To all "americans"?

Question

Why do pepople from the USA call them "americans"? What about those of us who live in South America, or even those in Canada? Aren't we american?

Answer 1

i don't think that schools in the USA really cover geography

Answer 2

It's not just us, everyone else calls us "Americans" too. Including a great many of you from South America and Canada.

Now quit trying to make up an excuse to argue. I know it's popular to argue with Americans these days (many people seem to have some kind of inferiority complex when it comes to the U.S., similar to "little man syndrome"), but it gets really old. Fast.

Go to Canada and start calling them "American", if you like. I doubt it will catch on.

Answer 3

No you are not, you are not a U.S. citizen, neither are Canadians, and neither are south Americans, it just means they are south of America and Canada is north of America. When you here people saying death to America they are not referring to Canada or South America, they are referring to the United States of America. The world knows America means the U.S. If they have taught you that you are American in school they are lying to you.

Answer 4

We call ourselves Americans because we live in North America and *most* importantly We live in the United States of America.

Those who live in North and South America are not Americans...people are not labelled by continent. People are labelled by race and nationality

So since South Americans and Canadians do not live in USA not called Americans although you both live on American Continents.
Technically South Americans are called...South Americans unless you break down by country and North Americans are called the same unless broken down by country

*Now since it almost never gets to be using the entire continent as a label* people would say "The Canadians, Mexicans and Americans (since we can't be called the united staters)

Same thing as Russia and Asia..most of Russia is in Asia but you don't call them Asian..no one calls them Asian. Because although they live in the Asian continent they are not of the asian race

Answer 5

It's probably just a politically incorrect holdover from a past era. My theory is that European immigrants simply called the New World "America," and it applied to the United States because that's where the vast majority of European immigrants ended up in the 19th and 20th century. Such confusion of place names is common - how many people use the word "Britain" and don't realize that they are also referring to Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, and Northern Ireland? That said, I don't necessarily think it is incorrect for inhabitants of the U.S. to refer to themselves as Americans. It is certainly imprecise, however.

Answer 6

Because we are from the United States of America. Even though the continent is North America if does not make you American. Only US legal immigrants and those born here can be called American.
Canadians and Mexicans can call themselves: North Americans if they like. We have called ourselves American since our states were born.

Answer 7

Why don't people who want to be super critical of what we in the USA do post an E-mail contact point? I would like to find out what is really behind their questions.

Now back to the question. Because we choose to. We became independant first and own the copyright to the title. To my knowledge people from Brazil, Columbia, and all the other places use a name that indicates the country they come from. You know like Brazilians, Columbians, Canadians, and AND to call ourselves United States of Americans is way too long. So we just use Americans.

But hey if you want to call yourselves Americans, you go right ahead, you have my permission. *LOL* Just be sure you have a passport if you want to come here. *BG* Your country makes me have one when I go there. Fair is fair.

Answer 8

No, your not Americans. People who are from South America are South Americans ,and people from Canada are Canadians. Only people from the United States of America are Americans. Sorry to burst your bubble. But the facts are fact.

Answer 9

This is one of the most pathetic "gripes" I have seen in this forum. It is the world who refers to US citizens as Americans. Yes the world, as in those people in south America and Canada.

Answer 10

We are the United States of 'America'. America is the name of our country that the United States belong too. We're called Americans because that's the name of our country. Just like people from Canada are called Canadians and people from Mexico are called Mexicans. Is the fact that our country shares its name with two continents confusing to you?

Answer 11

South Americans and North Americans, (two separate continents) however, we are the only Americans. Look at our name: The United States of America. We are the only country on these continents with "America" as part of our name. We are NOT the only country with United States as part of our name. The United States of Mexico also has that distinction. They call themselves Mexico, and we, and the world, call us 'America'.

Since no one is confused about who people mean when they say "Death to Americans!" or whatever, why do you care?