# A counter-question to the "New York, New York" thread--U.S. Americans **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 29, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504 "2010-07-29T20:58:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/1 "2010-07-29T20:58:36Z")
After reading the [New York, New York](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=571122) thread, it occurred to me that many foreign media outlets always use _U.S. American_ to refer to us, or as an adjective for the country and its policies. At least, I’ve been listening to German radio a lot, recently, and their pundits and newsreaders always seem to do it, so I’m not sure if it’s a general European thing or just specifically German. I don’t think this applies to the other English-speaking countries either; to the best of my memory, I’ve never heard the expression “U.S. American” used by anyone from Canada, Australia, the ROI or the UK. The argument as I understand it is that the U.S. is only one of numerous countries spread out over North and South _ **America** _, and hence to apply the denonym or adjective “American” to ourselves exclusively is seen as arrogant on our part. While it may seem dismissive of the other countries in the hemisphere, the U.S. is nevertheless the only country that actually uses the word “America” in its official name. With this in mind, is it that unreasonable of us to appropriate the word “American” to apply to ourselves alone? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/2 "2010-07-29T21:11:38Z")
I use US American almost exclusively, since your lovely Miss South Carolina turned me on to it. It doesn’t happen often, but there could be a situation where you’d want to distinguish between American as anyone from North, Central, or South American or just someone from the USA. US American seems the simplest solution to that. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/3 "2010-07-29T21:16:52Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > US American seems the simplest solution to that. I would agree. It also seems logical since the country is “The United States of America”. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/4 "2010-07-29T21:37:17Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > > > US American seems the simplest solution to that. > > I would agree. It also seems logical since the country is “The United States of America”. This is true, but we don’t ordinarily say “The United States of America” in conversation–instead, it’s usually either “The United States (or U.S.)”, or just “America”. Obviously, “United Statesian” is right out, so that leaves "American by default. Now that I come to think of it, we seem to use “America” more in the sense of home, culture, and nationality. “America” is the country we come home to after a trip abroad. Patriotic songs use the name. From the other side of the boundary, “America” is the place where British pop stars go to tour after they’ve reached the top in the UK. By contrast, “The United States” is more of a historical, governmental, and geopolitical construct. Looked at in this way “U.S. American” does makes a little more sense to me now. The same dichotomy of connotation between “U.S.” and “America” probably applies equally well with foreigners, or at least with those who need to deal frequently with Americans, or write about us, or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/5 "2010-07-30T00:34:54Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > The argument as I understand it is that the U.S. is only one of numerous countries spread out over North and South _ **America** _, and hence to apply the denonym or adjective “American” to ourselves exclusively is seen as arrogant on our part. While it may seem dismissive of the other countries in the hemisphere, the U.S. is nevertheless the only country that actually uses the word “America” in its official name. With this in mind, is it that unreasonable of us to appropriate the word “American” to apply to ourselves alone? Are you sure the people using the phrase consider “American” to be arrogant? Perhaps they just feel it makes sense to them. It’s clear, and doesn’t insult you in any way - I wouldn’t read too much into it. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/6 "2010-07-30T00:45:18Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > I’ve never heard the expression “U.S. American” used by anyone from Canada, Australia, the ROI or the UK. I have quite a few Canadian friends. In the handful of cases where I’ve referred to myself and them as “we Americans” (meaning, of course, we NORTH Americans) they’ve reacted rather negatively. Regardless of the fact that Mexicans and Canadians are Americans as much as people from the US are by grace of us all being from a continent called “North America,” it seems to be commonly accepted by just about everyone that “American” refers to someone from the US. “US American,” however accurate it may be, just sounds stupid and redundant. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/7 "2010-07-30T00:49:36Z")
North American - resident of the continent of North America (Canada, USA, Mexico) Central American - resident of the area south of Mexico and north of Colombia South American - resident of the continent of South America Latin American - resident of the countries from Mexico south to the lower tip of South America - incorporates parts of all three of the above. That being said, American - Resident of the USA. Arrogant? I don’t think so because the word is all by itself without any kind of a descriptor. No one else would use it, so how can it be descriptive? “US American” just sounds totally redundant. Didn’t that stupid chick from South Carolina that was trying for Miss America use “US American” in her dumb little speech? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/8 "2010-07-30T00:55:15Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > “US American” just sounds totally redundant. Isn’t “Totally redundant” redundant? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/9 "2010-07-30T00:56:36Z")
It’s not arrogant. It’s just that describing the nationality any other way is less convenient. It’s the same reason people say “British” even when they really mean “United Kingdomites”\* \*If this ever catches on, you heard it here first. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/10 "2010-07-30T01:05:54Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It’s not arrogant. It’s just that describing the nationality any other way is less convenient. It’s the same reason people say “British” even when they really mean “United Kingdomites”\* > > \*If this ever catches on, you heard it here first. Considering UK boarding schools, are you sure that shouldn’t be “United Sodomites”? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/11 "2010-07-30T01:08:28Z")
Well, only 10% of the population attends private schools, and not _all_ of us gave into the prison-gay thing. Of course, mine was co-ed, which helped. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/12 "2010-07-30T01:24:33Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > Are you sure the people using the phrase consider “American” to be arrogant? Perhaps they just feel it makes sense to them. It’s clear, and doesn’t insult you in any way - I wouldn’t read too much into it. Oh, there are definitely some people who do. Look up how many threads there are about why should _we_ be called Americans when there’s North, Central and South America, and you’ll find people who think we’re arrogant and usurping the term that should by rights apply to people from all the Americas. But what always amuses me is that, with just a single exception in one thread, they’re **never** people who actually live in any of the Americas, and Canadian Dopers always pipe up to tell them that they don’t consider themselves American. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/13 "2010-07-30T01:30:08Z")
According to my HS Spanish teachers someone from the USA is “_un/a Estadounidense_” in Latin America, but “_un/a Americano/a_” in Spain itself. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/14 "2010-07-30T01:34:31Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > According to my HS Spanish teachers someone from the USA is “_un/a Estadouni **dense** _” in Latin America… Well that’s not very nice. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/15 "2010-07-30T02:51:54Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > > [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > > > “US American” just sounds totally redundant. > > Isn’t “Totally redundant” redundant? > 🙂 This is redundant: > [@kidneyfailure](#): > > “US American,” however accurate it may be, just sounds stupid and redundant. > [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > “US American” just sounds totally redundant. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/16 "2010-07-30T02:55:38Z")
My experience on the SDMB with this topic is that Canadians and Mexicans are not annoyed that citizens of the USA describe themselves as “Americans” although I believed it to be an issue at least with Mexican citizens from reading Donald Hamilton novels. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-counter-question-to-the-new-york-new-york-thread-u-s-americans/548504/17 "2010-07-30T10:40:45Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > According to my HS Spanish teachers someone from the USA is “_un/a Estadounidense_” in Latin America, but “_un/a Americano/a_” in Spain itself. Nope, both are used on both sides of the Atlantic. Which one is used varies more by personal history and personal politics than by location; some people (like with “the US” and “America” in American usage as per **Spectre** ’s post above) will use one or the other depending on the subject.