Americans. Please help me understand

[Jadak]

First of all, because being "American" doesn't mean anything more than being "European". Being "American" could mean Canadian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, Dominican, Native American, etc. and it's always been a bit weird that people born and raised in the United States are referred to as "American", but there's no simpler way of referring to us because what, are we going to use an unwieldy phrase like "Statesian"?

Falling back on our cultural heritage gives us something to grab onto.

Kind of off there..

People from America aren't simply referred to as American because it's most convenient (although it is, and that may be why it was selected originally), but 'American" is, in fact the official Demonym of the US.

So while yes, "American", could simply be referring to anyone from the "America's", as foolish as that may be, it also the entirely correct term for US Americans while having nothing to do with those other folk.

Same word, two unrelated but perfectly valid usages. Or two different words, same spelling. However the hell that works.

 

[Basement Cat]

First of all, because being "American" doesn't mean anything more than being "European". Being "American" could mean Canadian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, Dominican, Native American, etc. and it's always been a bit weird that people born and raised in the United States are referred to as "American", but there's no simpler way of referring to us because what, are we going to use an unwieldy phrase like "Statesian"?

Yes there is. Foreigners have been using the same term for Americans for well over two centuries now.

They call us "Yankees". Sometimes shortened to "Yanks".

"Yankee doodle went to town..." remember that song?

 

[Xdeser2]

You Have to understand firstly that the U.S. is a country made up of immigrants. Different successive waves of immigration brought lots of different ethnicities here. Its more of a way to communicate Ancestory than anything else.

Sure, everyone here is "American" but thats only half the story unless your Native American. You really cant say "oh, my family came from here" when its only been around at max 6-7 generations.

We tend to divide between nationality and ethnicity.

^
This

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

We call them yanquis over here. I don't like using the word 'American' very much since it should technically mean anybody in the whole continent, but people from the US only recognize themselves as American. I get that it's semantically correct since the word 'America' is contained in the name of the country, so you can call yourself that, but if you're from Central America or South America doesn't that make you technically American as well?

I know but I don't care much for arguing[footnote]Makes me wonder what the hell I'm doing in a discussion board.[/footnote] so I just gave up and started calling them Americans, and I thought Yanqui was a word specifically for New Yorkers/Manhattan state, but whatever I guess it works.

In Argentina every American is called either yanqui or gringo. I think gringo is a bit more condescending, "yanqui" not particularly. We don't really have any other word to call them. Norteamericano and estadounidense are too formal, nobody talks like that.

 

[Twilight_guy]

Because in the US it's considered borderline racist to describe someone by the color of there skin or race, or ethnicity, etc. Saying "Black" isn't bad but is frowned upon. In a similar way whenever ethnicity comes up it is said as "X-American" to try and avoid sounding racist. In addition, some people like to strongly identify themselves with there "native" country and add their ancestral country of origin to describe themselves. (Technically the only non-foreigners here native americans who have gotten the shaft throughout history even since Europeans arrived)

 

[emeraldrafael]

A sense of individualism among that person probably, or pride int heir heritage. I dont know why they would introduce themselves as such. I always say Im of whatever descent if asked, but I dont just outright say I am italian or german or the other countries that make me up.

or it may be the negative image other countries have for comparatively little reason when you say you're American.

 

[Kae]

We call them yanquis over here. I don't like using the word 'American' very much since it should technically mean anybody in the whole continent, but people from the US only recognize themselves as American. I get that it's semantically correct since the word 'America' is contained in the name of the country, so you can call yourself that, but if you're from Central America or South America doesn't that make you technically American as well?

I know but I don't care much for arguing[footnote]Makes me wonder what the hell I'm doing in a discussion board.[/footnote] so I just gave up and started calling them Americans, and I thought Yanqui was a word specifically for New Yorkers/Manhattan state, but whatever I guess it works.

In Argentina every American is called either yanqui or gringo. I think gringo is a bit more condescending, "yanqui" not particularly. We don't really have any other word to call them. Norteamericano and estadounidense are too formal, nobody talks like that.

Yeah it works, it's a better term, perhaps Mexicans could be persuaded to use it too, though they may in the South, I haven't been there in a long time, people on the center use the word Estadounidense though, though I do reckon that the only people I talked to last time I was there were my cousins and they talk in a very formal way.

 

[thiosk]

Theres always that story of the guy who immigrated from zimbabwe who was denied an african american scholarship because he was white.

None of that ______ American drivel means anything anymore. You can talk about how America has destroyed your culture or held you down, but run like a puppy to the US Embassy you will when you get in trouble on your spring break excursion abroad.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Probably because Gringo sounds racist like "Guera" or "Negrita"[footnote]if the person is Black-American.[/footnote].

Well one of the presumed origins of the name is misspelled "Green Go", referring to Mexicans telling the US Army to go away, I think this is attributed the the Battle of the Alamo but I'm not sure, but I can see why they wouldn't like that but whatever.

