What are Americans?

[wildeoscar]

The Conversation about Native Canadians vs Native Americans sparked one of my favortie pet peeves.....

People from Canada are Canadian. People from Mexico are Mexicans. People from The United States of America are Americans? But since it is North America and South America isn't all of that the Americas... so arn't they all Americans?

Kevin needs to break out the books on style and grammer... I have a huge pet peeve on this. The common gutteral is to refer to The United States of America as "America" which is fine for everyday conversation but for proper writing like a news paper I find annoying.

Thoughts?

[DisneyKevin]

Me?

I didnt say anything.

[I<3EvilQueen]

Technically both versions of using America are correct.

The Americas are indeed North and South America so you could use that context to refer to anyone in the "new world". But once that new world started to get carved up and labeled and people started to form nations they became in a more defined context Canadians, Hondurans, Mexicans, Brazilians etc... It is just easier to locate and to narrow down the broad label. (ie European vs German for example).

As for why American is used for the USA that is simple. We are the United States of America. So technically America is our "noun" and United States is the "adjective".

Just like we don't say that people from Pennsylvannia are Commonwealthers, even though they are from the offical name, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvannia.

I hope this made sense as I not known for my writing. But you are right this is a great topic of debate and study :-)

[wildeoscar]

I'll rephrase... their* is a time and a place for being politically correct, and a time and a place for proper English usage, what is your considered opinion on the use of Americans to refer to people from or residing in The United States of America. Further, I would believe Native American to be correct to identify the indiginous peoples of the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Like I said, this is a pet peeve, maybe I need to put my ear plugs in a little tighter to keep the crazy from leaking out of my head?

*There, their, they're I use them interchangably and so should you.

[I<3EvilQueen]

Oh believe me I understand pet peeves, so no worry there :-)

Like for instance mine is when someone will say "My pleasure" after I thank them for a standard business transaction. Like at the drive through for instance. Like did you giving me a burger and fries did that really give you pleasure???? :-) so we all have a little bit of crazy so I would worry about it too much.

But as for the native peoples of the Americas, I would believe that Native Americans is correct for all of them. But I think because we live here in the US that we have our own image of what "Native American" means to us culturally when we hear or say it. Probably images of the South Western tribes or eatern tribes like the Cherokee before the Trail of Tears etc... The northern tribes of the Innuit and the Eskimos are probably what we think of as being the stereotypical (however right or wrong) Native people of Canada.

Being from the Detroit area I know that that stereotypical image is incorrect but I can see how it would happen. So I can see how Julie got alittle tongue tied when trying to convey an image of a Northern tribe and the battlefield that is Political Correctness :-)

Besides I just thought that Native Canadians sounded cute. I would love to hear from some of our Canadian brothers and sisters on this topic though.

[cxcelica]

http://www.thegreenhead.com/imgs/canada-americas-hat-tshirt-sm.jpg
AND Coming soon Mexico America's Beard.

[ChoirBoy]

I had a similar conflict involving Australia. My chorus sang this song called "Ngana". I posted the video of the song on Youtube, and random Austalian got angry with me. Apparently, my teacher had translated all of the "Aboriginal" words before we sang, and the Australian started an arguement, saying Aboriginies could apply to any country. He said that the Native Americans could even be called aboriginies. We argue back and forth through comments on the video, and in the end I said Yes, the Webster's Dictionary definition said "aboriginie" meant the original early inhabitants of the land, but if you looked at the second definition, it said natives of Australia, which is what most people think of when they hear this word.

Do you have anything to add, AussieJohn?

[fakereadhed]

About the whole (fill in the blank)American issue: My senior citizen mom is so tired of all of the PC stuff she is now saying, "I'm a native American. I was born here, although I'm not First Nation." :rotfl2:

Also, all this PC stuff is very confusing to kids as well. At camp, my daughter had a counselor from France. Her best friend kept calling the counselor African American. When my daughter pointed out that she was French and not American her friend had no idea what she would be called when describing her to her mother in a letter back home. My DD pointed out that she could just leave that out, and tell her she was from France, because the rest really didn't matter anyway.

