What the hell is a "North American"?

[arenat]

No. 3 says Argentines should shut up and let me tell my stories about AMERICA!

Number 1 and 2 says we are right !

 

[AlexanderB]

In my experience, norteamericano seems to imply being from some Anglo-American country north of the Equator, i.e. the US or Canada. They don't seem to give much thought as to whether México or Central America fits into this scheme.

As to whether it's fair for South Americans to appropriate americano to suit their regional conception of what that means, it's about as fair as USians commandeering the definition of "American". Tit-for-tat and all that. Besides, both continents do legitimately have "America" in their name.

 

[steveinbsas]

No. 3 says Argentines should shut up and let me tell my stories about AMERICA!

As we used to say in the 70's, farkin A!!!!!

PS: ar = uc (as if ya didn't know).

 

[nicoenarg]

In my experience, norteamericano seems to imply being from some Anglo-American country north of the Equator, i.e. the US or Canada. They don't seem to give much thought as to whether México or Central America fits into this scheme.

As to whether it's fair for South Americans to appropriate americano to suit their regional conception of what that means, it's about as fair as USians commandeering the definition of "American". Tit-for-tat and all that. Besides, both continents do legitimately have "America" in their name.

I think the day Argentina or any of these other countries add the name "America" to their nation's name, then we can have that discussion.

For now, the only country in the world with "America" in its name is the United States of America. Its a simple fact...known around the world, except apparently here.

 

[nicoenarg]

Oh by the way, my wife is an Argentine and she agrees with me.

But of course, she left Argentina when she was little...

 

[AngelinBA]

Gringo has a negative connotation. My Argentine husband broke off a lifelong friendship with someone because they made disparaging remarks about the amount of gringos around when he knew that I was one.
If I were from the north of the continent called America, I would prefer to be called Norteamericano or estadounidense or canadiense than yanqui or gringo.
On another note, I also consider the whole of the continent to be America ( or The Americas) so when I hear the song from West side story ´I like to be in America´it makes me smile. They already WERE in America where they came from!

 

[AlexanderB]

I think the day Argentina or any of these other countries add the name "America" to their nation's name, then we can have that discussion.

Yeah, true. Fair enough. And you're right that around the world, "American" has a pretty clear connotation of "USian".

However, seeing as Latin Americans self-identify as such, maybe to them "American" is first and foremost a statement of continental affiliation?

 

[steveinbsas]

On another note, I also consider the whole of the continent to be America ( or The Americas) so when I hear the song from West side story ´I like to be in America´it makes me smile. They already WERE in America where they came from!

I guess that makes someone look pretty stupid...in this case Stephen Sondheim.

Can you picture him singing, "I feel stupid, oh so stupid" instead of Maria singing "I feel pretty"...?

Ironically, he was actually a bit embarrassed by a line from that song: "It's alarming how charming I feel."

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment...-lyrics-embarrassing/story?id=12345243&page=2

 

[solerboy]

I suppos we all have things that wind me up, for instance people ask me do I speak Castillano and I say no but I speak Spanish.


They say "oh but we speak castillano here"

"Honey" I reply, "I've lived in Spain, I've been to Castilla, the don't speak nothing like you !"

 

[AlexanderB]

No, but differentiating Castilian Spanish from non-Castilian Iberian Spanish languages seems important to them.