Reply to Referring to people from USA as "American"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I find this really interesting. It honestly never occurred to me that people would find the use of "American" offensive.

Here was my thinking...
From my experience, people have far more of their identity invested in their country. Though I've traveled there extensively, I can not recall anyone referring to themselves as a "European" they identify with their country.

I also have had quite a bit of exposure to immigrants from Africa. In my experience, they find it extremely frustrating when we refer to "Africans" because in their mind there are huge differences between the various countries. Again, these people refer to themselves as "Ethiopian" or "Kenyan" not "African".

I realize that the word "America" appears in the names of both the continents, but we are the only COUNTRY with the word America in it. Again, I would have thought a Brazilian would identify far more as a Brazilian than as a "South American" or a person from Mexico would identify as a Mexican, rather than a "North American".

I don't see it as placing value judgments on one country's superiority over another, but just a use of precise language to indicate an individual's country.

So again, really interesting to me, and I'll keep it in mind, but I have to admit this seems to fly in the face of all of my previous encounters with people from other countries.[/quote]

Do you have a passport? Do you speak any language other than English? Have you ever lived abroad longer than, say, 2 years?

If DCUM is your main source of world knowledge...perhaps you can agree it is time to listen and travel more and BS less?
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