That's my view too. Julie did her best to describe things, but really, in the end, who cares?

[SnackyStacky]

The Conversation about Native Canadians vs Native Americans sparked one of my favortie pet peeves.....

People from Canada are Canadian. People from Mexico are Mexicans. People from The United States of America are Americans? But since it is North America and South America isn't all of that the Americas... so arn't they all Americans?

Kevin needs to break out the books on style and grammer... I have a huge pet peeve on this. The common gutteral is to refer to The United States of America as "America" which is fine for everyday conversation but for proper writing like a news paper I find annoying.

Thoughts?


Perhaps United Statesians? It doesn't make sense.

If we're talking about the Podcast here (and I haven't listened to it yet, so I'm not even sure that's what we're doing) - it's not scripted. It's a conversation between a bunch of Disney dweebs! (I use the phrase with love and consider myself such a dweeb) Anyway - you said referring to the US as America in casual conversation is fine - and that's all this is. We're not talking about a state of the union address, here.

And back to my opening sentence - no matter what the proper name of the country is, the adjective is "american". If you'd like to petition Merriam Webster to have "united statesian" put into the English language as a proper adjective to describe a citizen of the United States - have at it. But until then, a citizen of the US is an American citizen.

[lunabkat]

So, the old USSR'rs should have been called... Republicans...clears things up a little doesnt it?

Africa, also the name of a continent = Africans, also can be described by any country the originate from such as Nigerians, Kenyans, etc.

Antarctica = Antarcticans (anybody?) Arctic = Arcticans? or Arcticanish?

Why is it pronounced Americans instead of Amareekins (like Puerto Rican)?

Are you a Canadian, French Canadian, French CanadianCanadian or CanadianCanadian? hmmm....

I guess as far a American goes, we just had first dibbs on the name and it stuck. Before we were the USA we were just America weren't we?

Just wondering...:rolleyes1

[drag n' fly]

I'll rephrase... their* is a time and a place for being politically correct, and a time and a place for proper English usage, what is your considered opinion on the use of Americans to refer to people from or residing in The United States of America. Further, I would believe Native American to be correct to identify the indiginous peoples of the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Like I said, this is a pet peeve, maybe I need to put my ear plugs in a little tighter to keep the crazy from leaking out of my head?

*There, their, they're I use them interchangably and so should you.


That would be First Nations people up in Canada. No Native Americans here:goodvibes I am Canadian but of French Acadian descent. My relatives originally came from Louisiana. To this day I still have family in Baton Rouge. Does that make me Canmerican?:thumbsup2

[DisneyKevin]

Does anybody else remeber the "Paprikans" conversation? :lmao:

[WebmasterJohn]

My Pet Peeve = people mistaking Kevin's voice for mine :lmao:

I was the one who raised the question when Julie's said '..or should I say Native Canadian instead of Native American'.

Sheeesh - I can't even get credit for making wildoscar upset :rolleyes1

Besides - I think we're both saying the same thing - wouldn't they still be considered "Native Americans" because that term refers to the ingenious peoples of the continent known as the America's - not just the ones living with the mapped out borders of the USA?

John

[I<3EvilQueen]

Does anybody else remeber the "Paprikans" conversation? :lmao:


Now the Paprikans... what a people :-)

[CanadianGuy]

Just cuz this is a matter I happen to know just enough about to be dangerous..

In Canada, we frequently refer to indigenous people as exactly that.. or as:
- aboriginal (this is the current favorite)
- native people
- First Nation (as a term of ethnicity)
- and yes.. "Native Canadians"

We do not use the term "Native Americans" at all in referring to our indigenous peoples.

