What's wrong with saying I'm American?

[Banana Nanica]

I think most latins would approve this, things just can't get worse around here.

Oh yes they can. Based off of your flag, I assume you're Brazilian. If you want worse see Nicaragua...or Haiti...

I'm speaking as a South American. And actually there are way more brazilians living in total misery than the whole population of those countries. Brazil is almost half of the continent in size, you know.

But yeah, I understand what you mean, it's just that things really doesn't seem to be getting better anytime soon.

[Terralessii]

This person came from a different language background. In Spanish, Italian, French and other latin-based language there is a word that distinguishes between "American from the US" and "American from the American continent".
I think here the thing is: English didn't develop a word for this, whatever the reason might be. This person should have just been told that the problem is just linguistic, not semantic.
Many words have multiple meanings, this is just one more word to add to the list of ambiguous words. Naturally, for someone who is used to distinguish between two things it's annoying having a language where there is an added layer of ambiguity, but that's the point of learning a new language, it's not your own. It's different. It's fine.

[Alyakia]

the obvious answer is just change your name to former yugoslav republic of america and be done with it

[Sam Hyde]

We have a history

Yeah, sure, whatever

>What is colonial era
>What is French and Indian War
>what is American Revolution
>what is Manifest Destiny
>what is Transcendentalism
>What is Mark Twain
>What is Civil War
>What is slavery debate
>what is Guilded Age
>what is Spanish-American War
>what is World War I
>What is Ernest Hemingway
>What is Ralph Waldo Emerson
>What is Edgar Allen Poe
>What is the creation of the cinema industry
>What is Henry Ford
>What is Charles Lindbergh
>What is Wright Brothers
>What is Thomas Edison
>What is Apollo mission
>What is roaring 20s
>What is Miracle on Ice


But go ahead and keeping laughing at someone else's cultural like an asshole, even though your ignorance has been sufficiently demonstrated.

[Aurum Reich]

Nothing wrong - everything right.

What IS wrong is when Americans say they are something else. Like black people aren't African American unless they actually came here from Africa. Most of their ancestors have been here for generations. They wouldn't even know how to act in Africa. White people from south Africa are more African then they are.

[Banana Nanica]

I think most latins would approve this, things just can't get worse around here.

Lula and the rest of the pink tide crowd aren't half as bad as Chavismo.

Lula and his mafia have been founding chavismo, Fidel Castro, Evo Morales and every other socialist dictatorship of Latin America with brazilian taxpayers' money for ten years now.

[New Werpland]

Oh yes they can. Based off of your flag, I assume you're Brazilian. If you want worse see Nicaragua...or Haiti...

I'm speaking as a South American. And actually there are way more brazilians living in total misery than the whole population of those countries. Brazil is almost half of the continent in size, you know.

But yeah, I understand what you mean, it's just that things really doesn't seem to be getting better anytime soon.

The poverty rate in Brazil is less than half what it is in Nicaragua (Nicaragua is 43% Brazil is 21%). And I'm sure Brazil has a better "safety net".

[New Werpland]

Lula and the rest of the pink tide crowd aren't half as bad as Chavismo.

Lula and his mafia have been founding chavismo, Fidel Castro, Evo Morales and every other socialist dictatorship of Latin America with brazilian taxpayers' money for ten years now.

Evo Morales isn't even Socialist.

And I heavily doubt the existence of the Lula mafia.

Edit: I do aknowledge that Chavez was probably funding the Kirchners though.

[Terralessii]

but that's the problem isn't it? it's a bad habit and is incorrect because it implies nationality that is not yours.

You seem to be uninformed as to how nationalism works.

You see, in Europe, the majority of sovereign countries are nation-states (unrelated to this forum) - in other words, the legitimacy of the country is based on the "nation", which is made up of its people. In other other words, the countries have a generally single "identity" with a physical base, upon which the nation-state draws its legitimacy.
In other other other words: "Germany for the Germans, France for the French, England for the English," etc.

America doesn't have that. There is no real American "nation" of people - we're called the melting pot for a reason. American culture is just a conglomeration of cultures from other places. There is no physical base for an "American" nationality, just like there's no such thing as a "United Kingdomian" nationalist or an "Antarctican" nationality.

Because of that, the only "identifying" physical base of someone of American nationality is of what physical nationality said base derives from. Someone who was born in Germany and is German does not suddenly stop being German when they leave the country. Likewise, from a physical standpoint their children (presuming, of course, that the other parent was also German) will still be physically German, even if they were born in America.
So because there is no physical American nationality, the 2nd-generation German immigrant will say that he is "German" because that's what actually identifies him. You can get all egalitarian and say that he's technically American as he was born in America, and you'd probably be right - but that's like saying that someone born in France isn't French, he's "European" because he was born in the EU. From an objective standpoint it makes perfect sense, but nationalism is not objective and cannot be measured as such.

