What Does 'American' Actually Mean? - TheAtlantic

[WillyT]

What Does 'American' Actually Mean?
In Latin America, "American" means anyone from the American continent. U.S. citizens claiming the word are considered gauche or imperialist. So what's the solution?
KARINA MARTINEZ-CARTER - TheAtlantic
JUN 19 2013, 8:35 AM ET



<snip>

I was sitting with an Argentine friend, well educated and well traveled, who was reading The Atlantic online. A headline used the term "America" as a synonym for the United States of America. "That's incorrect," he said, sounding shocked that an esteemed publication would make such a junior mistake. "America is a region, not a country."

Though I didn't share his reaction, as a U.S. citizen living in Argentina I had quickly learned that it was in best taste to avoid referring to myself as an "American" or the U.S. as "America." Such terminology almost always provoked my Argentinian acquaintances. "We're all Americans," some would say gently, with a smile. In extreme cases I would receive a tirade denouncing U.S. arrogance. Largely, in Latin America and for Latin Americans, the term "America" means Latin America, and "American," Latin American.

I was unaware of how nuanced "America" and "American" were before moving to Argentina in September 2010. I did have a moment of realization in college, though, that people outside the 50 United States also laid claim to the terms. It came when reading Cuban politician José Martí's seminal 1891 essay "Nuestra América" in a Spanish literature class. Martí urges the people of "América" to join together, strengthen the region and be proud of who they are and what is theirs--an echo of Simón Bolívar's tenets when crusading to unite the entire region in the early 1800s. Martí is undoubtedly speaking to and about Latin America and its people, and I had launched into the text assuming he was about to expound on his perception of the United States of America.

When researching this piece, I reached out to my professor at the time Nathalie Bouzaglo, an assistant professor in the Spanish department and native of Venezuela, to recount this anecdote. "The opposite happened to me," she replied. "When I arrived to the U.S. and people talked about 'America,' I thought they were referring to the continent. I was surprised that America, in fact, referred to the U.S.A."

Meanwhile, my father, a first generation Mexican immigrant and U.S. citizen, informed me (I guess I had never noticed) he has always replied "the U.S." when asked where he is from, because for Latin Americans, saying one is "American" is a vague identifier.

Beyond vagueness, "American" also can be interpreted as a loaded term when verbalized by people from the U.S. As one Argentine friend explained, "Someone from the U.S. calling him or herself 'American' is equivalent to people from the U.S. traveling anywhere in the world and expecting everyone to speak English." In other words, many link the practice to that negative U.S. tourist stereotype: rude, culturally unaware and self-centered.

<snip>

More: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/what-does-american-actually-mean/276999/

[RC]

1. I am a USA'en

Our arrogance about the world and the people it contains, is increasingly becoming our undoing.

I started using that term (USA'en) when dating a Canadian living in Winnipeg Canada.

[ChazII]

2. 1976 - the year I learned to say

I am from the United States and not to call myself an American.

[demosincebirth]

3. I agree with the Argentinian. There are many countries in the Americas. Who gave us a monopoly

on Americans? We should be called United Statans. I also say im from the U.S. when I travel

[Art_from_Ark]

4. You could call Mexicans "United Statans" as well

since the official name of their country is "Estados Unidos Mexicanos"

[a la izquierda]

5. I call myself...

estadounidense when I am in Mexico. Nobody there ever says United States of Mexico, despite the official title. When referencing their own country, Mexicans generally say just Mexico or República Mexicana.

[Spider Jerusalem]

6. "American" has been in use in English since the 18th century, at least.

Then, it meant "from the British North American colonies"; after the American War of Independence, it continued to mean "from the United States of America". This usage is well-established and has a very long history. The United States, further, is the ONLY country in the Americas to have "America" as part of its formal name. If South Americans and Latin Americans have a problem with the commonly understood usage of "American" to specifically mean "from or relating to the USA", all I can say is "tough".

[Pretzel_Warrior]

15. Agreed!

[cali]

7. I'm uncomfortable using American to denote a U.S. citizen

but I do it. I just don't know what else to do in conversation.

[WinkyDink]

8. Well, if "America" means "Latin America" to the citizens thereof, that's also myopic.

[xchrom]

9. du rec.

[tritsofme]

10. The term American has an obvious meaning to the vast majority of English speakers.

It's fine if "americano" has a different meaning in Spanish, but that doesn't mean either party is in a position to force their definition on the other language.

Largely, in Latin America and for Latin Americans, the term "America" means Latin America, and "American," Latin American.

This was the most humorous anecdote from the article for me. The term is supposedly understood to exclusively mean Latin American, but when Americans understand the meaning to be exclusive to their own country, it is somehow offensive.

[Jesus Malverde]

11. When I was in Switzerland.

I was shopping at a street fair and I came across a beautiful scarf and asked where it was from. The vendor said "America". Oh, cool America, where in America is this scarf from, this American wanted to know? The vendor replied, Ecuador.

It was a pretty insignificant exchange, but one that challenged my POV in an unexpected way.

[Cleita]

12. I always ran into that dilemma while traveling between the continents.

Latinos consider themselves American too and so designate English speakers as Norteamericanos. I always referred to myself as that when asked. Here in the USA we call ourselves American and Canadians call themselves Candians as well. They also call us yanquis, Canadians included. Gringos actually covers any nordic European type whether from here or Europe.

[KittyWampus]

13. American is a big word… Central/South Americans are as welcome to it as North Americans.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

14. A little too PC for me. Those countries have their own names

And I am sure one can find plenty of writing from the Nineteenth century showing our country has been called America and its people Americans by not only ourselves but people around the world.