why in english American refers to USA why not the continent if Americu Vespuccio called America this continent

Question

as Mexican I should be considered American becuase I was born in the American Continent..!!! no? why that country called USA stole that name and called its citizens Americans.. why not another name I dont know United States of Washington or whatever,.. but not America it's a little confused no?

Answer 1

You're right.

You might assume that we here in the US think we are the only "Americans." We know that Canadians and Mexicans are North Americans too.

The problem is that you can't make an adjective out of the name "United States of America" -- you can't call us "United States of America - ites" or USAlings. The most we can do is say "We're from the USA.'

That gets shortened to just "American" because we're lazy with language, not mainly because we're arrogant and think we're the only ones here.

Answer 2

Technically anyone in South America is an American too. Isn't the official name of Mexico the United States or Estados Unidos Mexicanos?

I agree that the USA has taken over both names.

Answer 3

Most assuredly, whether others want to recognize it or not, our friends to the south and our friends to the north (Mexicans and Canadians) are just as American as people from the US. I think in the beginning, Our forefathers may have thought that the US would have the whole continent eventually and that is how calling people from the US Americans got started. Besides that, it is a little easier to say than United Statesian.

Answer 4

Oh man, are you serious? It's true that North and South America make up the "New World". But the only nation in North and South America that uses the word "America" in their name is the USA (United States of America). Thus, people from the USA are called Americans. People from Canada (Canadians), Mexico (Mexicans), Panama (Panamanians), Nicaragua (Nicaraguans) just use a version of their nation's name, just like people in the United States of America (Americans). We are not bogarting the name, it's the name of our country.

Answer 5

All people living on the two American continents are really American. The U.S. has a fondness for using the term American for U.S.residents, but that does not make it necessarily correct.

Answer 6

You are in the sense that germans are european. you are not american as in the usa. most people don't reffer to themselves as the continent they live on, but as the country they live in. and we do not need to change our name.

Answer 7

because the name of our country is the united states of 'america'. If mexico was called Mexico America you would have a point but it isn't so you don't have point.

Answer 8

Well if you could run, jump or swim you'd be in the USA already calling yourself and American and working illegally at Taco Bell.

Answer 9

So call yourself Mexican and stop crying over it

Answer 10

NO.. You are...