Furthermore, it's worth noting that European "nation-states" are just that - nation-states. Someone born outside the "state" can still be a part of the "nation", and someone born outside the "nation" can still be a part of the "state". That's why the 2nd generation German immigrant would still be referred to as a German-American (German being the nation, i.e. what's in his blood, and American being the state, i.e. what's under his boots).
In Europe, this is not a thing because the nations are so clearly delineated that it would never be an issue.

If anything, there's more nationalism regarding the individual states than there is the country as a whole. And because said nationalism is not based on a physical nation, only the "state" part actually becomes "American".

The core of the issue here, to recap, is that nationalism is based only upon the existence of a nation, and not upon the existence of a nation-state. This is why you can be nationally Irish even if you've never set foot in Ireland. It's also why, for example, someone born in Northern Ireland could accurately be referred to as "British" even though Northern Ireland does not exist on the island of Great Britain.

Actually, United Kingdomians are called British, and Brits do have nationalists. I live in the UK, and trust me. There is even a political party. UKIP, look it up.

[Kelinfort]

No, they're not. I am not pledging allegiance to Ireland when I say I'm Irish. Seriously, this isn't an issue.

But you're not actually Irish. Of Irish descent? Sure, but you aren't Irish.

In what context?

I am not an Irish national nor citizen. I don't see an issue saying that I am descended from Irish people.

[Bezombia]

You seem to be uninformed as to how nationalism works.

You see, in Europe, the majority of sovereign countries are nation-states (unrelated to this forum) - in other words, the legitimacy of the country is based on the "nation", which is made up of its people. In other other words, the countries have a generally single "identity" with a physical base, upon which the nation-state draws its legitimacy.
In other other other words: "Germany for the Germans, France for the French, England for the English," etc.

America doesn't have that. There is no real American "nation" of people - we're called the melting pot for a reason. American culture is just a conglomeration of cultures from other places. There is no physical base for an "American" nationality, just like there's no such thing as a "United Kingdomian" nationalist or an "Antarctican" nationality.

Because of that, the only "identifying" physical base of someone of American nationality is of what physical nationality said base derives from. Someone who was born in Germany and is German does not suddenly stop being German when they leave the country. Likewise, from a physical standpoint their children (presuming, of course, that the other parent was also German) will still be physically German, even if they were born in America.
So because there is no physical American nationality, the 2nd-generation German immigrant will say that he is "German" because that's what actually identifies him. You can get all egalitarian and say that he's technically American as he was born in America, and you'd probably be right - but that's like saying that someone born in France isn't French, he's "European" because he was born in the EU. From an objective standpoint it makes perfect sense, but nationalism is not objective and cannot be measured as such.

Furthermore, it's worth noting that European "nation-states" are just that - nation-states. Someone born outside the "state" can still be a part of the "nation", and someone born outside the "nation" can still be a part of the "state". That's why the 2nd generation German immigrant would still be referred to as a German-American (German being the nation, i.e. what's in his blood, and American being the state, i.e. what's under his boots).
In Europe, this is not a thing because the nations are so clearly delineated that it would never be an issue.

If anything, there's more nationalism regarding the individual states than there is the country as a whole. And because said nationalism is not based on a physical nation, only the "state" part actually becomes "American".

The core of the issue here, to recap, is that nationalism is based only upon the existence of a nation, and not upon the existence of a nation-state. This is why you can be nationally Irish even if you've never set foot in Ireland. It's also why, for example, someone born in Northern Ireland could accurately be referred to as "British" even though Northern Ireland does not exist on the island of Great Britain.

Actually, United Kingdomians are called British, and Brits do have nationalists. I live in the UK, and trust me. There is even a political party. UKIP, look it up.

It's my understanding that British nationalism is of the same level as Yugoslav nationalism, and Soviet nationalism - that is, national "loyalty" to the state of Britain, rather than the belief in the existence of a national identify - or in other words, that it's more patriotic in nature.
If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me.

[Vektra]

>What is colonial era
>What is French and Indian War
>what is American Revolution
>what is Manifest Destiny
>what is Transcendentalism
>What is Mark Twain
>What is Civil War
>What is slavery debate
>what is Guilded Age
>what is Spanish-American War
>what is World War I
>What is Ernest Hemingway
>What is Ralph Waldo Emerson
>What is Edgar Allen Poe
>What is the creation of the cinema industry
>What is Henry Ford
>What is Charles Lindbergh
>What is Wright Brothers
>What is Thomas Edison
>What is Apollo mission
>What is roaring 20s
>What is Miracle on Ice


But go ahead and keeping laughing at someone else's cultural like an asshole, even though your ignorance has been sufficiently demonstrated.

