# Since when and why is the United States called "America" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 23, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294 "2009-09-23T21:23:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/41 "2009-09-24T17:01:48Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > Are you Canadian or a USAian? I have always heard Mexico described as being part of North America, and I’m old. Maybe you are mis-remembering. Saying I misremember stuff is an understatement. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/42 "2009-09-24T17:09:32Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Possibly it is the most common word in your area. In my experience, which includes 19 years residence in Panama, travel in 10 other Latin American countries including Mexico, and extensive reading of Spanish-language books, magazines, and newspapers, _estadounidense_ is quite rare, and _norteamericano_ is by far the most common way to refer to a citizen of the United States. YMMV. Well I won’t speak for the people or press in other countries. I was replying to someone who mentioned only Mexicans. But here it is probably the most common term especially in the Mexican press as shown in the following quotes from today’s El Informador here in Guadalajara: \*“En un esperado discurso a ocho meses de asumir la presidencia **estadounidense** , Obama expuso ante los 120 mandatarios reunidos en la sede de la ONU…” “El mandatario **estadounidense** intervino ante la asamblea después del brasileño Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva que, como es tradicional, fue el primer orador.” “A medida que nos acercamos a (la conferencia de diciembre en) Copenhague, decidamos centrarnos en lo que cada uno de nosotros puede hacer por el bien de nuestro futuro común”, destacó el gobernante **estadounidense** ," “El mandatario **estadounidense** aseguró que es momento de respetarse mutuamente…” “El ex presidente **estadounidense** Bill Clinton junto a el actual presidente de EU, Barack Obama.” “Si fuera congresista **estadounidense** , estaría avergonzado de que Chile pueda asegurar (médicamente) a todo el mundo y EU no pueda”, dijo Clinton tras oír la intervención de Bachelet, quien hizo una clara defensa de la necesidad de velar por el bienestar social."\* And a few from a México City newspaper: \*“El mensaje incluyó varias apariciones de Adam Gadahn, conocido también como Azzam al-Amriki, **un ciudadano estadounidense** …” “Al-Qaeda difundió ayer un nuevo video, con una duración de 106 minutos, en el que prevé que **el presidente estadounidense** , Barack Obama, caerá a manos del mundo musulmán.”\* And in this article the word norteamericano appears only once as opposed to several uses of estadounidense. And that was probably to avoid repeating estadounidense in the same sentence. \*"BAGDAD (Agencias).— **Un soldado estadounidense** murió y otros 12 resultaron heridos al estrellarse su helicóptero en una base al norte de Bagdad, informó hoy **el Ejército norteamericano**. Según esa fuente, el accidente del helicóptero Blackhawk tuvo lugar la noche del sábado en la base de Balad, unos 80 kilómetros al norte de la capital. **El Ejército estadounidense** mantendrá en secreto la identidad de la víctima hasta informar a sus familiares. **Funcionarios estadounidenses** no estuvieron disponibles de inmediato para hacer comentarios sobre la causa del accidente. Los accidentes aéreos se han vuelto menos comunes en Irak, ahora que Estados Unidos tiene menos naves cruzando los cielos del país. El último incidente reportado ocurrió el 17 de julio, cuando un helicóptero del **Departamento de Estado estadounidense** se estrelló cerca de Bagdad, causando la muerte de dos miembros de la tripulación. En enero, dos naves **militares estadounidenses** fueron emboscadas y colisionaron, dejando cuatro muertos. Tragedia familiar Entretanto, otra persona murió y cuatro miembros de una misma familia resultaron heridos al estallar un artefacto en un cementerio de la ciudad de Hilla, en el centro del país, informaron policías. Uno de los heridos se encuentra en estado crítico, añadieron las fuentes."\* I also ran a search on a Panamanian daily, La Prensa, for estadounidense and it returned more than 100 articles in which the word apperas. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/43 "2009-09-24T23:06:34Z")
> [@CBEscapee](#): > > Actually I have heard this complaint much more from people of countries other than México. I have seen this same question presented by Canadians many times. Are they pissed off at the USA? Yes, they are all pissed off at America. I have had a number of gf’s from other countries, South America, Egypt, Iran, Mexico, etc…and they all liked to lecture anybody that would listen of America’s imperialism, etc… In a few of my political science classes, with international students, same thing. don’t know if it’s justified, don’t care, but, to answer your question, YES, they are pissed off. Probably because of our standard of living, and they are frustrated, and need a scapegoat. hh ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/44 "2009-09-25T00:01:45Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > don’t know if it’s justified, don’t care, I’d wager its more this attitude than the standard of living thing. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/45 "2009-09-25T00:12:44Z")
> [@CBEscapee](#): > > Well I won’t speak for the people or press in other countries. I was replying to someone who mentioned only Mexicans. But here it is probably the most common term especially in the Mexican press … Do the two newpapers you cited have a political stance? I guess I’m asking if you have performed the United States of America equivalent of citing the Washington Times and Fox News to prove a point about illegal immigration. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/46 "2009-09-25T00:18:47Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Do the two newpapers you cited have a political stance? I guess I’m asking if you have performed the United States of America equivalent of citing the Washington Times and Fox News to prove a point about illegal immigration. Do you mean like calling us Mexicans vs wetbacks? ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/47 "2009-09-25T00:39:34Z")
I was taught at school (in NZ, admittedly) that “Central America” covered Mexico (or at least the parts of it south of Mexico City) as well as Belize, Costa Rica, The Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/48 "2009-09-25T01:35:46Z")
