Do you think it is correct to call yourself an “American”?

49 comments

1. I mean it seems to work just fine so I guess it’s all good.

2. Of course it’s correct. That’s our demonym. Do you have a different one that you think we should use?

3. It sounds a lot better than United Statesian.

4. Of course it’s ok. Why wouldn’t it be?

5. Well we are citizens of the United States of America so I’m not really sure what else we would call ourselves other than Americans.

6. You’re talking about continents instead of countries.

7. We are the only country with America in the name, so yes. It is correct.

8. It’s fine. Things often change between languages.

9. yes American is well understood to be the demonym for people from the US, it doesn’t and never has meant “from the American continent(s)”.

10. That’s how language works.

    We don’t use Americano in Spanish, because Spanish uses a 6 continent model.

    We use American in English because English uses a 7 continent model and north and south America are separated this making America the most unique part of the name. There are other united States in north America.

11. There is no continent called “America” in the seven continent model, nor in the six continent combined Eurasia model. Therefore no continent’s inhabitants can use the demonym “American.” There’s North America and South America, so there’s North Americans and South Americans.

    We along with the rest of the English speaking world, parts of Europe, and parts of Asia use the former.

    So yes, it’s correct.

12. What are your thoughts on calling people from the United States of Mexico “Mexican?”

13. We’re the United States of America. What else could our demonym be? I’ve heard this is a salty point with South Americans (especially those who teach 6 continents instead of 7), but we don’t really have a way to address that on our end.

14. Yes.

    We are the Americans

15. In the English speaking world, we use the 7 continent model and divide the landmass into North and South America. And since “United Statesian” also just sounds weird, it is proper in English to call people from the US “American”. And if you’re speaking English, you should use that term too. Nobody calls Colombia or Nicaragua “other American countries” in English.

    In Latin America, the landmass is all “America” and “estadounidense” is a word that is well-suited for the language, so you should use that instead of “americano”. If you are speaking Spanish, you should say “estadounidense”.

    You don’t get to decide how another language works, or what sounds proper, be it English or Spanish. Somebody from Peru speaking English should say “Americans” and somebody from California speaking Spanish should say “estadounidense”. It’s really just that simple.

16. What else would we be called? United Statesians? Nah, American is fine.

17. Yes, it is.

    And here’s the thing: there’s nothing wrong with Spanish using its equivalent of “American” differently. Spanish has a term that literally translates to “United Stater” to refer to the U.S. Different languages, different rules.

    I do, however, get mildly annoyed when Spanish speakers try to force their language’s rules on English, which has used “American” as a demonym for the United States for generations. It’s OK for different languages to interpret terms differently—saying “American doesn’t refer to just the U.S” acts like only Spanish has the correct view.

18. We’re Americans. It’s our demonym and always has been. I know that frustrates Latin Americans but it is what it is.

19. This question is getting tired.

20. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America.

    ​

    American is short for United States of American

21. Its interesting that you bring up Mexico because their official name is actually “Estados Unidos Mexicanos” or United Mexican States. In English, any country with “United States” in its name has a demonym that is determined by the modifier. For Estados Unidos Mexicanos that becomes “Mexican”. For United States of America that becomes “American”

22. We are Americans.

23. Yes.

24. Yes I believe it is correct to call myself an American. I have citizenship from the Unites States of America, the only country that has America in its name. What else would I be called?

25. In English, there are North Americans and South Americans. No one else but us would be “Americans” because no one else uses the word America in the name of their country. The people from the countries you are referring to are North Americans and South Americans in English.

26. It’s just because the name of our country is so generic. Other countries have states that are united, so other options based on US are equally as problematic. So yes, American is fine.

27. Man, trying real hard to behave myself on this but there is so many openings and directions that I could go!

28. Other languages have words that basically translate to “united statesian”. English simply does not, and we have been called “Americans” pretty much since our inception.

    The vast vast majority of people from the USA are not going to be bothered by the term “American”

    Side note: even in the name of the country, people from the USA will mostly refer to it as “America” whereas others will often use “the states” or “the US”

29. I’m fairly certain that no one from any other country in the Americas would call themselves American. The term is ours and no one takes offense to it.

30. In English, American is the correct demonym. Not only that, but we are taught the seven continent model. I’m tired of being lectured by South Americans about this.

31. Using that logic, Papua New Guineans are Australians. So are Eastern Indonesians. The island of Papua sits on the Australian Continental plate.

