Nationality

[Zandy595]

If you were born and live in the United States, what is your nationality?

My first thought was American, but if you're considering North, Central and South America; aren't we all Americans? Even if I said I was North American, I could be Canadian or Mexican, not just from the U.S.

 

[Mokat76]

American. Other nationalities on the American continents identify themselves differently. People from Canada identify themselves as Canadians, for example.

 

[EMom]

If you are from the USA, you are called an American simply because that makes more sense and flows better than saying you are a United Statesian. It's that simple.

I have never heard a Canadian make a stink about "being an American too." They seem happy to be Canadians. I have only heard it from those from countries south of the US, be it North American or South America. IMHO, it is faux indignation and not worthy of attention. It's not as if we are cheating them out of anything.

If they want to say they are a South American or North American, (as vague as that is) fine. But they are not an American, as that indicates someone from the USA.

 

[SplashMtnCrew]

My understanding is when you are asked your nationality, the person is inquiring of what country you are from. I would say, "American" indicating the USA. If a person is from South America, they would indicate that by the country in South America, like "Brazilian" same would apply to Central America. I suppose those from Canada say simply "Canadian" if there is another indication of a possible answer, someone will post.

 

[minnie mum]

Well here's the thing. Your nationality is the country of which you are a legal citizen. I am assuming that you are a citizen of the United States of America and are bound by its laws. Therefore your nationality is American. I am a citizen of Canada, and would not take kindly to anyone trying to call me an American (no offense to our southern neighbours).

North and South America are continents, not countries. (Central America is not a continent). In this regard you are simply a person residing within a certain geographic area.

 

[EMom]

DH laughs when we are abroad and people ask where we are from, because he says we are from the USA/American and I say, "Texas."

 

[wiigirl]

DH laughs when we are abroad and people ask where we are from, because he says we are from the USA/American and I say, "Texas."

 

[Zandy595]

Well here's the thing. Your nationality is the country of which you are a legal citizen. I am assuming that you are a citizen of the United States of America and are bound by its laws. Therefore your nationality is American. I am a citizen of Canada, and would not take kindly to anyone trying to call me an American (no offense to our southern neighbours).

North and South America are continents, not countries. (Central America is not a continent). In this regard you are simply a person residing within a certain geographic area.

Oops, I knew that, but wasn't really thinking when I typed it out quickly.

 

[Art 1]

Technically all of the Americas is one continent.

 

[Colleen27]

As someone else said, nationality refers to country. Identifying by continent is virtually unheard of in terms of self-identification. We might refer to someone as European or Asian or South American if we don't know what specific country they hail from, but if you ask that person they're going to say French or Chinese or Brazilian - referring to their country of origin, not the continent on which it is located. So it is entirely proper that someone from the USA would identify as American, because that's the accepted way of referring back to our country of origin.

 

[FireDancer]

Technically I suppose anyone from any of the Americas is an American but in common speech American is understood to mean from the United States of America. A Brazilian is also technically an American as they are from an American continent but in normal speech they would say they are Brazilian.

Most of the other countries in the Americas have a demonym other than American while I have never heard of an alternative demonym for someone from the USA. I heard it explained once that the term doesn't refer to the continent of America but refers instead to the America in United States of America.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Technically all of the Americas is one continent.

Really? Does that mean EurAsiaFrica is also one? I'll stick with the longstanding convention understood by most.

 

[Art 1]

Really? Does that mean EurAsiaFrica is also one? I'll stick with the longstanding convention understood by most.

No, it does not.

 

[cobright]

If you were born and live in the United States, what is your nationality?

My first thought was American, but if you're considering North, Central and South America; aren't we all Americans? Even if I said I was North American, I could be Canadian or Mexican, not just from the U.S.

The term you are looking for is 'Demonym' or sometime the word used is gentilic. I like demonymn myself because that was always the lable givin it in the CIA World Factbook. It's what we call people based on their national citizenship (sometimes applied to a person based on their "home-country").

So why do Citizens of the United States get to be called 'Americans'?

Mostly it's a matter of convenience. United Statesians wouldn't work because there are other 'United States' out there, Mexico is actually named "United States of Mexico". So a demonym is something everyone more or less agrees on, it should specify the nations geographic location, and it has to be unique. America is a part of our nation's name and it fixes us to a specific if broad location. Add to that, Mexico's citizens have been happily calling themselves Mexicans for a good long time and Canadians are just as happy being called Canadians.

Put it this way, it's one of the few times American arrogance didn't just claim a continent for itself (or at least a continental name).

Some fun with demonyms:

• People from the Netherlands are most often called Dutch
• People from Guernsey are called Sarnian
• People from The Hague are called Hagenaar or Hagenees depending on being born there or not.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Technically all of the Americas is one continent.

Why do you think this?

 

[Lehuaann]

Technically all of the Americas is one continent.

Huh?

 

[cobright]

Technically all of the Americas is one continent.

Actually as a geographical term, the Americas are only considered a single continent in Spain, Portugal, and most Latin American nations. For the most part, the rest of the world considers this two separate continents.

As a geological term there is a split on this as well because of the organization of the tectonic plates or something. This issue is outside my personal scope except to note that there isn't anything like a consensus.

 

[Art 1]

Huh?

Actually as a geographical term, the Americas are only considered a single continent in Spain, Portugal, and most Latin American nations. For the most part, the rest of the world considers this two separate continents.

As a geological term there is a split on this as well because of the organization of the tectonic plates or something. This issue is outside my personal scope except to note that there isn't anything like a consensus.

That's right. Depends on where one is. I have text books that refer to the America's as one continent. Just because something is written in a USA text book does not make it correct.

 

[pigletgirl]

I always say, "North American"... and then the state I'm from. I think people get it. If I was Canadian, I'd say that. Easy enough?

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

Well here's the thing. Your nationality is the country of which you are a legal citizen. I am assuming that you are a citizen of the United States of America and are bound by its laws. Therefore your nationality is American. I am a citizen of Canada, and would not take kindly to anyone trying to call me an American (no offense to our southern neighbours).

North and South America are continents, not countries. (Central America is not a continent). In this regard you are simply a person residing within a certain geographic area.

No offense taken. If someone is offended, they are looking for something to be offended about.

DH laughs when we are abroad and people ask where we are from, because he says we are from the USA/American and I say, "Texas."

I say Texas, too! So let me ask you this: Is your husband originally from Texas?