> [@CBEscapee](#): > > Do you mean like calling us Mexicans vs wetbacks? Well, you’ve cited lines from two newpapers without links. Being incapable of reading Spanish, any context to the word that you bolded - **estadounidense** - escapes me. What also escapes me is the authority of the newpapers you’ve quoted. Are these newpapers the Washington Posts or the Washington Times, the New York TImes or the New York Posts of Mexico, or what? ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/49 "2009-09-25T02:27:57Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Well, you’ve cited lines from two newpapers without links. Being incapable of reading Spanish, any context to the word that you bolded - **estadounidense** - escapes me. > > What also escapes me is the authority of the newpapers you’ve quoted. Are these newpapers the Washington Posts or the Washington Times, the New York TImes or the New York Posts of Mexico, or what? Why do you need to compare another country to your own? Is everything in the world supposed to mirror your country? Authority? Since when are newspapers regarding as authorities of language? We aren’t talking about some kind of controversial ideological subject here, some kind of political debate. These words aren’t favored by one side or the other in the press. All this is is discussing the usage of different words that refer to citizens of the USA. The words being discussed are all proper and acceptable ways to refer to people from the US. My cites were only intended to point out how commonly or frequently the word _estadounidense_ is used in México and perhaps Panama in response to another poster. Here is a cite from the RAE, probably the most leading authority for the Spanish language: \*\* estadounidense.\*\* 1. adj. Natural de los Estados Unidos de América. U. t. c. s. 2. adj. Perteneciente o relativo a este país." **norteamericano, na.** 3. adj. Natural de América del Norte. U. t. c. s. 4. adj. Perteneciente o relativo a esta parte de América. 5. adj. estadounidense. Apl. a pers., u. t. c. s. **americano, na.** 6. adj. Natural de América. U. t. c. s. 7. adj. Perteneciente o relativo a esta parte del mundo. 8. adj. indiano (‖ que vuelve rico de América). 9. adj. estadounidense. Apl. a pers., u. t. c. s. 10. f. Chaqueta de tela, con solapas y botones, que llega por debajo de la cadera. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/50 "2009-09-25T18:41:38Z")
I wonder what would happen if, say five or so countries in South America were to merge. They would probably call themselves something like the United States of South America. Would that piss of the other people in the area? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/51 "2009-09-25T19:20:49Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Well, you’ve cited lines from two newpapers without links. Being incapable of reading Spanish, any context to the word that you bolded - **estadounidense** - escapes me. The quotes listed all seem pretty dry in nature, like the stuff we usually read off of associated press articles. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/52 "2009-09-25T19:46:44Z")
> [@CBEscapee](#): > > Why do you need to compare another country to your own? Is everything in the world supposed to mirror your country? Doubting that these are the only two newspapers in the country of Mexico, I am trying to find out if it is the political slant of the papers that causes them to use the word. Very well, perhaps I was being too subtle. > [@](#): > > These words aren’t favored by one side or the other in the press. Ah, there we go! Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![CBEscapee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/53 "2009-09-25T20:45:25Z")
> [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](#): > > I wonder what would happen if, say five or so countries in South America were to merge. They would probably call themselves something like the United States of South America. Would that piss of the other people in the area? Why would what piss people off? That they merged or that they choose that name? And if they chose Estados Unidos de América would that piss someone off? ---
**Author:** ![Roadogzcq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/439d5e/32.png) [@Roadogzcq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadogzcq)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/54 "2013-03-25T05:38:34Z")
Well I was born in Puerto Rico I got the same question when I move to New York in 2000 and some one told me welcome to America and was amaze because I always call this country the United States even in the news and in school thats the way we were told and I see the patch in the uniform of the army US Army meaning United States Army no American army when the president make a speech they present him as the President of the United States no as the President of America ,what about the logo that say Made In US so I really Don’t understand why we call ourselves Americans ,Mexico is Estados Unidos Mexicanos de America so I consider myself Estadounidense first and American second because I am still from the Americas ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/55 "2013-03-25T05:48:36Z")
It doesn’t help that there’s no specific national adjective for someone who is a citizen of the USA (this may have been mentioned upthread; I didn’t re-read the whole thing). ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2013, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/56 "2013-03-27T01:42:15Z")
> [@Azul\_123](#): > > Why and when did this happen, that the United States of America is often recognized or called the name of the continent? What about the other 34 countries and the dependent territories in the American continent? But what do I know I was born in the United Mexican States. I suspect that the president of the United Mexican States calls his nation “Mexico” when not making a public address. In the United States of America, many, no, make that all of my friends from the United Mexican States call their nation “Mexico.” I suspect that people speak casually, since they are not on trial, and don’t feel the need to pronounce every single word. e.g., I call my gf “Natalie” although her full name has many more words than that. She and I and all of our friends know of whom I speak, and I do so with impunity. She doesn’t feel slighted, if I understand the situation at all. I also am curious: how many of the other 34 countries have the word “America” in their nation’s name? Why do the United Mexican States shun the word “America”? Perhaps the USA, if I may call it such, although I believe there are other nations that have that acronym, sort of uses the name by default. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294/57 "2013-03-27T01:43:46Z")
> [@Roadogzcq](#): > > Well I was born in Puerto Rico I got the same question when I move to New York in 2000 and some one told me welcome to America and was amaze because I always call this country the United States even in the news and in school thats the way we were told and I see the patch in the uniform of the army US Army meaning United States Army no American army when the president make a speech they present him as the President of the United States no as the President of America ,what about the logo that say Made In US so I really Don’t understand why we call ourselves Americans ,Mexico is Estados Unidos Mexicanos de America so I consider myself Estadounidense first and American second because I am still from the Americas Wikipedia shows the name of what many brave souls call “Mexico” as not having the name America in their name. Are you guessing as to what the “Mexican” national name is? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-when-and-why-is-the-united-states-called-america/511294.md?page=2)