32. Since we were the first to overthrow our parent European country of the two continents, I assume we earned the “right” to appropriate name “Americans”. That’s not to say we aren’t full of ourselves.

33. Really? It’s curious to you? It’s curious that we don’t call ourselves ‘United Statesians?’ The name of the country is very generic, basically just a description, and it doesn’t doesn’t lend itself to a clean demonym in English. The name of the country also has the word ‘America’ in it. Hence, *Americans*. I can sure you, the fact that *America* is in the actual name of the country and it is the easiest thing to say is the reason, and not some grand imperialist flex by the big, bad USA.

    Ludicrous that that this non-issue rears its head regularly in these spaces. Stop tilting at windmills.

34. Yes. And so does most of the world except English fluent Latin Americans who don’t have quite enough cross cultural awareness.

35. People have a pretty broad right to call themselves what they please. We’ve done it this way for as long as anyone can remember. If not us, who would have the right?

36. Stylistically we are the United States of America, a country named after a continent named after a European guy. Yes, it not only is okay, the name itself parallels American history

37. Go to Canada and call them Americans. They will crucify you.

38. I’m from Chile originally. Am I supposed to call myself “American-USian?”

    Yeah I do think it’s correct to call myself American, or Chilean-American.

39. I don’t know but if I go to a foreign country they ask if I’m American

40. I’m Hispanic myself so this question come up a lot. The answer is, if I’m speaking in English then hell yes we’re American, and I see nothing wrong with it. If I’m speaking Spanish I will always refer to us as Estadounidenses.

41. Considering 80% of the world agrees we should be called American including both Canada and Mexico. Yeah I have no problem with it.

    Do you think it’s ok for a minority of the world’s population to dictate to the rest of the world how they use their own languages?

    Also there are 2 continents in the Americas, North America and South America, which again a majority of the world’s population are taught and believe.

42. Anyone who says North and South America are a single continent but says Africa and Asia are two separate continents is being hypocritical and inconsistent with their definition of continent.

    This isn’t a direct answer to your question, but just a response to the core argument used to say “American” is an unacceptable demonym for the United States. The Mexican argument is also certainly valid.

43. The country is called “The United States of America” not the “United States”. There isn’t anything else to call us. People in Argentina live in a country called “Argentina” that is on an American continent. We can generalize by calling people North Americans (Canadians, Americans, and Mexicans etc) and South Americans (Peruvians, Colombians, Brazilians, whateverians).

    There is no issue here and it is indisputably correct that we are called Americans.

    Why do people in the UK call themselves British? Ireland is on the British Isles as well.

44. Go ask Canadians if they should now start calling themselves American. Please report back how they feel on the matter.

45. I’m going to go to Germany and insult them for calling their country Deutschland. And when they insist it’s just a difference of language and that if i’m speaking German I should adapt to their term I’ll call them stupid and act smug and superior.

    Other countries must adapt to me and my language all of the time!

46. Yes, just like citizens of “Los Estados Unidos de Mexico” call themselves “Mexicans”, citizens of “The United States of America” call themselves “Americans”.

47. Omg – this again? And you know it’s very impolite to say “you people”, right? Ugh.

48. In English, it is the correct demonym. In Spanish, the word “estadounidense” exists—which is basically “United-States-ese”, and in Spanish that’s the demonym.

    Whether something is “right” or not is a bad way to figure out language. For being something that feels like it stands the rest of time, language is extraordinarily adaptive. Slang and acceptable names change with every generation.

    If the next generation of Americans want to call themselves “USians” or “usonians” or “US-Americans” or “Statesiders” or forego the national demonym entirely and only use their state demonyms like Oklahoman, Utahn, or Californian—that’s their business because each generation makes their own society. I’m an American.

    Fun fact: this was a historical issue as well. American is what won out, but there was a movement around the time manifest destiny was a popular idea that we should be called Columbians or Columbards or even “New Worlders”.

49. Of course, this is, and always has been, ridiculous.

    We’re the United States of… wait for it… America. We call ourselves Americans

    Mexico is the United Mexican States, they call themselves… Mexicans.

    Brazil used to be called the United States of Brazil, so they called themselves Brazilians.

    Idk why this is so difficult.

    Argentinians aren’t Americans, they can be South Americans, but there is no one singular american continent anyway. Canadians aren’t Americans, they’re North Americans. Americans are both Americans and North Americans.

    Y’all just look for reasons to get mad at the US because we live in your head rent free