16
Stop calling USAians "Americans" - it only solidifies their belief that they own 2 continents (fedia.io)
submitted 10 months ago by to c/boycottus@lemmy.ca
47 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Language can be powerful in shaping ideas and the US has convinced the entire world that they are the "Americans" and everybody else on the 2 continents aren't.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 2 points 10 months ago (1 child)

Mexico (and many other countries) has an official name and a unique coloquial one.

The US only has an official name and they appropriated the coloquial one which already meant the whole continent.

It wasn't an accident in language. It was deliberate.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago

    I tend to call the USA the United States, but either you can accept the common demonym and adjective of "American" which is an entirely separate thing than the name of the country or you can not. Same for Mexico.

    You can choose how you want to address people of the USA, but it's up to them to choose how they react to it. "Yankee" is another alternative that's a lot easier to say, even if they don't tend to like it.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent