Using the Word "American"

[Darknacht]

As you can see at least politically speaking a big chunk of the USA used to be México, but I guess the hatred comes mostly because they don't teach this at school which makes people think it's a conspiracy, you know how that works I'm sure, it doesn't really have to make sense.

As I said he is a hero here, and people here specially in the North of the country are still upset about that, though they do like decorating restaurants with Wanted posters of him, anyway I don't they'll forgive the US for that, I mean just because they were on opposite sides of the conflict does not make him a terrorist, it just makes him a member of a conflicting faction and it is kind of demeaning to classify him as that.

Everyone I know learned that Mexico used to own much of what is now the USA and that we conquered it. It is typically taught as a brutal war fought for a the greedy and racist ideal of Manifest Destiny.
And Pancho Villa is typically known as a Robin Hood type figure at least where I live.
These views may not be the same in some areas of the southern state but many areas of the southern state are seen as embarrassingly backwards by the rest of the nation so I apologize for their ignorance.

OT: We use the word American because Unitedstateians is awkward to say and even more inaccurate. The USA is not the only united states in the world, so we would have to say United State of American which is very long and awkward to say so in every day speech would likely be shortened to American anyway.

 

[StBishop]

Eh, it's annoying and unweildly, and to be honest it'd be a problem here if Australia was divided into more than one country and one of them kept the name Australia.

It's just unfortunate that there's no way to easily differentiate between inhabitants of the US and inhabitants of America (as a continent).

I just use the phrases "people from the US" or "US citizens" etc. "Yanks" also works but it's not accurate (I'm lead to believe it only applies to the Northern Atlantic area?[footnote]Also, it's a fuck around when times for NBA games are given as "Central" or "Pacific" or "Atlantic" or "Mountain" time. Why the fuck not "GMT - 5" or whatever?[/footnote])

You could just call them North Americans. I mean if you're gonna be picky about the words calling them Americans would imply South America too. Unless you're talking about both Americas, but I don't ever hear people lump all of us in together like that.

What about Canadians? They're North Americans.
What about Mexico? They're North Americans.
Some geographers say that Greenland is part of the North American Continent.

 

[StBishop]

Eh, it's annoying and unweildly, and to be honest it'd be a problem here if Australia was divided into more than one country and one of them kept the name Australia.

It's just unfortunate that there's no way to easily differentiate between inhabitants of the US and inhabitants of America (as a continent).

I just use the phrases "people from the US" or "US citizens" etc. "Yanks" also works but it's not accurate (I'm lead to believe it only applies to the Northern Atlantic area?[footnote]Also, it's a fuck around when times for NBA games are given as "Central" or "Pacific" or "Atlantic" or "Mountain" time. Why the fuck not "GMT - 5" or whatever?[/footnote])

You could just call them North Americans. I mean if you're gonna be picky about the words calling them Americans would imply South America too. Unless you're talking about both Americas, but I don't ever hear people lump all of us in together like that.

What about Canadians? They're North Americans.
What about Mexico? They're North Americans.
Some geographers say that Greenland is part of the North American Continent.

I was telling you to call Canadians and Mexicans North Americans and to call citizens of the US Americans as that would solve any issue of wanting to distinguish inhabitants of the US with the rest of North America. It only doesn't work if you want to refer to both of the Americas.

Yeah, US citizens/residents is quicker to say than US Americans. Sounds more normal too.

 

[StBishop]

Eh, it's annoying and unweildly, and to be honest it'd be a problem here if Australia was divided into more than one country and one of them kept the name Australia.

It's just unfortunate that there's no way to easily differentiate between inhabitants of the US and inhabitants of America (as a continent).

I just use the phrases "people from the US" or "US citizens" etc. "Yanks" also works but it's not accurate (I'm lead to believe it only applies to the Northern Atlantic area?[footnote]Also, it's a fuck around when times for NBA games are given as "Central" or "Pacific" or "Atlantic" or "Mountain" time. Why the fuck not "GMT - 5" or whatever?[/footnote])

You could just call them North Americans. I mean if you're gonna be picky about the words calling them Americans would imply South America too. Unless you're talking about both Americas, but I don't ever hear people lump all of us in together like that.