Nothing, seriously. You are comparing 200 years of history with, for example, the Chinesse? Really?

Are you adding writters and inventors to the list because you don't have nothing more? May I add writters from UK? Or France?

And Manifest Destiny... The best excuse you had to invade or subjugate America.

Bye. Good luck with the non existent "american" social security.

[Imperializt Russia]

I was talking with some guy from colombia who went off on me when I said I was an American. He said something like everyone in the Americas is an American. I agreed but then said he wasn't asking what continent I came from but what country. Then I asked how many countries have America in their name. He didn't answer but went on about Americans being arrogant etc.

I thought I had a good point. People don't say they are from a continent. They say they are from a country. My country is America. Is there another country called America?

How many countries have America in their name? I know one.

It'd be interesting to point out that in French, the term for a "America" (that being the United States of, America) is "Etats-Unis".
Literally, "United-States" and "United-Statesian".

I kind of like it.

[Sam Hyde]

But you're not actually Irish. Of Irish descent? Sure, but you aren't Irish.

In what context?

I am not an Irish national nor citizen. I don't see an issue saying that I am descended from Irish people.

But saying you are of Irish descent is different than saying that you are an actual Irishman.

[Bezombia]

I was talking with some guy from colombia who went off on me when I said I was an American. He said something like everyone in the Americas is an American. I agreed but then said he wasn't asking what continent I came from but what country. Then I asked how many countries have America in their name. He didn't answer but went on about Americans being arrogant etc.

I thought I had a good point. People don't say they are from a continent. They say they are from a country. My country is America. Is there another country called America?

How many countries have America in their name? I know one.

It'd be interesting to point out that in French, the term for a "America" (that being the United States of, America) is "Etats-Unis".
Literally, "United-States" and "United-Statesian".

I kind of like it.

That's always fascinated me, because the USA is not by any means the only country that calls itself "United States". For example, the formal name of Mexico is "The United States of Mexico". We call them "Mexico" and "America" because it's unambiguous - this would not be the case if we decided to, in English, refer to America only as The United States.

[Kelinfort]

In what context?

I am not an Irish national nor citizen. I don't see an issue saying that I am descended from Irish people.

But saying you are of Irish descent is different than saying that you are an actual Irishman.

This is semantics at its finest.

I'm quite sure 9/10 people in the U.S. will assume I'm of Irish descent when I say, "I'm Irish". Maybe if I had an accent, they'd be confused. But seriously now.

[North Calaveras]

>What is colonial era
>What is French and Indian War
>what is American Revolution
>what is Manifest Destiny
>what is Transcendentalism
>What is Mark Twain
>What is Civil War
>What is slavery debate
>what is Guilded Age
>what is Spanish-American War
>what is World War I
>What is Ernest Hemingway
>What is Ralph Waldo Emerson
>What is Edgar Allen Poe
>What is the creation of the cinema industry
>What is Henry Ford
>What is Charles Lindbergh
>What is Wright Brothers
>What is Thomas Edison
>What is Apollo mission
>What is roaring 20s
>What is Miracle on Ice


But go ahead and keeping laughing at someone else's cultural like an asshole, even though your ignorance has been sufficiently demonstrated.

Nothing, seriously. You are comparing 200 years of history with, for example, the Chinesse? Really?

Are you adding writters and inventors to the list because you don't have nothing more? May I add writters from UK? Or France?

And Manifest Destiny... The best excuse you had to invade or subjugate America.

Bye. Good luck with the non existent "american" social security.

what cultural place do you hail from?

[Sino nations]

[
Im Just Joking Here,Denonym of People Of US Should Be Yanks.

[Bezombia]

[
Im Just Joking Here,Denonym of People Of US Should Be Yanks.

That's offensive to Dixies.

[North Calaveras]

But saying you are of Irish descent is different than saying that you are an actual Irishman.

This is semantics at its finest.

I'm quite sure 9/10 people in the U.S. will assume I'm of Irish descent when I say, "I'm Irish". Maybe if I had an accent, they'd be confused. But seriously now.

omg, I even have a freind who has an italian flag, who says he is italian and talks about "how this isn't even real italian food"

I see this silly shit all the time, cause hes not italian and I remind him every time he trys to act like it.