I thought it was supposed to be a corruption of the word "griego"; literally "Greek," but colloquially "foreigner" (or "gibberish"). It originated in Spain, rather than Mexico.

 

[Kae]

Probably because Gringo sounds racist like "Guera" or "Negrita"[footnote]if the person is Black-American.[/footnote].

Well one of the presumed origins of the name is misspelled "Green Go", referring to Mexicans telling the US Army to go away, I think this is attributed the the Battle of the Alamo but I'm not sure, but I can see why they wouldn't like that but whatever.

I thought it was supposed to be a corruption of the word "griego"; literally "Greek," but colloquially "foreigner" (or "gibberish"). It originated in Spain, rather than Mexico.

Yeah I've heard of that before, it's likely that's the true origin of the word and someone made up that other story later because they weren't aware of the origin of the word, but that's why I said "One of the presumed origins", I just mentioned that one because it explains the hostility towards the term
But yeah you're right.

 

[TheBestPieEver]

I don't know but I like it. I am dating this girl with a really thick southern accent and she's as american as apple pie yet still refers to herself as Scottish. I find it so adorable.

 

[TheNaut131]

I always figured it was another way to make things more specific...though I'm exactly sure why it needs to be more specific, at least in casual conversation. I can see why it might matter when trying to identify, contact, or differentiate between people for legitimate reasons, but when on equal terms in lighthearted conversation, what's the point?

...then again, if you're gonna do something a certain way for one thing, why not do it the same way for everything else?

Well, there are plenty of people who moved to the US and though being US citizens, still use whatever prefix. Honestly, it doesn't really bother me...except with black people (this coming from one) because that shit doesn't work on either end of the spectrum. People are fickle and everyone has different preferences, and no one's allowed to be fully satisfied with such a minute detail on this planet.

I just go with black because most people seem okay with it and it covers everything...except for anyone from Caribbean. Because they will tell you they're Jamaican.

Edit: How do you guys handle nationality and ethnicity in Europe? (Since the United States is the just the fucking wild card on this planet and has to over complicate things) Like a person of Irish descent who lives in Germany?

 

[Beffudled Sheep_v1legacy]

We call them yanquis over here. I don't like using the word 'American' very much since it should technically mean anybody in the whole continent, but people from the US only recognize themselves as American. I get that it's semantically correct since the word 'America' is contained in the name of the country, so you can call yourself that, but if you're from Central America or South America doesn't that make you technically American as well?

I know but I don't care much for arguing[footnote]Makes me wonder what the hell I'm doing in a discussion board.[/footnote] so I just gave up and started calling them Americans, and I thought Yanqui was a word specifically for New Yorkers/Manhattan state, but whatever I guess it works.

Probably because Gringo sounds racist like "Guera" or "Negrita"[footnote]if the person is Black-American.[/footnote].

Well one of the presumed origins of the name is misspelled "Green Go", referring to Mexicans telling the US Army to go away, I think this is attributed the the Battle of the Alamo but I'm not sure, but I can see why they wouldn't like that but whatever.

I like it
It makes me giggle

And all American women are delicious Mexican food [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gringas] with that term!

You've just made my night with that!

 

[jamesbrown]

It has been already stated, simply put, due to the fact that very little of the population is native and the country is so large, people identify themselves with their culture simply because that's what they grew up with. I come from an Italian family which is why my taste in food is more toward the European pallet, whereas someone who grew up in an Latino home would find Mexican/South American food more palatable. It also has to do with a lot of cultural history and "the melting-pot" the USA was/is and personal identity. These reasons can become very complex and I am not willing to write an dissertation on it right now.

Also these are the terms that I understand it to be, coming from LA.
Canada- Canadians
USA- Americans
Mexico- Mexicans, Latinos
Puerto Rica- Puerto Ricans
South America- South Americans

These are off the top of my head and if a country was missed it is simply because I do not encounter enough people from that specific place

 

[Jamash]

Well, my dad was born in Vietnam and is Vietnamese. Does living in America somehow invalidate the fact that I am half Asian?

Why do you consider yourself half Asian, rather than half Vietnamese?

To me it seems strange because Asia is a huge and diverse continent of which Vietnam is only a small part, so it seems like "half Asian" is an acknowledgement of your mixed heritage, but you don't really want to go into specifics and identify the Vietnamese aspect.

It may also be because in the UK "Asian" is used to refer to people from the Indian subcontinent, but it seems odd to identify one's heritage by vaguely hinting at the general part of the globe your ancestors were born (only being slightly more specific than identifying as a "Northern Hemispherian-American" or a "Southern Hemispherian-American").

Why do some Americans refer to themselves specifically as Irish-America or Italian-American, yet others only as Asian-American, when both Ireland and Italy are in Europe so both Irish-Americans and Italian-Americans can be generalised to European-Americans.