What about Canadians? They're North Americans.
What about Mexico? They're North Americans.
Some geographers say that Greenland is part of the North American Continent.

I was telling you to call Canadians and Mexicans North Americans and to call citizens of the US Americans as that would solve any issue of wanting to distinguish inhabitants of the US with the rest of North America. It only doesn't work if you want to refer to both of the Americas.

Yeah, US citizens/residents is quicker to say than US Americans. Sounds more normal too.

What? Are you deliberately misinterpreting me? I am saying call them Americans. Call citizens of the US Americans, not US Americans. Call people from the continent as a whole North Americans.

Sorry, on re reading your post it makes more sense. I take the grammar of a post a little too seriously.
I tend to read run on sentences, without any punctuation, as one run on vomit of words with no emphasis; sorry about that.

But yeah, your suggestion is that we ignore the OP's concern and keep things how they are. I understand what you're saying, but I politely disagree.

 

[Tanakh]

Ok I've never heard of the guy before, so I guess you have to live near Mexico to know about the guy, which tells me that the US doesn't really care about the guy either.

Yep, sounds like paranoia and ignorance.
Side note, if people are so proud to be Mexican, then why speak Spanish? Why would you speak the language of the oppressor? Why not Mayan? Last I checked, don't Mayan people live in the Yucatan peninsula?

To be fair, Americans aren't particulary good at historic, political or geographic knowledge. I would bet $10,000 USD that most of the population have never heard of the emperor or generals at pearl harbor, of the current al-Qaeda leader, would doubt they can even name the curren Iran president (who has been there for many years now, and with whom US has almost gone to war twice now). Forgive me if i am sceptic about not knowing something being equal as it being relevant or not to the history of US.

And well, I'll be less hostile to the damn gringos once they stop their (anticonstitutional) racial profiling and once they can go over 100 years without starting a war with Mexico or killing our president (this offshore assassination practices of US goes back a long way).

For the languaje, unlike US, in Mexico they didn't erradicate the natives, at least not as a state policy, they nailed them (literally). Most of the country has strong spanish and indigenous blood, spanish is not "the launguage of the oppressor", is part of the heritage of our forefathers; and in general people that have stronger ties of blood with indigenous mexicans do speak native languages, there are 67 different ones that are still in use today and we have some universities that specialize with people whom native language is one of those (i have worked in one of them from time to time).

Damn gringos, you don't like being called gringos? Then get a freaking proper name

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

Ok I've never heard of the guy before, so I guess you have to live near Mexico to know about the guy, which tells me that the US doesn't really care about the guy either.

Yep, sounds like paranoia and ignorance.
Side note, if people are so proud to be Mexican, then why speak Spanish? Why would you speak the language of the oppressor? Why not Mayan? Last I checked, don't Mayan people live in the Yucatan peninsula?

To be fair, Americans aren't particulary good at historic, political or geographic knowledge. I would bet $10,000 USD that most of the population have never heard of the emperor or generals at pearl harbor, of the current al-Qaeda leader, would doubt they can even name the curren Iran president (who has been there for many years now, and with whom US has almost gone to war twice now). Forgive me if i am exceptic about not knowing something being equal as it being relevant or not to the history of US.

And well, I'll be less hostile to the damn gringos once they stop their (anticonstitutional) racial profiling and once they can go over 100 years without starting a war with Mexico or killing our president (this offshore assassination practices of US goes back a long way).

For the languaje, unlike US, in Mexico they didn't erradicate the natives, at least not as a state policy, they nailed them (literally). Most of the country has strong spanish and indigenous blood, spanish is not "the launguage of the oppressor", is part of the heritage of our forefathers; and in general people that have stronger ties of blood with indigenous mexicans do speak native languages, there are 67 different ones that are still in use today and we have some universities that specialize with people whom native language is one of those (i have worked in one of them from time to time).