[Sam Hyde]

>What is colonial era
>What is French and Indian War
>what is American Revolution
>what is Manifest Destiny
>what is Transcendentalism
>What is Mark Twain
>What is Civil War
>What is slavery debate
>what is Guilded Age
>what is Spanish-American War
>what is World War I
>What is Ernest Hemingway
>What is Ralph Waldo Emerson
>What is Edgar Allen Poe
>What is the creation of the cinema industry
>What is Henry Ford
>What is Charles Lindbergh
>What is Wright Brothers
>What is Thomas Edison
>What is Apollo mission
>What is roaring 20s
>What is Miracle on Ice


But go ahead and keeping laughing at someone else's cultural like an asshole, even though your ignorance has been sufficiently demonstrated.

Nothing, seriously. You are comparing 200 years of history with, for example, the Chinesse? Really?

Are you adding writters and inventors to the list because you don't have nothing more? May I add writters from UK? Or France?

And Manifest Destiny... The best excuse you had to invade or subjugate America.

Bye. Good luck with the non existent "american" social security.

Dear god I feel like I'm debating a child. No one made a comparison to China. I even admitted we are a young nation, but a nation with a history nonetheless.

Yes, in case you didn't know, writers are part of our culture and their literary works are important parts of our history. Anyone with a basic knowledge of how history worked would know the value of literature. Since you don't know how history actually works, I'm not surprised that you'd undercut the value of literature.

And Manifest Destiny was our conquest of this continent, and is part of our national lore, ya know, a history. Come on, this isn't hard.

And what does social security have to do with anything? Are you one of those idiots that harps about how America has no culture and then consumes it on a daily basis by listening to American music or watching American shows?

[Kalosia]

"American" is actually the only demonym that (at least in English) typically doesn't apply to an entire continent when it can (and should)

Think about it tho. People tend to not distinguish between Senegalese, Angolans, and Somalians - what matters is that they're black, and thus "African".
Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Korean people are all "Asians". Indians, Persians, and maybe even Siberians are Asian too, but people usually don't consider them due to stereotyping. I'm Asian myself but from none of those ethnic groups.
Not sure why they do distinguish Europeans. Prominence of each country? Race? And I don't need to discuss Australians.

But when people say "American", they usually don't talk about Mexicans, Brazilians, Canadians, or Dominicans. Especially not Cubans.

Much of that has to do with prominence of each individual nation.

The most prominent nation in the Americas is the United States, and it doesn't hurt given those within the US refer to themselves as "Americans" either. Keep in mind that aside from Mexico and Canada, there's vehement disdain for perceived "US imperialism" in the Americas. Hence why they tend to hate the label of "Americans" being championed by the citizens of the US.

For Europeans, those nations tend to be VERY prominent and have had vast cultural and historical influence in just about every nation on Earth - and many Europeans also have distinct characteristics as well.

Africa and Asia? Eh, not so much. Much of those regions are more collectively influential as opposed to individually, unless you're talking about Russia, China, or Japan. Most of Africa and Asia tend to be ethnically similar anyway, making any distinguishments to caucasian societies futile.

Fair enough. But ethnical similarity of the Asians are no closer than that of the Europeans, if anything Asians are more ethnically diverse. Unless it's what's noticeable at first glance; then people would find difficulty distinguishing them.
Or it might be a cultural thing; where I live many people would probably be able to distinguish between Malaysians and the Vietnamese, but not between Finns and Bulgarians.

[Imperializt Russia]

I'm speaking as a South American. And actually there are way more brazilians living in total misery than the whole population of those countries. Brazil is almost half of the continent in size, you know.

But yeah, I understand what you mean, it's just that things really doesn't seem to be getting better anytime soon.

The poverty rate in Brazil is less than half what it is in Nicaragua (Nicaragua is 43% Brazil is 21%). And I'm sure Brazil has a better "safety net".

But Brazil is a substantially more populous country.

[Sam Hyde]

This is semantics at its finest.

I'm quite sure 9/10 people in the U.S. will assume I'm of Irish descent when I say, "I'm Irish". Maybe if I had an accent, they'd be confused. But seriously now.

omg, I even have a freind who has an italian flag, who says he is italian and talks about "how this isn't even real italian food"

I see this silly shit all the time, cause hes not italian and I remind him every time he trys to act like it.

My great-great-great grandpa was Irish, therefore I'm actually Irish, didn't you know? So what if I don't know shit about Irish culture, I wear green on St. Paddy's Day!

[Imperializt Russia]

It'd be interesting to point out that in French, the term for a "America" (that being the United States of, America) is "Etats-Unis".
Literally, "United-States" and "United-Statesian".

I kind of like it.

That's always fascinated me, because the USA is not by any means the only country that calls itself "United States". For example, the formal name of Mexico is "The United States of Mexico". We call them "Mexico" and "America" because it's unambiguous - this would not be the case if we decided to, in English, refer to America only as The United States.

Well, America is ostensibly the name of not only a country, but two of the seven continents (two of six inhabited) on the earth.
The distinction is valid.