What is an American?

[Mooshi]

Was originally going to post this in general, but after reading the response from an angry Canadian claiming Canadians aren't American..I thought it'd be better suited here. Alittle just in case so to speak.

I don't think there is much to debate about, but it's nice getting other opinions.

When someone hears the phrase "American", they automatically assume the citizens of the USA. American this American that. Those bloody Americans! But why is that?

Technically the USA doesn't have a proper name for a country. A group of states..that are united! Haha - Collectively, it's part of the Americas. Which of course is North and South America. In N.America, we have Mexico, USA and Canada. Technically, Canadians and Mexicans are American as well, but are rarely addressed as such. The USA (United States Of America) is a mass of land sandwiched between the two that kinda  "stole" the term "America".

In a way, it remindes me of the UK. When someone hears the term "UK/United Kingdom/British Isles" they tend to think of England by default. Even though the whole of the UK includes Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Difference is, someone from England can be called either British or an Englishman. Those who are from the USA are "American" with not much else to choose from outside the informal "Yank".

How does it make you feel that the USA "owns" the term "America"? If you could give the USA a proper country name, what would it be?

I can't really think of another country thats name is closely linked to its  continent aside from Australia.

This thread is about the American label!

[Alsek]

Really gets down to whether or not you're going based off of technicalities or colloquialisms.

If i were to say,  "I'm an American,"  I'm sure that most people would know exactly what I'm talking about.

But honestly there's not really another term used to refer to everyone that is a citizen of this country.  What's the alternative?  I'm an USAian?

We kind of went from being a united group of states under one union to,   (after the civil war) a single country with states that were unable to leave said union.  We used to just refer to people by the state...  But when we went from saying,  "The United states are," to saying, "The United States is," A term was never really invented.

As for me,  i choose to separate myself from this ridiculous argument whenever it comes up by proudly referring to myself as either a Texan,  or a Texian.   ^^

[Yip]

I knew someone from Ecuador that didn't like the term "American" for US citizens precisely because it's a term that should apply to anyone from the Americas. He seen it as USA sort of 'stealing the spotlight' if you will. Something USA tends to do a lot.

In some ways I agree, but on the other hand, the country is named the "United States of America". Thus, it's citizens could be "United States of Americans" and 'American' could be short for that.

Basically, although I think it'd be nice to have a better term, I'm ok with 'American' because we don't have a better alternative given the name of the country.

[Mooshi]

I agree with the man from Ecuador. The term "American" does make a lot more sense for continents. N.American for the north, S.American for the south and American to include all of the Americas. That would put it on par with the term European for the continent of Europe.

Anyone from a European country are collectively known as Europeans, but also have a name native to their country. French, German, Dutch, Swiss, Swedish and so on. USA on the other hand are American..why doesn't our country have a real name? Dx   

[Yip]

Since USA is often shortened to US, maybe we should be called Statesians. 

[Alsek]

Now there's something i haven't heard.  ^^

Bit of a glottal stop there though...  may need to toy around with the pronunciation a bit. 

But seriously...  I don't see any point in making a big deal out of it.  I think people look for things to complain about.

[Mooshi]

Lawl, not really complaining per say. Just find it interesting is all. Maybe the US should use its superpower status and claim the term America/American strictly for itself. You know, rename North and South America to something else.

And just because... U.ngulate S.upporters A.nonymous...xDD -hides behind Liedt-

[Alsek]

A.nonymous...xDD -hides behind Liedt-

Anonymity fail.

[animagusurreal]

I guess maybe it's because all the other countries in North and South America named themselves something else, and we didn't? I dunno, does any other country have a problem with the U.S.A. being referred to as America?

[Serra Belvoule]

Well I tend to poke fun at the fact that an "American" is usually regarded as someone from USA instead of someone from the whole American continent, or how America seems to be the second continent with such segregation. Why else would we name it "North America, South America, Latin America, meso/aridoamerica" and the such?
X3 Buuuuut I guess Australia wins on that... because Australia is just a country and yet Oceania is barely considered anything else...
Oh well :3

[animagusurreal]

I wonder what the 13 British colonies called themselves, collectively, prior to the American Revolution? My first thought was New England, but that seems to only refer to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, according to Wikipedia.

Spain's North American colonies were New Spain, and France's were New France. People seem to like to name things New (Wherever They Came From) back then.

In American History, England's generally just seem to be referred to as "The Colonies."

Now, as far as I know, the U.S. was the first to revolt against Eurpoean rule. Perhaps using the name of the American continent was
to emphasize that they were no longer being controlled by Europe. (Pure speculation on my part here ).

New Spain later changed it's name to Mexico after its revolution. I wonder if they would have taken the name America, if they would have revolted first? And when/how did Canada get named Canada?

[Arbutus]

I wonder what the 13 British colonies called themselves, collectively, prior to the American Revolution? My first thought was New England, but that seems to only refer to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, according to Wikipedia.

"The American colonies."

Note that this also included Canada, Florida, and the British West Indian colonies... the only reason we wound up with 13 original states is that only 13 colonies joined the Revolution.

[Old Rabbit]

I wonder if we actually coined the term American for a U.S. citizen .Or was it started by
peoples of other nations..

Inside the collective states many times in the past one called them
selves by the state they grew up in.. In my case a Missourian..   Or
another might be a Californian..

[Serra Belvoule]

New Spain later changed it's name to Mexico after its revolution. I wonder if they would have taken the name America, if they would have revolted first? And when/how did Canada get named Canada?

I don't think they were battling because of the name...
And I am actually curious on the history of Canada's name :3 Maybe our hoofed friend can illustrate us?

[Sky Striker]

Yes, that is a bit odd. However there's not much we can do, I really doubt that we will be willing to change what we call ourselves. 

[Old Rabbit]

I did a internet search and found at (answers.com) the name Canada is a indian word meaning
village, or settlement, or land..

The name was used for the area that Quebec City was founded in by Samuel de Champlain in 1608.

[Mooshi]

That's actually pretty awesome, Old Rabbit. (what is it with North America and India?! )

[Old Rabbit]

Well as we know indigenous peoples of the Americas were called indian by Columbus because he believed he was close to the the far east..   Even though he never found a passage to India the name stuck..

According to Wikipedia http://americascitizen.com/#Naming
The name America was derived from the Latinized version of the explorer Amerigo Vespucci's name, Americus Vespucius, in its feminine form, America, as the other continents all have Latin feminine names.


Columbus was a great navigator, but a poor leader and failed at setting
up and running successful colony's in the new world. In fact he was sent
back to Spain in chains from one colony for his bad policies.

Columbus believed his discoveries were near China and India to his death.

[Serra Belvoule]

I did a internet search and found at (answers.com) the name Canada is a indian word meaning
village, or settlement, or land..

The name was used for the area that Quebec City was founded in by Samuel de Champlain in 1608.

Well that sounds awesome! :3 Makes me feel even more proud of being an immigrant residing in Quebec  <3