Why is the united states referred to as america?

[Sunseeker]

Because the nation really has no other name other than the "United States" and I will point out that the full official name of "Mexico" is the "United Mexican States".

So, to rephrase the question, one could ask why it is called "Mexico" and not the "united states".

[eriseis]

Really where? I have never heard of any Latin American country complaining of not being called Americans unless they themselves were born in the U.S. I would think that these people want to be called according to their individual country. There may even be some that prefer being called Latino. Show me a Mexican, or a Brasilian, or an Argentinian that would rather be called American.

Mexico. It's not so much that these people wanna be called American, it's just they see the use by the USA of that word as ethnocentrism.

[MrKnubbles]

Because saying America is shorter than saying United States since the full name is United States of America.

[eriseis]

Because the nation really has no other name other than the "United States" and I will point out that the full official name of "Mexico" is the "United Mexican States".

So, to rephrase the question, one could ask why it is called "Mexico" and not the "united states".

Prolly from "mexica", which was another name for the Aztecs.

---------- Post added 2012-08-08 at 10:28 PM ----------

the maericASE IS THE UNTIED STtqayess bloodget over it im hammered

I love this.

[loganroth51]

the maericASE IS THE UNTIED STtqayess bloodget over it im hammered

This gave me quite a good laugh lol

[daftone]

I mean there are many other people who took part in the foundation of the US so why are we referred to as a continent and not something else?

What about Colombians or Washingtans? Statesmens? Why Americans? I never understood this. Where did the name come from anyway?

Because we want to call it america and we have 11 carriers to back up our claim to the name.

[Decagon]

well why did we choose to name the america's after Amerigo and not columbus? What was so great about him?

why did he get credit over columbus?

According to my history teacher, Amerigo put his name in the right corner of the maps, but never named his map because he didn't know what it should be called, people just assumed the Amerigo was the correct name for the new world.

[tantojutsu]

By this point, when you say "United States", everyone knows you mean the USA.

This is a factual observation.

[DeltrusDisc]

Short version of the United States of America.

And!

'MURR'CA.

[Adam Jensen]

Mexico. It's not so much that these people wanna be called American, it's just they see the use by the USA of that word as ethnocentrism.

It's not "ethnocentrism" on our part, it's that there's no other good word for the people of the United States.

And I'm not saying "The People of the United States" every time I want to refer to Americans.

[Slummish]

I've noticed on DrawSomething, foreigners get very upset when you draw the continental U.S. if the clue word is AMERICA. I've had more than one person say something like, "BRAZIL IS AMERICA TOO!!!"

I usually say, "yeah, right..." Then I delete the game.

[eriseis]

It's not "ethnocentrism" on our part, it's that there's no other good word for the people of the United States.

And I'm not saying "The People of the United States" every time I want to refer to Americans.

Oh, I know. I've been on both sides of the fence, funny enough. I've gotten into arguments with latin americans when I try to discuss that it's not ethnocentrism but how it happened due to history.

[Beavis]

Oh, I know. I've been on both sides of the fence, funny enough. I've gotten into arguments with latin americans when I try to discuss that it's not ethnocentrism but how it happened due to history.

I've always figured they just wanted something to get upset about, to be honest. Especially the South Americans. What's particularly hilarious about it is that the Spanish word for a person from el EEUU is Americano. They call us Americans but when we call the country we live in America, they get mad! Loco!

[eriseis]

I've always figured they just wanted something to get upset about, to be honest. Especially the South Americans. What's particularly hilarious about it is that the Spanish word for a person from el EEUU is Americano. They call us Americans but when we call the country we live in America, they get mad! Loco!

It IS rather ironic, yes.

[Artravus]

We're the United States of America. "United States" describes the political structure of the country, then there's "of America" so obviously we're America.

---------- Post added 2012-08-08 at 11:50 PM ----------

What else are we going to call ourselves? Statesmen? Colombians? Why would we want to remember Columbus, he was a total prick and he never even set foot on this land. Washingtons? That's one small state in one small corner, or our capital. We don't call Frenchmen Parisians unless they're from Paris.

Every other person who lives on this continent and is not a part of the United States doesn't call themselves "American." Canada? Canadian. Mexico? Mexican.

We are the United States of America, so we go with American.

We do remember Columbus, we have a whole day named after him.

[nrpl712]

Mexico. It's not so much that these people wanna be called American, it's just they see the use by the USA of that word as ethnocentrism.

Well I guess that's their issue. If people want to define Americans as all those who live in the Americas so be it. But I also think that people living in the U.S (and I really don't mean for this to come out as arrogance) deserve to be considered American above all else. I say this because there probably was no real sense of American identity until after the revolutionary war. Almost all of the Americas were claimed territories of different European nations. The U.S were the first to say that they were no longer just another European territory residing in America, but now an actual sovereign state of America.

[Thelxi]

It's really no different than Americans thinking Europe is a country.

[slikvik]

Well, for Latin America, "America" refers to North and South America, which are taught as one continent and not two like in the US. No one in Latin America uses the term "America" to refer to the USA.

False, when the term "americano" is used it always means someone from the US. In most if not all Hispanic nations this is pretty understood, and the US is referred to either "el norte" or "America". Yes in school it is taught that America is one continent but colloquially it is pretty much a given that United States is the nation being talked about.

[Dendrek]

I prefer to call myself a

United States of American

[Deleted]

well why did we choose to name the america's after Amerigo and not columbus? What was so great about him?

why did he get credit over columbus?

Why would we name it after Columbus? What's so great about him? He did a massive fail. He thought he went to India for crying out loud. The most overcredited person in history. Not to mention the vikings where the first off-continent people to go there, bar the emigration of whatever humans marched into the continent that later became the natives.
Columbus can bite my hairy hiney.