Are you American or are you.......

[Thaluikhain]

Slightly different kettle of fish for me as I'm Australian and we're not that big a country, so I just call myself Australian.

Though that's true, New South wales has 3 times the population of old Wales (and something like 40 times the landmass), and the Welsh are seen as being a distinct entity.

Um, not really sure where your thinking is going there, I'm Australian, not Welsh, I never even mentioned Wales, and given that you didn't quote the part about me being in N.S.W. despite the fact I'm from Western Australia just makes it all the more confusing. Care to elaborate?

Well, I chose Wales and New South Wales mostly because they both happen to have "Wales" in them, though Wales is unusually small and NSW is the most populous Australian state.

Anyway, I was saying that the reason Australian states don't have much individual identity can't just be because of their size, because places like Wales are even smaller, but retain a distinct identity from England, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

 

[fordneagles]

Slightly different kettle of fish for me as I'm Australian and we're not that big a country, so I just call myself Australian.

Though that's true, New South wales has 3 times the population of old Wales (and something like 40 times the landmass), and the Welsh are seen as being a distinct entity.

Um, not really sure where your thinking is going there, I'm Australian, not Welsh, I never even mentioned Wales, and given that you didn't quote the part about me being in N.S.W. despite the fact I'm from Western Australia just makes it all the more confusing. Care to elaborate?

Well, I chose Wales and New South Wales mostly because they both happen to have "Wales" in them, though Wales is unusually small and NSW is the most populous Australian state.

Anyway, I was saying that the reason Australian states don't have much individual identity can't just be because of their size, because places like Wales are even smaller, but retain a distinct identity from England, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

And apparently according to people who aren't Australian (i.e. the American lady I referred to in my original post) people from different Australian states do have different identities, because she was immediately able to tell from talking to me that I was Australian but not from New South Wales.

When I originally referred to 'Australia not being that big', I actually meant it terms of population density comparative to America. Yes, Australia is huge in terms of landmass, but most of it isn't populated. If you consider just the parts of it that are populated, it's not that big at all, and given how far apart most of these areas are, it's not that surprising that each of the states are slightly different. It's just not a huge difference compared to America or Europe, and so to our Australian ears we sound pretty much the same It's just to someone who isn't Australian that we sound different enough to tell. That's all I was trying to say

 

[Palademon]

OT: I call myself an American outside of the country, because if I say "Kansas" no one knows what I am talking about anyway.

So you say it when you're not in Kansas anymore? hardy har har.

 

[Artina89]

I'm British and unless people specifically ask me where I am from (which they usually do because I have a bit of an accent) then I will respond by saying "I am from Leeds" or, "I am from Yorkshire".

 

[witness51]

I'm American, and thereby, an asshole.

 

[GodofCider]

Reading through these posts has been mildly interesting.

I've noticed more than once though, that people seem to imply the states in the US aren't really distinct. I think there's more to be said for that though, as although they are all generally the same, in that the federal government's regulations etc. apply (in theory) equally to all of them; there are nonetheless various nuances in laws, culture, language, and life between them all.

For example should I decide to move to a neighboring state. I must acquire a license plate from that state, register with the local house for voting rights, acquire new hunting and fishing licenses(should I wish to partake in these activities), and a slew of other minor details.

Snip.

I like you.

 

[MaxwellEdison]

I'm Northern Californian, but everyone just calls me The Mick.

 

[Haydyn]

I'm a self hating American who wants to be British who is mistaken as a Canadian and lives in Washington STATE less anyone instantly assume I mean Washington dc. I'm also a Pacific North Westerner.

 

[sam42ification]

I'm from Australia but I also refer to myself as a Queenslander. Nothing wrong about being proud of the state your from.

Unless you're a Queenslander. You have proberly guessed i'm from NSW. I've always wanted to ask a queenslander this; Are you aware that every one born and bread in QLD sucks at driving? Seriously. Thats what all of NSW thinks but what i really want to know is what the rest of Australia thinks of NSW?

I went throught this whole thing and including me there are only 4 Australians. I feel alone.

 

[Blue_vision]

I'm not American, but most of my American friends identify as their states/regions rather than "American." I personally think it's better that way, and I think it'd be better for the country as a whole if it were to split into separate nations in the future, just to keep a semblance of a specific cultural identity rather than melt a bunch of quite different cultures into "America."

I feel the same way about Canada. I identify myself as "Southern Ontarian," or sometimes "St. Lawrence Basin," but never "Canadian". The idea of having a massive geographical area being home to a single national identity is kind of weird to me. As such, I think that Canada should split at least 3 ways, probably more, once this massive geographical area develops more.

And as such, I like the idea of sub-national identities in a bunch of other countries, like the UK, Spain, China, or India.

 

[RuralGamer]

If I apply the same to my country, then I'm foremost Scottish, but British after that. Being Scottish, I reserve the right to rage whenever someone mislabels me English; British is fine, but English is, a slap in the face.

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

I was born in America so I am an American.

Whatever country you were born in that is what you are. You heritage may be different, but you are whatever country you were born in.

 

[Aphex Demon]

I'm English and will refer to myself as such, not British.

Couldn't agree more.

I'm from the UK, and English is my nationality.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

A question for the American's amongst us, and others if you want.

Do you see your state as a country where you come from, or do you just count yourself plain American?

I'm from The Netherlands and always identify myself that way. (not European)

You realise Europe is a Continent right?

Anyway, I don't think of myself as a New South Waler, but as an Australian.

 

[Xpwn3ntial]

OT: I call myself an American outside of the country, because if I say "Kansas" no one knows what I am talking about anyway.

So you say it when you're not in Kansas anymore? hardy har har.

For the first time in my life I have found a Wizard of Oz joke funny. Must be the lack of sleep.

 

[Ensiferum]

I classify myself as an American grateful for the opportunities my country provides, yet I also am proud of my Celtic, Scotch, Norse and Anglo-Saxon ancestry because of all of that warrior blood >

 

[Dwarfman]

I'm from Australia but I also refer to myself as a Queenslander. Nothing wrong about being proud of the state your from.

Unless you're a Queenslander. You have proberly guessed i'm from NSW. I've always wanted to ask a queenslander this; Are you aware that every one born and bread in QLD sucks at driving? Seriously. Thats what all of NSW thinks but what i really want to know is what the rest of Australia thinks of NSW?

I went throught this whole thing and including me there are only 4 Australians. I feel alone.

BWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! Yeah...It's one of those few things we generally suck at. Parallel parking is something I gave up on long ago. But for other people, simple things like merging, giving away, indicating, driving to conditions of weather and road...well lets just say driving at peek hour in and out of Brisbane is really fucking scary! Don't even get me started on the Bruce. Not as bad as the Hume Highway but faaaarrrK!

I had a South Australian correct me on this and tell me Queenslanders drive fine and its South Australians that suck so who knows...

And don't feel alone my friend. Even if you are a 'blue-bummed cockroach' we Aussies stick together! =D>