The term "Asian-American" has always puzzled me, because unlike "African-American" in which the descendants of slaves have lost trace of their specific roots and ancestry (or been forced to forget), the majority of "Asian-Americans" know what specific country on the continent of Asia they hail from.

To me there seems to be a vast and significant distinction between the Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Thai, Vietnamese and all the other nationalities and races that occupy the continent of Asia, so much so that generalising them all as merely "Asian" seems a bit disingenuous. I know I don't like being reduced to "European" as that's quite inaccurate and ignores my nationality and heritage, so I would imagine it would be the same for other continents too.

Is it because a Vietnamese, Japanese, or Chinese American have had to assimilate into a country that, in the latter part of the 20th Century and during the Cold War, has waged major wars against their nation of origin, so there was a reluctance to refer their heritage as "Enemy-American" and that convention has stuck?

 

[Ieyke]

First of all, because being "American" doesn't mean anything more than being "European". Being "American" could mean Canadian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, Dominican, Native American, etc. and it's always been a bit weird that people born and raised in the United States are referred to as "American", but there's no simpler way of referring to us because what, are we going to use an unwieldy phrase like "Statesian"?

No.

People from the USA are Americans.
People from Canada are Canadians.
People from Mexico are Mexicans
People from the USA, Canada and Mexico are North Americans.

You can continue the same pattern for everyone from each of the South American countries.

Referring to people from both North and South America, they are "People Of The Americas".

"American" means people from the USA, because simply "American" wasn't in use and our country is referred to in abbreviated form as "America" as often as it is "The United States", and you can't derive any sort of decent demonym from that.

But yea, Fappy already covered the whole "_____-American" thing.
I personally go with "half-German" since I'm more "half-German" than "German-American", what with being both an American and German citizen, speaking both languages, being literally half-German, and having spent a good deal of time in Germany.

"____-American" is almost meaninglessly vague as to what it means in any random case.

 

[TehCookie]

I'm a mix between Irish, German, Swedish I think I have some Polish among other things. If I just said "American" people wouldn't know that my family is a mix of pretty much every stereotypically drunk race.

Really I just say American, I'm so mixed I don't even know how much of what I have in me. The only amounts I know for sure is I'm 1/4th German (my strongest) and 1/32 Native American.

 

[gamernerdtg2]

Language is a big part of this also. One thing that continues to astound me in Europe is the way that people can speak at least two languages. Some can speak three languages like it's no big deal. I admire that! Europe is several countries put together, but the United States is one country with one primary language. I can leave NY to go to Jersey and still speak English. If I leave Germany and go into the Alps, I'm screwed if someone starts speaking Swiss German.

If not for the ethnic distinctions we'd be "black and white" because our country's history is unfortunately skewered by racism. The only true Americans are the Indians who were nearly destroyed or forced to mix with African Americans in many cases.

To say that you are an "x" American is primarily a physical thing - you look Italian, Irish, etc, but you were born in the United States. African Americans are black people who have no idea where their African ancestry lies because the slave records were not kept like immigrant records from other countries. Slaves were not considered human beings. Black people are called Afro-Americans primarily because of skin tone, and also to avoid the slurs that came about over the course of US history. If you're white, there are a whole myriad of negative connotations associated with that (again, because of our skewered history) so it helps to say Italian, German, Irish, etc. Although I've never heard someone say "I'm French American" or "Belgian American" before. Come to think about it, Italian and Irish are the only ones that I've heard combined with American...and Jewish also. Americans tend to be strange and superficial in this way, sad to say. You've stimulated a lot of thought over this and I actualy appreciate it...

 

[gamernerdtg2]

No.

People from the USA are Americans.
People from Canada are Canadians.
People from Mexico are Mexicans
People from the USA, Canada and Mexico are North Americans.

You can continue the same pattern for everyone from each of the South American countries.

Referring to people from both North and South America, they are "People Of The Americas".

"American" means people from the USA, because simply "American" wasn't in use and our country is referred to in abbreviated form as "America" as often as it is "The United States", and you can't derive any sort of decent demonym from that.

American means that you were born in the United States of America. North American but not Canadian. I always thought that was pretty clear.

People from Brazil are called Brazilians. Peruvians, Colombians, Venezuelans, etc are from Peru, Colombia, and Venezuala respectively. They all have their own culture, history, etc because they are separate countries. I think that's what you meant, but I'm not sure...

Being European is way too vague because of language and culture. Being American typically means that people see you as belonging to the USA. We are joined under one language and one culture...as sad as it may be at times it's a culture. It's more specific if you say American rather than European. Euro can mean English, French, German, Bellarusian, etc, where as if I say I'm American I'm from one of the 50 United States...it actually means something... I dunno it seems really simple to me but perhaps things have changed?

 

[Supertegwyn]

I was born in Australia, but both my parents are Welsh. Therefore I call myself Welsh Australian.

Although calling yourself Italian American if you have Italian grandparents and you have never been to the country is stretching it a bit.