What the hell is a "North American"?

[Napoleon]

I agree. The root problem of all this confusion is that the 'United States of America' is a very bad name for a nation.

What?

When the US, became a nation, it was the ONLY nation in America.

There was one independent country, The United States of America, and then a whole bunch of colonies under European flags.

One

Uno

There was no more fitting name.

Everyone else was Spanish, Portuguese, French, British, or under their rule.

ONE INDEPENDENT COUNTRY among a host of slaves & subjects of European Empires. (Of course the Navajo, the Mohawk, the Utes, the Commanche.... they would argue differently and they would have excellent points.) But as far as Nations With A Written Constitution... there was ONLY ONE!

And in the years that followed, every group of people in the Western Hemisphere would look to that one nation for guidance and would hold them up as an example. That country was the American dream. That country was America.

...some things have changed, but that's the way it was from the time of ~1776/1783 onward.

Again, and excellent name.

I like the name "Argentina" as well... of course it's an absolute misnomer and thinking of its origins (the Land of Silver) brings a laugh when you realize that the natural resources of Argentina are NOTHING like what was found in the temples and on the statues of Peru... pero bueno. Ni importa.

 

[citygirl]

Gringo has a negative connotation!

Completely depends on how it is used and who is using it.

1) Everyone I know uses it short-hand to describe people from the US. And it's not automatically meant in a derogatory way - it's just an identifier.

2) It can also be used as a nickname - my local friends often call me La Gringa and again, it's not meant in a negative way. It's just another nickname that reflects my background.

 

[nicoenarg]

There is a much more subtle and yet more important issue why Latinos do not like the USA appropriating the use of the term 'Americans' for it own. I am sure it is lost on you though. In US English the concept is called 'Ugly American'. In Argentina the term is imperialismo.

Right...

One last thing to share and then I am done with your pointless argument.

I was born in Saudi Arabia. Riyadh, actually. I was young when the Gulf War hit us in Saudi Arabia. But I was old enough to remember Saudis young and old asking questions like, "America, where are you when we need your help, please come and save us from Saddam and his chemical bombs." (in fact, Indonesians said similar things when they were hit by the tsunami and begged for American help). Anywho, American help came in full force, half a million Americans putting their lives on the line (of course, it wasn't a selfless act. No one should expect that it should be a selfless act)...Saudis celebrated, Americans promised that not one bomb was going to kill a Saudi citizen and they delivered on that promise.

After the war was over (and schools reopened, DARN IT!), the Saudis signed a deal with America for American forces to be based in Saudi Arabia and train Saudi military personnel because the Saudis couldn't fight for crap! The Americans, again not selflessly, built a base and started training the Saudis. All the Saudis were happy and thankful...

Fast forward half a year and this is what the Saudis were starting to say:

"The American imperialists have come here to steal our oil." "American imperialists have come here to take our holy land because we're Muslim and they hate us." "American imperialists..." blah blah blah.

Similar story, different place. Pakistan, 2005, begged Americans for help when they were hit by that earthquake in the Kashmir region. Americans responded with mobile hospitals, medicine, food...Pakistanis said: "American imperialists have come here to take over Pakistan." A lot of Pakistani refused to take the medication because they said, "American imperialists, the great satan, has put poison in the medication to kill all Pakistanis..." blah blah blah.

Now, the moral of the stories above is, whenever someone like you mentions the word imperialist in reference to America, all I can do is smile at the utter stupidity of this reference.

So, anyway, if you've got something concrete in reference to my post, please do post. Otherwise I am just going to ignore your posts.

 

[KarlaBA]

So, anyway, if you've got something concrete in reference to my post, please do post. Otherwise I am just going to ignore your posts.

I am sorry that the point of my posts have been lost on you. I am trying to show you that the culture in which you have decided to immerse yourself (Argentina) has a particular view which is different from yours. I am not debating which is right and wrong. However, I am telling you that you have a choice: fight against the culture or go with the culture. Just recognize that the latter is much more enjoyable than the former. All this silly complaining about an Argentino correcting you about the use of a term is exactly what you should not be doing. They are correct about the usage of the term, it is their culture. Accept it and live in it peacefully, or fight it and be agitated all the time.

Like it or not, the USA has the reputation in Argentina of imperialism. Try to fight that reputation, and you will lose. It is a pointless argument to engage in, all it does is piss off Argentinos, who otherwise could help you assimilate easier. Try not to reinforce that reputation, as you having been doing successfully in this thread.

 

[Killarney]

Nah. America was America long before the British colonists decided they wanted independence. All are Americans, North and South and anyone from any of the countries in the Americas can accurately call themselves Americans. They were just intelligent enough to give their countries more specific names in addition to a vague American reference.

People in the the U.S. have a generalised, non-specific name.

Deal with it.

 

[John.St]

Martin Waldseemüller produced a world map in 1507 on which he named the new continent (now South) America after Vespucci's first name, Amerigo, after he discovered that South America extended much further south than previously thought. So originally the name America was for South America only.

Waldseemüller's map can be seen here (20 MB .jpg): http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Waldseemuller_map_2.jpg

- and "Latin America" is a late (1860's) French name to emphasize that France, Spain and Portugal had a common "Latin" language and culture. It was coined while the French supported Maximillian in Mexico.

 

[dr__dawggy]

Completely depends on how it is used and who is using it.

1) Everyone I know uses it short-hand to describe people from the US. And it's not automatically meant in a derogatory way - it's just an identifier.

2) It can also be used as a nickname - my local friends often call me La Gringa and again, it's not meant in a negative way. It's just another nickname that reflects my background.

At least that's what they tell you

My local friends call me "gordito" and tell me its a term of endearment, not meant in a negative way. I remain skeptical.

 

[dr__dawggy]

Has anyone else had this experience

A local will ask me where I am from.

Me, trying to be culturally sensitive: " Estados Unidos"

Local: "Ah, Americano."

I have received this response often enough that I wonder if the whole issue is overblown, at least in Argentina. I have found Canadians and Mexicans are more apt to correct me if I refer to myself as an American.

 

[Napoleon]

Has anyone else had this experience

A local will ask me where I am from.

Me, trying to be culturally sensitive: " Estados Unidos"

Local: "Ah, Americano."

I hope that you berate this person and tell them "No boludo!!! Concha de la lora!! Somos todos Americanos!! Cheeeee boludo!!"

And then walk off in a huff without even kissing them or slobbering all over their bombilla!

PS- I just got a free refill of coffee in the McDonald's on Scalabrini Ortiz near Guatemala. Barrios chetos son el(los) mejor(es)!!!

FREE!!

Visteeeeeeeeeeee?!?!?!?!?!?!

 

[citygirl]

At least that's what they tell you

My local friends call me "gordito" and tell me its a term of endearment, not meant in a negative way. I remain skeptical.

LOL - Yes, now imagine being a woman and getting called gorda/gordita/gordi - that one still is tough for me to handle - cultural sensitivities, I have them

I don't mind Gringa, it makes me laugh. And I much prefer that to the other nicknames that are out there. One guy I know, they call him Bagre (He's actually quite handsome so I don't know why).