Why do USA citizens call themselves 'Americans'?

[Crono]

I'm still wondering why America was named after Amerigo (if indeed it was named for him). You would think that some other name would have stuck.

 

[CKent]

Originally posted by: Arcadio
Somebody back me up: They do teach you that America is one continent, divided into 3 regions: North, Central, and South America.

Three regions, yes. Two continents though.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Originally posted by: Arcadio

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca

Originally posted by: Arcadio

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca

Originally posted by: Isaac MM
I know the historical reasons for that, but i don't understand why nobody has made any efforts to change this. I still see your media calling USA citizens "Americans" and calling the USA "America". I also haven't seen anyone doing differently. Can't you see that it makes your people look arrogant and egocentric, specially to other Americans? Also, it makes you look stupid, because the United States of America is the name of your country and America is the name of the continent, it almost sounds like you don't know basic geography.

It is the same as it would be referring to French people as Europeans, or Japanese people Asians, or Egyptian people Africans. There are over 35 countries in America, do you think they like that whenever someone says "American" people immediately think of the USA? It is extremely offensive and makes it sound like the USA is the only relevant country in the continent.

/rant

Wait, you think "America" is a continent? I think you're the stupid one.

Actually, in other countries they teach you that "America" is the name of the entire continent. In fact, I think they teach you that in every single country except in the USA.

Which one? North America or South America? They are two distinct continents, as separate as Asia and Africa. If they teach it that way, they are wrong.

Somebody back me up: They do teach you that America is one continent, divided into 3 regions: North, Central, and South America.

I'm not disputing you that some people teach it that way, I'm just saying it's wrong to teach it that way. Since Africa and (Eur)Asia are linked by the Suez peninsula, they are technically part of the same continent too. So "America" is no more a continent than "Afri-Eur-Asia" is.

 

[PieIsAwesome]

Originally posted by: Arcadio

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca

Originally posted by: Arcadio

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca

Originally posted by: Isaac MM
I know the historical reasons for that, but i don't understand why nobody has made any efforts to change this. I still see your media calling USA citizens "Americans" and calling the USA "America". I also haven't seen anyone doing differently. Can't you see that it makes your people look arrogant and egocentric, specially to other Americans? Also, it makes you look stupid, because the United States of America is the name of your country and America is the name of the continent, it almost sounds like you don't know basic geography.

It is the same as it would be referring to French people as Europeans, or Japanese people Asians, or Egyptian people Africans. There are over 35 countries in America, do you think they like that whenever someone says "American" people immediately think of the USA? It is extremely offensive and makes it sound like the USA is the only relevant country in the continent.

/rant

Wait, you think "America" is a continent? I think you're the stupid one.

Actually, in other countries they teach you that "America" is the name of the entire continent. In fact, I think they teach you that in every single country except in the USA.

Which one? North America or South America? They are two distinct continents, as separate as Asia and Africa. If they teach it that way, they are wrong.

Somebody back me up: They do teach you that America is one continent, divided into 3 regions: North, Central, and South America.

When my father goes into his old-man rants he mentions this, and of course he isn't from the U.S.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: Arcadio

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca

Originally posted by: Isaac MM
I know the historical reasons for that, but i don't understand why nobody has made any efforts to change this. I still see your media calling USA citizens "Americans" and calling the USA "America". I also haven't seen anyone doing differently. Can't you see that it makes your people look arrogant and egocentric, specially to other Americans? Also, it makes you look stupid, because the United States of America is the name of your country and America is the name of the continent, it almost sounds like you don't know basic geography.

It is the same as it would be referring to French people as Europeans, or Japanese people Asians, or Egyptian people Africans. There are over 35 countries in America, do you think they like that whenever someone says "American" people immediately think of the USA? It is extremely offensive and makes it sound like the USA is the only relevant country in the continent.

/rant

Wait, you think "America" is a continent? I think you're the stupid one.

Actually, in other countries they teach you that "America" is the name of the entire continent. In fact, I think they teach you that in every single country except in the USA.

As Astro continued in his edit, there is no continent called "America". There are additional parts to the name.

That's like Greenland the Arctic. Not very descriptive yes, because there are two.

Anyhow... what does anyone suppose we do about this situation? I mean, we must not continue to call ourselves Americans, we might offend some.. oops too late for that.

What else is there? The Unitians? Statians? United Statians? USAians?

For what its worth, America has been the name that has stuck, since we are the only country with the name "America" in it, and because in North America, historically we were the only country that mattered. Mexico might as well be third-world, and Canada... well, they're our hat. Come on now.