Damn gringos

Tell you what, stop having your illegal immigrants come to this country and we'll leave your presidents alone.

 

[Tanakh]

Tell you what, stop having your illegal immigrants come to this country and we'll leave your presidents alone.

Dude, don't look at us, that was planned by your goverment. Read:

- (1999) Latin America: From Colonization to Globalization.

- (2000) Rogue States: The Rule of Force in World Affairs.

By Noam Chomsky, there it details (with proper declassified documents) how the current mexican/american border situation was planned by US presidents long ago, especially guys like James A. Garfield, Wordrow Willson or James Madison. So you don't like it? go to your forefathers.

Edit: That Willson dude was sick and cunning, he deserves a lot more cred than what he gets.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

Tell you what, stop having your illegal immigrants come to this country and we'll leave your presidents alone.

Dude, don't look at us, that was planned by your goverment. Read:

- (1999) Latin America: From Colonization to Globalization.

- (2000) Rogue States: The Rule of Force in World Affairs.

By Noam Chomsky, there it details (with proper declassified documents) how the current mexican/american border situation was planned by US presidents long ago, especially guys like James A. Garfield, Wordrow Willson or James Madison. So you don't like it? go to your forefathers.

Edit: That Willson dude was sick and cunning, he deserves a lot more cred than what he gets.

I'm looking at you guys because your the ones coming here illegally. Not to mention the hypocrisy that is Mexico's own policy towards illegal Cubans.

 

[Lono Shrugged]

Stop calling us all Europeans and we'll stop calling you all American

 

[Niflhel]

Tell you what, stop having your illegal immigrants come to this country and we'll leave your presidents alone.

Dude, don't look at us, that was planned by your goverment. Read:

- (1999) Latin America: From Colonization to Globalization.

- (2000) Rogue States: The Rule of Force in World Affairs.

By Noam Chomsky, there it details (with proper declassified documents) how the current mexican/american border situation was planned by US presidents long ago, especially guys like James A. Garfield, Wordrow Willson or James Madison. So you don't like it? go to your forefathers.

Edit: That Willson dude was sick and cunning, he deserves a lot more cred than what he gets.

I'm looking at you guys because your the ones coming here illegally. Not to mention the hypocrisy that is Mexico's own policy towards illegal Cubans.

Are you saying that the Mexican goverment is actively pushing for mexicans to immigrate illegally to the US?
Else, it wouldn't really be hypocrisy.

 

[Tanakh]

I'm looking at you guys because your the ones coming here illegally. Not to mention the hypocrisy that is Mexico's own policy towards illegal Cubans.

So, I link you books with that contain actual history and current geopolitical discussion, and you tell me you don't care, kk.

Also, i am quite sure you mean Guatemalans mate, i know most americans can't tell the difference, but... there is one.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

Tell you what, stop having your illegal immigrants come to this country and we'll leave your presidents alone.

Dude, don't look at us, that was planned by your goverment. Read:

- (1999) Latin America: From Colonization to Globalization.

- (2000) Rogue States: The Rule of Force in World Affairs.

By Noam Chomsky, there it details (with proper declassified documents) how the current mexican/american border situation was planned by US presidents long ago, especially guys like James A. Garfield, Wordrow Willson or James Madison. So you don't like it? go to your forefathers.

Edit: That Willson dude was sick and cunning, he deserves a lot more cred than what he gets.

I'm looking at you guys because your the ones coming here illegally. Not to mention the hypocrisy that is Mexico's own policy towards illegal Cubans.

Are you saying that the Mexican goverment is actively pushing for mexicans to immigrate illegally to the US?
Else, it wouldn't really be hypocrisy.

I'm saying that its hypocritical for people like Vincente Fox to criticize the US policy on illegal immigration, when the Mexican government turns away illegal cuban immigrants.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

I'm looking at you guys because your the ones coming here illegally. Not to mention the hypocrisy that is Mexico's own policy towards illegal Cubans.

