Would this be accurate? No Jerks please, serious answers only.?

Question

Ive been involved in this discussion with some people from Canada. Apparently they think they should be called Americans because they live in North America. I explaied to them that an American is someone who lives in the United States....and a Canadian is someone who lives in Canada. Then one of the guys in the group said that okay, Americans are from the USA, and Canadians can be called North Americans. I told him that no matter what, the way the world is set up, and the way people think, there is no way that if he told someone he lived in Canada that he could claim he was American....becuase thats inaccurate. Right? I looked up the definition in the dictionary, and it did mention people living in the western hemisphere....but come on~!
American=Someone from the USA
Canadian=Someone from Canada
Correct?

Answer 1

I agree with you. When you tell some one you are an american they think you are from the USA not Canada. Geographically he may be right be the common person would misunderstand him.

Answer 2

Well.. How would u call a Danish? and an English? A french? An Italian? A Dutch? Aren't they all Europeans? It's like if a German told a Norwegian or a Swedish and so on.. "ur not a European!" U are a Norwegian... We Germans are Europeans!
Although I understand ur point. People from the US are commonly identified by the term "Americans".... However, it is very truthful the fact America it's actually the all continent. South and North. Therefore it's not wrong for a canadian claiming to be American; matter of fact he is.

Answer 3

People say that people born in the United States of America aren't Americans because America is a continent and not a country, but the name comes from the last word in the countries name, America. We don't call ourselves Uniteders or Staters. I guess technically they could call themselves Americans or North Americans but why would they? Why wouldn't they want to be Canadian?

Answer 4

Your friends are correct. People from Brazil can call themselves American too. They just need to be specific and say they're South Americans. The United States has this mentality that we ARE the western hemisphere of the world, but we're not. Canadians are Americans just as much as people from the US. It's become convenient to refer only to US citizens as Americans because no one can come up with something that is less awful sounding that United Statesians.

But yes Canadians ARE, in fact, Americans.

Answer 5

Well this is the first time I've ever heard any Canadians wanting to be classed as Americans.....

Anyway, you are right in that, if the Canadian told anyone he is from Canada, we are not going to think, "oh, he's from North America".

Even though it's all one continent, Canada is seen as a separate country altogether.

Answer 6

1 July 1867 (union of British North American colonies); 11 December 1931 (independence recognized) Keeing this in mind- remember that Canada is not part of the US because it is a part of the BRITISH government and still maintains its monarchy. We of the United States have never adopted the plan of "one family rule" governing system. As long as there is a border which separates the US (and all its laws and attributes) and Canada - the two shall never meet. There is much in the history books to support the governing factions and how "Canada" which IS a part of NORTH AMERICA - however is not governened and ruled by us. This is just a piece of land that the British/French claimed in their quest to find their own peace many, many years ago. A Canadian cannot claim to be an American. They are ruled by two separate governing bodies.

Answer 7

Technically all the land in the western hemisphere is called "The Americas" so your friend is right. However when people hear "an American" they take it to mean someone from the USA and when people say they are an "American" 90% of the time they mean someone the USA. To use it any other way is going to be confusing, so I think your friend is being little ornery.

Answer 8

Technically, anyone born or living in North or Central or South America would be an American. And, they all "want to be" Americans. But the whole rest of the world thinks of people living in the USA as Americans and no one else.

Answer 9

Someone from Canada could be considered a North American because Canada is part of the North American continent

Answer 10

I answered this same question a few weeks ago, but here goes again.
When we think of a persons nationality, we mean the country that he's a citizen of - - not the continent.
The three countries that make up just about all of North America have official names. Starting up North is the Dominion of Canada, next The United States of America. Next, Los Estados Mexicanos ( The United States of Mexico )
You can't help but notice that only one has the word America in its official name.

Answer 11

Incorrect. Anyone who lives on the American continent is an American. The problem is that due to some quirk, people from the US have always called themselves Americans. So, now they are stuck without having a national description. It is very overbearing to claim only people from the US are Americans. But there is no other term. Of course, this is not the problem of all the non-US Americans.