>===== Original Message From Andrew Fildes <afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> =====
>Hmmm - often wondered about that. Seems a tad arrogant - after all, I
>suppose Uraguayans are Americans too. Perhaps you guys need a new
>descriptor - Olympian? Statesian?
>Andrew
One can only be arrogant where one has choices, and you don't choose your own
name very often. "American" was in use before U.S. independence and I assume
it was used in Canadian territory at least until all of our Tories/loyalists
arrived there during the rebellion from England and eschewed the association.
(I don't really know if this is so.)
When I lived in Toronto I had this discussion about the arrogance of
commandeering "American", though I never knew a Canadian that wanted to be
included in anything closer than "North American." I never queried a Mexican
about it, or a Uraguayan. A neighbor in Toronto I chatted with was far more
upset that his kids were saying "huh?" rather than "eh?" because of the
villainous influence of American TV.
In the UK I noticed that the USA is almost always referred to as "America."
We don't generally refer to the US as geographical unit in that way, reserving
"America" for the same thing UK/Commonwealth/Dominion people are supposed to
call up in their minds when they think of "Queen and Country." "America" is
the "shining city on a hill," "the new frontier," etc. There is a U.S. hymn
called "America" and the tune is commandeered from "God save the King/Queen."
I love irony. Americans abroad refer to home generally as the "States."
Joel Wilcox
Iowa City, Iowa USA
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