More info can be found here..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Nations

Knox

[DisGirlAllie]

My Pet Peeve = people mistaking Kevin's voice for mine :lmao:

I was the one who raised the question when Julie's said '..or should I say Native Canadian instead of Native American'.

Sheeesh - I can't even get credit for making wildoscar upset :rolleyes1

Besides - I think we're both saying the same thing - wouldn't they still be considered "Native Americans" because that term refers to the ingenious peoples of the continent known as the America's - not just the ones living with the mapped out borders of the USA?

John
:rotfl:

Personally I just call myself american.

[disneyholic family]

http://www.thegreenhead.com/imgs/canada-americas-hat-tshirt-sm.jpg
AND Coming soon Mexico America's Beard.

:lmao:

of course america's hat now has money stronger than the US dollar....
talk about sweet revenge!

[cxcelica]

:lmao:

of course america's hat now has money stronger than the US dollar....
talk about sweet revenge!


:)Uggh don't remind me. I had relatives down from Canada two weeks ago, who loved it here because they now consider coming to the US a "flea market" because of the weakness of the dollar.

[Cool-Beans]

Why do we call it a band-aid when it is made by 3M? Because we do.

[3DisneyKids]

*There, their, they're I use them interchangably and so should you.

Why on Earth do you use them interchangeably? (The misuse of all of these....to, two, and too, etc. are MY pet peeve....as this the VAST misuse of the apostrophe s). And why would expect others to inentionally misuse these? They all have completely different meanings, as you clearly know.

[Disneybridein2k3]

Due to the climate of political correctness now pervading America,
Kentuckians, Tennesseans and West Virginians will no longer be referred to
as "HILLBILLIES."
You must now refer to them as APPALACHIAN-AMERICANS.

[mommyceratops]

Due to the climate of political correctness now pervading America,
Kentuckians, Tennesseans and West Virginians will no longer be referred to
as "HILLBILLIES."
You must now refer to them as APPALACHIAN-AMERICANS.

:confused3 What now we got to pick on the hillbillies!? :rotfl2: I grew up in Kentucky and I am going to refer to myself an Appalachian-Americans....(I like Appaparikan better, it is a cooler name. :confused3 )

:hippie: I have to say the hate speach has to stop! :hippie:

:headache: I really have a pet peeve of everyone trying to be PC :headache:

[lunabkat]

Okay, so maybe i missed class on this day;) but can anyone explain the Kansas / Arkansas phenomenon? What's the deal with that?

If i lived in Kentucky, i would prefer Appalachian American to Hillbilly and, frankly, First Nation sounds so much cooler than Native American and would be a more proper name. After all, if we all came from Africa like they say, no one would REALLY be a Native American, there would only be Native Africans - everyone else just wandered in somewhere, they weren't originally from there, right?

[dpuck1998]

Who likes pie...I know I do!

[wildeoscar]

Why on Earth do you use them interchangeably? (The misuse of all of these....to, two, and too, etc. are MY pet peeve....as this the VAST misuse of the apostrophe s). And why would expect others to inentionally misuse these? They all have completely different meanings, as you clearly know.

it's a joke. word play... etc.

[lunabkat]

In honor of mommyceratops i would like to add this description for the record:

If you get lost ALL the time, you are no longer just an idiot (not pc) or have not sense of direction but are "directionally challenged" whilst in the process of getting lost and "logistically challenged" once you have become, undeniably, whereintheworldamIisthisplaceevenonthemap lost.:rotfl:

And remember, if you weren't here first, you're just a squatter :thumbsup2 .


PS: I like pie,too, tho i prefer apple.

[mommyceratops]

In honor of mommyceratops i would like to add this description for the record:

If you get lost ALL the time, you are no longer just an idiot (not pc) or have not sense of direction but are "directionally challenged" whilst in the process of getting lost and "logistically challenged" once you have become, undeniably, whereintheworldamIisthisplaceevenonthemap lost.:rotfl:

And remember, if you weren't here first, you're just a squatter :thumbsup2 .
.

