"Leaving America"

[Uncle Dermot]

Agree: Argentinian people always complain about the fact that people consider America the US only and they call themselves American too. In Europe we consider America the US only and we call the rest of the continent South America, the main reason why we make such a distinction is because the northern part of the continent speaks English, while the southern/central part speaks Spanish.

 

[Amargo]

It's not just expats that complain about Argentina -- read some Argentine forums or the comments section of the online editions of the newspapers and you'll see it's the locals too.

Argentines complain a lot, please read my last sentece quoted by you above. I was just saying that complaining is not only limited to Argentines...and that I don't see how it has to be with a inferiority complex.
Probably it was poor English.

 

[gouchobob]

Why don't South Americans use the same terms that Americans use to describe each other, i.e. beaner, bohunk, cracker, dago, greaseball, honky, jap, kike, etc.(a more complete list here http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/List_of_ethnic_slurs). Just having the word gringo doesn't seem fair.

 

[Amargo]

Just having the word gringo doesn't seem fair.

In Argentina gringo is rather someone from Italy...or a foreigner. But in most cases it is applied to italians. Like Mario "el gringo" Bolatti, Héctor "el gringo" Scotta, etc.
Gabriel Heinze, a football player, is called "el gringo" even though he has a German surname.

People from the USA are called yanquis...and as far as I know it doesn't have a derogatory connotation (I heard in the USA it does).

 

[Uncle Dermot]

What if the rest of the world instantly connected the word "America" with Paraguay or Bolivia and not with the US? Do you think people living on the American continent, who are not Paraguayans or Bolivians, would get so annoyed when they are not called Americans?

 

[NoPat]

Agree: Argentinian people always complain about the fact that people consider America the US only and they call themselves American too.

Many have pointed out already that the same happens all over Latin America.

And about complaining in general about everything, the difference is that locals complaining about their own country is standard fare all around the world. A foreigner complaining and moaning rubs the locals the wrong way. Add to the equation the fact that many of these foreigners have a dubious right to reside in the country (to say the least, not to write illegally), and haven't been around for that long, can you blame the locals for being annoyed?

As I pointed out a while ago on the same subject, most of the local's annoyance comes from the stubborn refusal that some of you show to understand the point, a very simple and straightforward one I should add. The refusal to see the argument from the other side.

If you (assuming you are from the USA) understand why the fuss and say "I can see your point", you've won them over and end of argument. On the other hand, if you do what the majority does (i.e. be arrogant about it and dismiss the locals in a patronising, angry way), then the fight never ends and here we are.

In Europe we consider America the US only and we call the rest of the continent South America

Poor Canada then. Not to mention all those pesky Central American and Caribbean countries and islands... What continent do they belong to?

the main reason why we make such a distinction is because the northern part of the continent speaks English, while the southern/central part speaks Spanish.

Well, what can be said about such enlightening, intelligent approach... other than it makes zero sense.

 

[NoPat]

Plus, Spaniards agree that anyone from any of the Americas (North, Central and South) is American. That's the language, simple.

Besides the "America" debate, how happy would you be to have, back in your own country of origin, an illegal alien moaning about your homeland?

 

[Uncle Dermot]

Well, what can be said about such enlightening, intelligent approach... other than it makes zero sense.

Well, the same thing can be said about Western Europe (where only countries like Germany, Switzerland and Austria share the same language) and Eastern Europe (similarity between the Slovakian language and the Czech one and also between Slovenian and Croatian), is it not a simple matter of putting things together just for the sake of it?

 

[NoPat]

Well, the same thing can be said about Western Europe (where only countries like Germany, Switzerland and Austria share the same language) and Eastern Europe (similarity between the Slovakian language and the Czech one and also between Slovenian and Croatian), is it not a simple matter of putting things together just for the sake of it?

Shame about the Brazilians who will hate you for calling them Spanish Speaking (check their population numbers), the French Canadians, the Quechuas, the Guaranís...

 

[mini]

Shame about the Brazilians who will hate you for calling them Spanish Speaking (check their population numbers), the French Canadians, the Quechuas, the Guaranís...

And in Portuguese we don't have the word United Statians, we use the word americano/a for people from the US.