Why United States of North America (aka USA) citizens call themselves Americans?

Question

Note that:
America is a whole continent, not just a country,
America is non only divided geographically (North, Central, South), but anthropologicaly (i.e Mesoamerica, Aridoamerica, Oasisamerica), etc.
Why us citizens don´t call a Canadian or a Brazilian or a Colombian an American???

Answer 1

There are no other countries with America in the name. Sure America is in the name of about 3 continents, but the United States of America is the only country with America in it's name. To call us Americans is a lot more senseful than trying to figure out how to call us United Statesians or something complicated and un-flowing as that.

It's just the way it's been for a long, long, reaaalllyy long time and to try to make it any other way would be too complicated and senseless.

When we call ourselves Americans, we are referring the the country name. Same with all of the other people from around the world that call us Americans. Nationality isn't named by the Continent, it's from the COUNTRY. The country is the U.S.A. Just like Candians are Canadians. Canada is the Countries name. Just like Italians are Italians, French are French, and German are German. When we're referring to an Italian person and you're in Europe, you wouldn't call them European. That's just stating the continent they are from. If you call the European, they could be from ANYWHERE on the whole continent of Europe.

Answer 2

North America is a continent, America is a country within the Continent, Like Canada is a country on North America, America is commonly called United States, due to the fact all of the states are united under one constitution. South America is a different continent, Brazil is a country on the Continent of South America. you get the picture now? we don't call a group of people based on the Continent, By the country they are from. Once you can see the differences of a continent and a country then you will understand

Answer 3

I call myself American and I didn't born in the US, I born in South America. If u go to a high school in the US, 90% of the students would fail pointing US territory. Imagine these idiots if u ask them where is Africa? Believe it or not it is true and If u r America but born in the US it must hurt but u have to accept that. I think I answer the question plus a little humiliation more. Here it is, the other day I was watching the game between Czech Republic and Ghana in college. Most of the viewers were "US citizens" and they started asking each other Why all Czech Republic players are white if they are from South America". No one from 34 that were there guessed right.

Answer 4

Welllll, America is actually two continents, North and South America. As to why US citizens are "Americans", I would say that the title was adopted back at the founding of the colonies preceding the USA and has stuck since. Other locations were given names, but Americans stuck with "America" and added on "The United States of" when they formed the Union.

Answer 5

This question has been asked before, with much the same phrasing. Did you invent a new identity recently and repost the question? (You don't have very many questions under this ID.)

Anyway, if someone in another country in the Western Hemisphere wants to call themselves Americans, fine with me. Meanwhile, we here in the United States most certainly ARE Americans. It's our identity - and calling us Usonians or USAians or Unitarians or anything else won't change who we are.

My question to you is, why is it so offensive that we Americans call ourselves Americans?

The last time someone asked this question, the questioner also indignantly told us Americans to "get over it". I would say the same now to anyone who objects to Americans using the term.

The fact that we call ourselves Americans does nothing to affect the identities of Canadians or Brazilians or Chileans or Hondurans, and it most certainly does not belittle them - no one is that thin-skinned about their national identity.

Answer 6

Because anyone who is from either the North or South American continents are Americans

Answer 7

I really think it's nothing more than a shortened name for "United States of American's", or whatever it would be. There's a good chance Europeans started referring to us as Americans first and we accepted the term. It's the same reason that citizens of the former USSR were called Soviets. They had to shorten their name to something.

Answer 8

Because the USA has been the most influential entity on this continent over the course of the past 200 years. So, we are THE Americans.

Answer 9

When cartographer and explorer Amerigo Vespucci was drawing up his maps, he declared it all to be his land. It was his to the north, in the center and to the south. When the colonists declared their Independence from the monarchy, they spoke about their 'united states' which were found on Amerigo's maps ... the United States of America.

We often care more about our own block then the Continent, but the maps prove time and time again .. it;s all Amerigo's land.

Answer 10

America is the name of the county. Officially, it is United States of America.