And the rest of the American Continents are categorised as Mexican, Hondurans, Venezuelans etc. Surely all the American continent is American?
207466
be cause Unitians, Statians, United Statians, and United States of Americaner, don't sound right. And no other country has "America" in its name. If a country called North Europe sprouted up, would you call them a Norther, which could technically be North Korea, or North Vietnam, or would you call them a European?
79731
You are right.\nall of them are Americans.\n\nIt has been so accepted to say it like it is today, that when ever someone like yourself raises the question, a lot of people go... mmm you are right!\nwhy is that?\n\nMaybe when all of citizens of the other countries really want them to be known as americans as well will media take that into consideration.\n\nanother mistake also:\nMexico is not Central or South America.\n\nMexico is with Canada and the USA NORTH AMERICA.\n\nHope is useful.
16319
You can't put America in such simple terms. We are a nation that is by definition a melding of cultures from around the globe. We are everyone. Good, bad, smart, stupid, rich, poor, black, white, and everything in between. There are awful people here and there are incredible ones as well. It is as hard to explain it as it would be to explain the nature of the people on the planet Earth.
462694
Some people say that since there is a Central, South, and North America, people in the US aren't the only Americans. It is annoying because we have been called Americans forever, and I don't know why this word is popping up now.
219818
Yes America is all mexico, latin america, all we are all AMERICANZS
221438
cos there just silly americans who think america is the whole world
563010
Latin America, that's why they are called latinos and latinas
256946
I know what you mean.  When you say you're American, other people jump in and say, but so are Mexicans and Hondurans and Guatemalans, El Salvadorans, etc. because they are all on the continent of North America.  They don't get it, I know, and they probably never will.  Yes, citizens of the USA are Americans.  Mexicans are Mexicans and Hondurans are Hondurans.  Only USA citizens are Americans.
158811
The term "America" is not the formally correct name for anything in particular.  You're right: the name comes from Amerigo Vespucci.  If I remember correctly some French guy started calling the western hemisphere America, after that Vespucci dude's name, and it caught on.  An alternative name for the western hemisphere is "Columbia," as in Washington, District of Columbia or the South American country called by the Spanish version of the name "Colombia."  I guess somewhere along the line people started shortening the name United States of America to simply America.  Then that caught on.  I don't know why those people didn't just shorten it to USA.  Anyhow, I think when most people these days say "America" what they mean is USA.  Of course the case could be different in a few hundred years.  It's funny how language evolves, huh?
332677
Americans (really "US citizens"--Americans include all those who live in North, Central, and South America) are not really stupid--many tend to be very ignorant though.  This, coupled with their patriotic jingoism, makes for an interesting combination.\n\nWe must remember to examine structural reasons for this rather than blaming people in terms of biology.  For example, how can US citizens be informed when their mass media is controlled by very few billionnaires who constantly espouse pro-corporate messages rather than messages that could make people feel like they have a sense of community with each other and the rest of the world?
600953
well actual mexicans ( not the spanish kind) are asian, every native american is asian anywhere in the americas from canada to chile , as for the mexicans not realising its probably coz mexico is so close to america and the ignorance has oozed off the yanks and travelled through the air into mexico
384243
Depends on where you are from.....if you are from the U.S. which believes North and South America to be a seperate continent then it is North America since North America ends at Panama and South America begins in Colombia.
380211
lol .. Americans will always be called yanks (not yankies), and has nothing to do with living in the southern part or the northern part .. ALL Americans are yanks ... that's the way it is, and thats more than likely the way it'll stay ... .:)  Personally I like it ... short and sweet, and no bad connotations whatsoever ....
14716
5 is correct, only that Australia is not a continent.\nAustralia is part of the Oceania continent, which includes New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and some other countries.\nIf you count North America and South America as separate continents, then you should count Central America and the Caribbean countries separately, which will give you 8 continents, because you can't include them whithin any of the 2 above.  By the way, guess what the 5 rings on the Olympic games flag stands for???? The 5 continents.\n\nAmerica\nEurope\nAfrica\nAsia\nOceania
255257
I ran into some interesting perspectives while in Europe.\nMany people in Central Europe referred to America as everything from Canada down to the southern tip of South America.\nAs a Canadian I feel that everything from the Panama/Colombia border north is North America including the Caribbean.
365290
Well, for one, the White man didn't take over "America"- the White man founded America. This was just vast land full of nomadic tribes scattered throughout. \n\nWe now have a Nation, with a Constitution and laws. We happen to have laws against illegal immigration, amongst other things, so the Mexicans are in fact attempting to invade a sovereign country, as opposed to unsettled territory.
66484
Why do Americans think that almost everyone in Asia is an Arab? Because unfortunately Americans are incredibly parochial. That's to be expected for the world's greatest power of course. On a global scale most of the important stuff that has happened in the last 50 years has either happened in the USA or directly involved the USA. So it's far easier to be ignorant of everything but the USA than to be ignorant of everything in the USA. When you add that together with the fact that most people don't give a toss about anything that doesn't directly affect them it's easy to understand.\n\nYou don't say where you come from, but think of this example. Can you name the major cultural groups in Australia, Chile and Botswana? I'm betting that you can't. Because of their economic and military position at the top, to Americans the whole world is like Australia, Botswana and Chile. Just as you are ignorant of the major cultural groups in those countries so most Americans are ignorant of the cultural groups in  Afghanistan.\n\nThat doesn't excuse it of course, particularly when the narrow minds paint with broad brushes, but it does answer your question.\n\nAlso remember that tarring all Americans with the brush of geocultural ignorance is no more accurate or excusable than claiming that all west Asians are Arabs.\n\nThose saying "Oh no, Americans think Asians are Oriental, Middle Easterners are Arabs" simply reinforces the original point. \n\n1) The Middle East is part of Asia, it's not a separate continent. Middle Easterners are Asians, they may or may not also be Arabs.\n\n2) Oriental and Asian are synonymous terms. They mean EXACTLY the same thing: Eastern. Of course all Asians are Oriental, and all Orientals are Asian. But that doesn't actually tell us anything. What does it mean to 'be Oriental rather than Middle Eastern' when all Middle Easterners are also oriental?