Indeed, U.S.A. is not America!
America is the name of a whole continent. United States of America means that the United States belongs to America and NOT that America belongs to the United States. So, next time you want to refer to The United States of America, you can do it as U.S. or the States or whatever you want but not as only America. Gotcha?
How should I use the term America then?
Here we will show you some wrong and correct uses of the term America:
This is how we do it in America.
This is how we do it in the States.
- America is my country and I love it.
- The United States is my country and I love it.
- America lost the Vietnam war.
- U.S.A. lost the Vietnam war.
- Here in America we love Mc Donald's.
- Here in the U.S. we love Mc Donald's.
Please, note that this page in not about demonyms (gentilics) but about the way to call a country.
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Comments (1251)
When I was 19 years young, I found myself in South East Asia. People there would ask me,
"where are you from?" I would say "New York". They would then say "America". I would respond, "ok, New York, that's the United States". I confused them, I guess, they came back, "ok, America". I changed the conversation.
You didn't confuse them; New York City is the unofficial capital of the world - EVERYONE WANTS TO VISIT NYC! A foreigner hears "New York" and they think "America!" That's never going to change.
Ever.
:-P
We owned 'American' first and we'll never stop referring to ourselves as such. We and the rest of the world has been referring to citizens of the United States as 'Americans' for well over 200 years. And neither will the rest of the world. Go to Japan or Russia or Australia and tell them you're American. When they ultimately find out you're from Mexico or Brazil or any other Central/South American, they'll beg to differ.
Sorry, it's understandable why everyone wants to be 'American' but we owned 'American' first and we'll own it forever.
American people are the people from the United States of America. Also known as US Citizens!
Mexico is in North America, now do we call babies born in the USA from Mexican parents Mexican-American?, US-Mexican?, if so, why are babies born in Mexico called Mexican?, how do we tell these babies that both of them are Americans?
In Mexico they have no need to tell their babies that they are Americans because Mexico is already in America.
In the United States Of America they call their babies US Citizen. Sorry you all, English language is very complex.
Do we call babies born in the USA "Americans" as well?. Yes, why?, because it is the name of their country, "United States of America".
Was there a need to let US Citizens know that they are Americans? Yes, why?, because the "United States" (solely) would not make sense regarding territory accuracy.
After all, your location and the way you speak defines a healthy and correct conversation!
When the people in the Middle East are in the streets screaming "Death to America" are you replying "Hey, we're America - send us some death too!" or you saying "Hey, we're Brazil (or Coats Rica, or where ever) send that death north"?
As an instructor of international students I have always been sensitive to referring to us as United States Americans, so as not to be confused with Canadian Americans or Brazilian Americans, etc. But since we don't have a convenient and shortened version when referring to our nationality like Mexican or Chilean, I propose that we call ourselves Us'ans, - kind of a "USA-ans" - as it is easy to pronounce, should not be offensive to other American nationalities, and it even has a colloquial ring to it; as in "yinz, y'all, we-uns, etc.
I won't force my tongue to bend over backwards to accommodate people always searching for something to be offended by. (Like ending a sentence with a preposition - English is a Germanic language, not a Romance language! Get over it!)
Does everyone want to call us United Statians? United Statites?
I'm a third generation U.S. citizen. My entire family emigrated from Quebec, French Canada where the U.S. is referred to as Les Etas Unis. (The U.S. or the States.) I linked to this site from a news blurb about politeness and some study before heading to another country to visit. Fascinating.
As long as the LEGAL NAME of the United States is United States of America, Americans should use AMERICANS to refer to them. Mexicans are Mexicans because that country name is Estados Unidos de Mejico. Otherwise, any country can use Mexico as part of their legal name, and call its residents Mejicanos as well.
Thank you. You nailed exactly what I was going to say. After all if the official name of Brazil was Brazil of America, or there was a Canada of America, then I can see the arrogance of using America to describe people of the U.S.A. Yet so many easily offended people seem to ignore or forget what the "A", in U.S.A means. BTW to not have United States of America on the drop down list of countries is what's really insulting.
Except It's not "Mejico" or "Mejicanos" it's Mexico and Mexicanos. X = J and is old Spanish. Mexico decided to keep this as part of her history. The only other people I've ever seen write "Mejico" or "Mejicanos" are South Americans.
Actually, there is a good reason for the misinterpretation. According to the United Nations official names of countries, the United States is the only country that uses America in the official name.
I do agree though that any country in the Americas are Americans.
Actually, when. people ask where you are from they referring to country, not continent! Giving the short answer America is not incorrect. What other country on either the North or South American continents have America as a country name. How many citizens from North or South America respond with Canada American or Brazilian American. They respond with Canadian, Columbian, Brazilian, etc. But. people from the United States of America are identified by people from outside of the United States of America as AMERICAN! yet you whine when an American from America does so.