 

[TehMac]

Originally posted by: Crono
I'm still wondering why America was named after Amerigo (if indeed it was named for him). You would think that some other name would have stuck.

He was the first guy to make a comprehensive map of it, and then signed it really big.


Sounds good enough to me.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Originally posted by: destrekor

Originally posted by: Arcadio

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca

Originally posted by: Isaac MM
I know the historical reasons for that, but i don't understand why nobody has made any efforts to change this. I still see your media calling USA citizens "Americans" and calling the USA "America". I also haven't seen anyone doing differently. Can't you see that it makes your people look arrogant and egocentric, specially to other Americans? Also, it makes you look stupid, because the United States of America is the name of your country and America is the name of the continent, it almost sounds like you don't know basic geography.

It is the same as it would be referring to French people as Europeans, or Japanese people Asians, or Egyptian people Africans. There are over 35 countries in America, do you think they like that whenever someone says "American" people immediately think of the USA? It is extremely offensive and makes it sound like the USA is the only relevant country in the continent.

/rant

Wait, you think "America" is a continent? I think you're the stupid one.

Actually, in other countries they teach you that "America" is the name of the entire continent. In fact, I think they teach you that in every single country except in the USA.

As Astro continued in his edit, there is no continent called "America". There are additional parts to the name.

That's like Greenland the Arctic. Not very descriptive yes, because there are two.

Anyhow... what does anyone suppose we do about this situation? I mean, we must not continue to call ourselves Americans, we might offend some.. oops too late for that.

What else is there? The Unitians? Statians? United Statians? USAians?

For what its worth, America has been the name that has stuck, since we are the only country with the name "America" in it, and because in North America, historically we were the only country that mattered. Mexico might as well be third-world, and Canada... well, they're our hat. Come on now.

:thumbsup:

Mexico's official name is the "Estados Unidos Mexicanos" or "United Mexican States." They're called Mexico for the sake of brevity. Canada is just Canada. And all the other countries in Central and South America have another name as well.

I don't see any reason why "United States of America" can't be shortened to "America." I think it's just jealousy and/or America-hating.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: CKent

Originally posted by: Arcadio
Somebody back me up: They do teach you that America is one continent, divided into 3 regions: North, Central, and South America.

Three regions, yes. Two continents though.

central is the only "region", since its kind of shared between two continents, although technically its really North America by land.

Nobody can back you up Arcadio because that is completely wrong, and I weep for any students who were taught that. North America is a completely separate continent from South America. There's a land-bridge country, but that's about it. Much the same as the land-bridge between Asia and North America between Russia and Alaska.

 

[Arcadio]

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca

Originally posted by: Arcadio

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca

Originally posted by: Arcadio

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca

Originally posted by: Isaac MM
I know the historical reasons for that, but i don't understand why nobody has made any efforts to change this. I still see your media calling USA citizens "Americans" and calling the USA "America". I also haven't seen anyone doing differently. Can't you see that it makes your people look arrogant and egocentric, specially to other Americans? Also, it makes you look stupid, because the United States of America is the name of your country and America is the name of the continent, it almost sounds like you don't know basic geography.

It is the same as it would be referring to French people as Europeans, or Japanese people Asians, or Egyptian people Africans. There are over 35 countries in America, do you think they like that whenever someone says "American" people immediately think of the USA? It is extremely offensive and makes it sound like the USA is the only relevant country in the continent.

/rant

Wait, you think "America" is a continent? I think you're the stupid one.

Actually, in other countries they teach you that "America" is the name of the entire continent. In fact, I think they teach you that in every single country except in the USA.

Which one? North America or South America? They are two distinct continents, as separate as Asia and Africa. If they teach it that way, they are wrong.

Somebody back me up: They do teach you that America is one continent, divided into 3 regions: North, Central, and South America.

I'm not disputing you that some people teach it that way, I'm just saying it's wrong to teach it that way. Since Africa and (Eur)Asia are linked by the Suez peninsula, they are technically part of the same continent too. So "America" is no more a continent than "Afri-Eur-Asia" is.

I understand, but then there's the question of why is it "North America" and "South America" instead of using a different name for each continent.

This discussion is pointless, though. There is really no consensus anywhere...

 

[Regs]

Because im proud to be an american because at least I know im free.

