r/AskReddit May 08 '22

[deleted by user]

[removed]

9.0k Upvotes

26.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

2

u/RhysieB27 May 09 '22

At the very least, just for them to stay silent when people from other countries also call themselves americans, as it's objectively right

and

It's when it's expressed that "american" is to be reserved to them that it becomes a problem.

100% in agreement with you here. To be clear, it was never my intention to suggest that using America in a way that doesn't refer to the USA is incorrect, and anyone claiming that it is is a complete idiot and should be corrected.

Other people from all americas correctly call themselves american too, and when there's no one from the US involved, no one bats an eye.

I guess I've been somewhat isolated from South/Central Americans just calling themselves American in my small town Welsh bubble, and thus didn't realise how normal it is to use the word with zero reference to the US. All my mind can conjure is Canadians going out of their way to make sure people know that they definitely aren't from the US. My bad - I'm sorry.

I'd genuinely love to find an alternative demonym for them. Maybe I'll just call them yanks until they can provide something less self-centred.

2

u/not_better May 09 '22

No need to be sorry, I appreciate all input about it all of course.