:goodvibes That is awesome!! I am permanatly there although 1andhalf kids ago I fell into the whereintheworldismydammindihavelostitandifyoufinda spareonelayingarounditwouldbemine

:lmao: but over all after rethinking this thread I am a squatter native african irish mutt who grew up with hillibies then moved to beverly hills.....oil that is texas gold...........oh wait that would be moving onto nick at nite! popcorn::

[lunabkat]

I am a squatter from wayback also.

First we squatted in Hungary, then Norway, then Ireland and finally squatted our butts right here into the US of A (that's America ya know) in the early 1900's. With all that squatting going on, you would figured we'd a "marked ourselves out" by now. We now squat in NJ. I am a "Native New Yorker" but was removed by my parents into NJ at the tender age of 5 so must consider myself a New Jersian, so my daughters are Native New Jersians, husband is a Canadian Canadian (Native Scottish, tossed out to Ireland, then Canada). I have a cat whose an ItalianAmerican and a dog from Costa Rica, you should hear his accent! When he and the Ecudoran hermit crabs try and talk to the Siamese fighting fish, well things can get dicey (the cat refuses to participate - its the Italian in him i guess...). I guess in a pc way we are a "blended family" :dance3:

Since my dog only wags his tail up and down or in a circle, i guess his tail is "horizontally challenged"! The cat (and my husband) can be "humorlessly impaired" at times, let's consider the girls a possible "sleep disruptive disorder"...:rolleyes1

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

I don't really think it has anything to do with political correctness. In Canada, we call those who called our country home first and their descendants First Nations, like others have said. Or you can use Aborginals to refer to the native people of any country. I don't think anyone's trying to be politically correct with these names, just accurate.

[Disneybridein2k3]

it's a joke. word play... etc.
Thanks Wildeoscar for clearing that up - I hadn't gotten back to this thread, otherwise I would've said something. That line happened to be the first line in a joke email I got that day on being PC. Since we were on the subject..... :goodvibes Certainly, I didn't mean to upset anyone. In the words of Pete, "It was a joke, People."

[Madi100]

The Conversation about Native Canadians vs Native Americans sparked one of my favortie pet peeves.....

People from Canada are Canadian. People from Mexico are Mexicans. People from The United States of America are Americans? But since it is North America and South America isn't all of that the Americas... so arn't they all Americans?

Kevin needs to break out the books on style and grammer... I have a huge pet peeve on this. The common gutteral is to refer to The United States of America as "America" which is fine for everyday conversation but for proper writing like a news paper I find annoying.

Thoughts?

What would you like the people of the USA to be called? I, for one, would have no idea what to call the Indians in Canada. I thought the way they handled it was great. Julie said something, it got questioned, and a little discussion.

[MenashaCorp]

http://www.thegreenhead.com/imgs/canada-americas-hat-tshirt-sm.jpg
AND Coming soon Mexico America's Beard.

Raises questions and probably some argument about where the armpit is...


And what does this make Florida? :rotfl:


(That's right.... it makes Florida home of THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH....he said trying to wriggle out of it.....)

[M&M's]

Besides - I think we're both saying the same thing - wouldn't they still be considered "Native Americans" because that term refers to the ingenious peoples of the continent known as the America's - not just the ones living with the mapped out borders of the USA?

John

They may or may not be "ingenious", but I believe you meant "indigenous".

Just playing. Honest typo that gave me a chuckle. :goodvibes

[Cyrano]

.. and don't get me started on Scots being asked if they are from England and Catalonians being called Spanish :rotfl: :lmao:

Okay who is next on the get it off your chest thread :laughing:

[UrsulasShadow]

They may or may not be "ingenious", but I believe you meant "indigenous".

Just playing. Honest typo that gave me a chuckle. :goodvibes

Oops, I think Bob is posting under John's sign-in...