Godiva. said:I'm obviously very late to this thread...
I don't hang out with expats and in fact have never met another expat in all the years I've been visiting. I can say though I try not to say I'm "Americana." I don't use that stupid long word estadounidense either and I find the word norteamericano silly. If they ask where I'm from, I just say Miami (recognizable and close enough.)
I call myself American in Spain or France, but I won't do it here just to avoid the conversation that's sure to follow... "but my country is called the United States of America! UnitedStatians doesn't make any sense, it'd be like calling a Republica de Argentina citizen a Republicano!" They don't get it or agree, and I'm not going there.
In my experience, Argentines do take a slight offense to Americans calling themselves Americans (y nosotros que somos?) They take it like if we called ourselves after the whole continent - the only ones that matter. I've been corrected by family and friends. Most of the time I know they're just teasing, but there's a serious undertone where they feel that for the US, the rest of "America" doesn't exist - especially since we separate the continents into North and South and they don't. They're partly right. (I still maintain there's 7 continents but thankfully I don't get asked that question often at all!)
I think you have to be flexible - especially here. There's no malintent when they call us yankees or norteamericanos or call all the Spanish gallegos (which I found to be particularly curious - more funny than insulting.) There's a slight US resentment - not more than you'd find in France or anyplace else, mind you - but it's indisputable. I've heard anti-american conversations directed at Washington or general American arrogance. That said, I have never been treated unfairly or negatively because of my nationality or questioned about my immigration status by the natives. Just a few friendly jabs perhaps.
Usanias (An inhabitant or citizen of the United States of America) will be more appropriate perhaps