*stumps feet like a idiot*

 

[StageLeft]

Canadians don't find it offensive and I rather doubt Mexicans do, either or anybody from South America. I used to think the same as you, but you're making it more than it is. Nobody calls themselves Americans other than those from the USA.

 

[Freshgeardude]

Originally posted by: PieIsAwesome
USA is the only real America.

this

 

[badkarma1399]

North and South America being taught as one continent is retarded. They lie on two completely separate tectonic plates with only a sliver of land connecting them.

 

[allies]

Originally posted by: Isaac MM
I know the historical reasons for that, but i don't understand why nobody has made any efforts to change this. I still see your media calling USA citizens "Americans" and calling the USA "America". I also haven't seen anyone doing differently. Can't you see that it makes your people look arrogant and egocentric, specially to other Americans? Also, it makes you look stupid, because the United States of America is the name of your country and America is the name of the continent, it almost sounds like you don't know basic geography.

It is the same as it would be referring to French people as Europeans, or Japanese people Asians, or Egyptian people Africans. There are over 35 countries in America, do you think they like that whenever someone says "American" people immediately think of the USA? It is extremely offensive and makes it sound like the USA is the only relevant country in the continent.

/rant

People from Europe aren't European?

 

[feralkid]

Originally posted by: Crono
I'm still wondering why America was named after Amerigo (if indeed it was named for him). You would think that some other name would have stuck.

It was named in honor of Amerigo Vespucci. Would you prefer it be called Vespucciland?

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Isaac MM
I know the historical reasons for that, but i don't understand why nobody has made any efforts to change this. I still see your media calling USA citizens "Americans" and calling the USA "America". I also haven't seen anyone doing differently. Can't you see that it makes your people look arrogant and egocentric, specially to other Americans? Also, it makes you look stupid, because the United States of America is the name of your country and America is the name of the continent, it almost sounds like you don't know basic geography.

It is the same as it would be referring to French people as Europeans, or Japanese people Asians, or Egyptian people Africans. There are over 35 countries in America, do you think they like that whenever someone says "American" people immediately think of the USA? It is extremely offensive and makes it sound like the USA is the only relevant country in the continent.

/rant

Because it's just a word and the people who interpret it as "arrogant" or "stupid" have a stick shoved so far up their arse that nobody gives two sh*ts about what they think.

ZV

 

[So]

Originally posted by: Isaac MM
I know the historical reasons for that, but i don't understand why nobody has made any efforts to change this. I still see your media calling USA citizens "Americans" and calling the USA "America". I also haven't seen anyone doing differently. Can't you see that it makes your people look arrogant and egocentric, specially to other Americans? Also, it makes you look stupid, because the United States of America is the name of your country and America is the name of the continent, it almost sounds like you don't know basic geography.

It is the same as it would be referring to French people as Europeans, or Japanese people Asians, or Egyptian people Africans. There are over 35 countries in America, do you think they like that whenever someone says "American" people immediately think of the USA? It is extremely offensive and makes it sound like the USA is the only relevant country in the continent.

/rant

Sucks to be the little guy, eh?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Terzo
Out of curiosity, what would you call us instead?
United States of Americans?

This.

I bet the OP is one of those ignorant people who refer to the United States of Americans' neighbors to the south as Mexicans instead of the proper term, Estados Unidos Mexicanosos. And where the fuck do Americans get off using the phrase "United States" when we aren't the only United States in the world (see: Estados Unidos Mexicanos)?

FYI, OP - America is not a continent. North America is a continent. South America is a continent. The United States of America, a.k.a. America, a.k.a. the United States, is a country. It is not just United States of Americans who call this country "America." Interpreting it as arrogance is idiotic and indicative of your penis envy.

 

[JujuFish]

Awesome thread.

 

[tboo]

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
Because we can.

This

 

[middlehead]

Originally posted by: destrekor
There's a land-bridge country, but that's about it.

And we cut that bridge country in half.

AMERICA, FUCK YEAH!

 

[dighn]

Wtf? Even outside of America, the US is known as "America", and its people "Americans". It has nothing to do with American arrogance.

 

[alkemyst]

calling ourselves "better than you" sounds a bit to pompous.

 

[Regs]

Some one put a trace out on this guy he might have a beard.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Originally posted by: dighn
Wtf? Even outside of America, the US is known as "America", and its people "Americans". It has nothing to do with American arrogance.

Typical American arrogance. Most countries do not use the Term America to refer to this country unless they happen to be speaking in English. Most languages have their own words to refer to America and other countries.

PS- The First Sentence was sarcastic.