Why is the term Indian referred to native North/South Americans, Caribbeans, apart from the people of India.
2006-06-20 07:35:51 · 11 answers · asked by viruman 1 in Social Science ➔ Sociology
There will be more detailed answers than this, but this is the simplest way to put it. When the first European explorers sailed west from Europe, they were doing so thinking that sailing west was a shorter route to India, which had many things Europeans wanted at that time (spices mostly). They had no idea there was a whole continent (2) in between Europe and Asia across the Pacific Ocean. So when they arrived in the Carribean, they actually thought they were in India, so they called the native people there "Indians". Even though Europens would come to find many different native peoples across N and S America and the Carribean, the umbrella term "Indian" stuck, especially with the Spanish and the English.
2006-06-20 07:49:53 · answer #1 · answered by Miro G 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Indian is only politically correct when used to describe one from India. People make the mistake of calling Native Americans indians.
2006-06-20 07:37:47 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well - so far everyone who has answered this question has given the old erroneous answer we all learned in school. However - The truth is that Columbus did not think he was in India. India, as the name of a country, did not exist in 1492. What we call India now was called Hindustan in 1942.
Remember - Columbus was Italian and that's the language he spoke. When he encountered the native population here, they were not like any people he had ever seen before. The were a completely new race as far as he was concerned. However, he believed they were made by the same God that made us all. His explanation, in Italian, was that they were, "Una gente in Dios." This translates to "A people in God." He was saying that we are all one people in the eyes of God.
However, the last part of that sentence - "In Dios" - was eventually corrupted by the Spanish and English settlers who followed him and thus became "Indian."
2006-06-20 09:06:27 · answer #3 · answered by wfberndt 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because when Columbus got here, he thought he was in India. And because Europeans back then were so ignorant and insensitive, the term stuck. Most people prefer the term "Native American" these days to distinguish them from actual Indians.
2006-06-20 07:39:38 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
People who attempted to travel to India by ship, and landed in North America believed that to be India. But now people do not usually refer to people not from India as Indians. Political correctness, you know.
2006-06-20 07:38:10 · answer #5 · answered by lucy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because Christopher Columbus thought he was in India when he arrived in North/South America. So he called the people their Indians.
2006-06-20 07:37:35 · answer #6 · answered by I Am 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Indians are a race from India.
Christipher Culumbus landed in north america thinking he was in India. The native americains where labelized as "Indian".
2006-06-20 07:39:38 · answer #7 · answered by jaqueline g 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Indian is a short term for Indigenous people.
2006-06-20 07:39:55 · answer #8 · answered by stillshyneing 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It comes from the word "Indigenous" meaning native , or from this land.
2006-06-20 07:38:37 · answer #9 · answered by LoveMyLife 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there are many different types of Indians so you will have to break it down to one category
2006-06-20 07:50:16 · answer #10 · answered by JULIE 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