So, I link you books with that contain actual history and current geopolitical discussion, and you tell me you don't care, kk.

Also, i am quite sure you mean Guatemalans mate, i know most americans can't tell the difference, but... there is one.

No [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigration#Mexico], I mean illegal cubans who use Mexico as an entry to the US.

 

[zacobar]

British being used to mean English...

Bugger semantics, analysing categorisations like this just enables people to deliberately insult themselves with what they find.

 

[Tanakh]

Are you saying that the Mexican goverment is actively pushing for mexicans to immigrate illegally to the US?
Else, it wouldn't really be hypocrisy.

The official goverment position is that they know they can't stop it (and that neither can the US goverment), so they seek to do a migratory reform that satisfies both countries.

Has been the position since 2001 with Vicente Fox (notable for being the first change of party in power since 1911); however since then the US goverment has been ruled either by Bush (lol, fat chance of him doing a migratory reform) or Obama (that sucks, but to be fair, he has had more pressing matters). For more i reccomend this essey in spanish of course :-/

 

[Vohn_exel]

I'd just like to come in here as a Texan and say that we're awesome, but not always quite so blunt as the other Texan in this topic. Most of us love our country, but moreso we love our heritage. We know Texas was once part of Mexico and there's a certain pride in that, knowing that our State, once a country, has such a rich history. Sure, we believe Santa Anna was a badguy and the Alamo was full of heroes, but war is all perspective anyway.

Anyway, I think the people that get REALLY mad at being called "American" are probably just jumping on the "Hate America" bandwagon. It's the thing to do right now if you want to appear sophisticated and "enlightened," so people do it. I personally try to avoid petty conflicts over nationality and instead look at the person I'm talking to. Sure, the US has it's share of idiots and jerks, but so does every other country in the world.

 

[Tanakh]

No [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigration#Mexico], I mean illegal cubans who use Mexico as an entry to the US.

In your link you will notice that the majority of the immigrants are actually from Central America (and out of those most of them are Guatemalans). As for the "turn away"... let me get it straight, you are saying that Mexico should embrace cubans because they are immigrant, right? The difference being the goverments of Mexico and Cuba are (officially) in friendly terms and the goverment of Cuba have asked the goverment of Mexico to acively seek and deport the Cubans, not because they are here illegally, but because they left Cuba illegally; the ones that can prove they are persecuted in Cuba due political reasons get to stay (not an easy taks).

I do insist, use guatemalans as an example of hipocresy of the mexican goverment, much better in any way.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

No [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigration#Mexico], I mean illegal cubans who use Mexico as an entry to the US.

In your link you will notice that the majority of the immigrants are actually from Central America (and out of those most of them are Guatemalans). As for the "turn away"... let me get it straight, you are saying that Mexico should embrace cubans because they are immigrant, right? The difference being the goverments of Mexico and Cuba are (officially) in friendly terms and the goverment of Cuba have asked the goverment of Mexico to acively seek and deport the Cubans, not because they are here illegally, but because they left Cuba illegally; the ones that can prove they are persecuted in Cuba due political reasons get to stay (not an easy taks).

I do insist, use guatemalans as an example of hipocresy of the mexican goverment, much better in any way.

I'm saying that if Mexico can turn away illegal Cubans, then the US has a right to turn away illegal Mexicans(or any other illegal immigrants, whether they are from Central/South America, Europe, Asia, or Africa).

But I guess using Guatemalans works just as well. Point remains that Mexico is a hypocrite about this issue.

 

[Colour Scientist]

What else are you supposed to call people from the U.S?
I feel confused and ignorant.

 

[Tanakh]

Sure, we believe Santa Anna was a badguy and the Alamo was full of heroes, but war is all perspective anyway.

Well, Santa Anna is a badguy everywhere; and I understand the illegal immigrants of the XIX century that did the war of independence, the central goverment was too far, too incompentent, too strange to their illegal alien culture; but... i am always hesitant to see it as an heroic war, especially since one of the main reasons for it was to preserve slavery.