nationality AND a geographic term, right? Ireland is part of the British Isles. Irish people are geographically British. Just like you can claim to be "American" based on loose geographic terms. You are part of the region known as America, or the Americas.
But British is also a nationality referring to nationals of the UK. Irish people are not the British nationality. English, Scottish, Welsh, and the people of Northern Ireland have British nationality.
Yet notice you don't see Irish people claiming to be "British" despite the fact that they come from the the geographic region known as the BRITISH ISLES! They claim to be their nationality - Irish!
Only these Latinos with an inferiority complex insist on being called the entire name of one or two continents. Calling someone "British" is nothing like this, because "British" is the demonym for a nationality of people, just like "American" is the used for nationals of the USA, and Mexican is used for nationals of the United Mexican States.
Your entire post isn't necessary. Firstly, when did Northern Ireland cease being part of Great Britain? The people there are considered British subjects.
Secondly, if you insist that Spanish and Portuguese speaking people are "Latino" because they speak a language that is descended from Latin, then you had better included the Quebecois in that group as French is also a language descended from Latin and Canada is on one of the American continents. See how stupid this starts to get?
Latino is just a shortened version of the term Latinoamericano, someone from the region known as Latin America. It has nothing to do with the Latin language. It is derived from a regional term of identity.
Now all of the Americans have their panties in a bunch and are sounding very ignorant.
People from the US are Americans.
Some people from Latin America use the term American to describe their regional identity.
Some people use the term America to describe the whole región(North, Central, South).
Accept it, deal with it, and move on. It's not going to change. Trying to force other people to see things only your way is immature.
Latino is just a shortened version of the term Latinoamericano, someone from the region known as Latin America. It has nothing to do with the Latin language. It is derived from a regional term of identity.
Now all of the Americans have their panties in a bunch and are sounding very ignorant.
People from the US are Americans.
Some people from Latin America use the term American to describe their regional identity.
Some people use the term America to describe the whole región(North, Central, South).
Accept it, deal with it, and move on. It's not going to change. Trying to force other people to see things only your way is immature.
I admit, I fell into that trap but I did it to attempt to illistrate your point that you just made.
I admit, I fell into that trap but I did it to attempt to illistrate your point that you just made.
Well my last comment was a general comment to everyone, not necesarily directed towards you.
This is the benefit of having grown up at a border, literally shuffling back and forth between two cultures and points of view for years. I know there are many ways of interpreting things and different ways of seeing the world.
Well my last comment was a general comment to everyone, not necesarily directed towards you.
This is the benefit of having grown up at a border, literally shuffling back and forth between two cultures and points of view for years. I know there are many ways of interpreting things and different ways of seeing the world.
They should be educated enough to realize the entire world says something and to go along with it.. even it it isn't what THEY believe to be 100% true.
Actually, I was referring to someone who responds with smug condescension that people can't call themselves Latinos because Latin is a dead language as "uneducated". It's a valid description, and refers to people who speak a Latin based language.
I realize that most of the world (including most of Latin America) equates "American" with "Citizen of the USA". I would not call that uneducated, as it is the norm. I merely said that the people who say otherwise have a valid argument, and it takes very little effort to respect their mutual claim to that denonym.
To call someone from Britain, English, means that you don't respect the last four hundred years of history that united the constituent countries into one nation. It's disrespectful to not say British instead of English (unless you are clearly talking about English instead of Welsh or Scottish).
People are entitled to be called by as accurate of a word as you can manage. It's just a sign of respect.
The last line is really humorous. "Becoming educated won't kill you".
You are aware that British is both a nationality AND a geographic term, right? Ireland is part of the British Isles. Irish people are geographically British.
The terms Briton, Britain are very old, since before the Roman conquest. There was Great Britain (referring to the Eastern Island) , and Lesser Britain (present day Brittany in France).
When England conquered Wales they referred to the kingdom of England and Wales. When the monarchy and then the parliament was united with Scotland, the Kingdom of Great Britain became the name. When they conquered Ireland, the term "United Kingdom" became official. The term "British Isles" was informal and is no long considered proper since The Republic of Ireland was formed in 1927. But the denonym British is still used to include all of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
It is impolite to call them English or to refer to the British Isles. You can talk about Irish ethnicity in Northern Ireland, but you cannot refer to the constituent country of NE as Irish.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hobbesdj
Only these Latinos with an inferiority complex insist on being called the entire name of one or two continents.
"American" is the used for nationals of the USA, and Mexican is used for nationals of the United Mexican States.
Paco, becoming educated won't kill you.
Every Spanish textbook uses the denonym Estadounidenses (or loosely United States people) . It's an attempt to be more accurate. It's also incredibly awkward so nobody uses it in real life.
All I am saying is that there is no reason for name calling ( i.e. "Latinos with an inferiority complex"). It's a perfectly valid argument used in all textbooks to say that we are all Americans. It is clear that in the oldest maps the New World assigned the name America to the entire continent.
It costs you nothing to say "I am from the USA". I am sure that it is entirely unnecessary since it is probably clear to everyone anyway.
I meant to say that Northern Ireland is not part of Great Britain. I typed that too hastily. I was waiting for someone to point that out.
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