[mQb0aVZe]

Even though they serve American style coffee as "cafe Americano", Mexicans usually resist referring to citizens of the U.S. as "Americanos". The usual reason given is that it is presumptuous for Americans to call themselves American because Mexicans are also geographically American. So they use the much more awkward "Estadounidense", which comes from the Spanish translation for the U.S.A.: "Estados Unidos de America".

There is one small problem with this. Mexico itself is legally known as "Estados Unidos Mexicanos". So for the sake of consistency, shouldn't Mexicans also be known as estounidenses? Of course that would be confusing, so they simply refer to themselves as Mexicano. However if a citizen of E.E.U.U. Mexicanos can be called a Mexican without anyone quibbling, why can't a citizen of E.E.U.U. de America expect to be called Americano?

[luspikals]

Merely coincidential.

Estados Unidos Mexicanos, is only used at international, commercial trades, global conferences, etc.

However Estados Unidos Mexicanos, is the Official name, United States or America also

However we both use the last word to describe the citizens

Mexicans, And Americans.

[egoldhyip]

Even though they serve American style coffee as "cafe Americano", Mexicans usually resist referring to citizens of the U.S. as "Americanos". The usual reason given is that it is presumptuous for Americans to call themselves American because Mexicans are also geographically American. So they use the much more awkward "Estadounidense", which comes from the Spanish translation for the U.S.A.: "Estados Unidos de America".

There is one small problem with this. Mexico itself is legally known as "Estados Unidos Mexicanos". So for the sake of consistency, shouldn't Mexicans also be known as estounidenses? Of course that would be confusing, so they simply refer to themselves as Mexicano. However if a citizen of E.E.U.U. Mexicanos can be called a Mexican without anyone quibbling, why can't a citizen of E.E.U.U. de America expect to be called Americano?

B/c Maxicans can be both ''mexicano'' as well ''Americano''. ''Americano'' would literally refer to all people from the American continent not only those from the USA.

[_tppga_]

I've never met a Mexican who referred to himself as "Americano". So if he doesn't want the term, why not let the Americans have it? It's not intended as a geographic term anyway but as a political one related directly to the name of their country (as in U.S. of A.).

[adesseridopaw]

Because a lot of Mexicans (from Mexico) don't see it as innocent to call U.S.Americans 'Americans', but it is associated it with ideologies like the Manifest Destiny and Monroe Doctrine and US imperialism.
To us it is not just a name, or about simple, innocent usage of words, but of underlying political connotations.
Mexicans are after all, also Americans as are Canadians, Colombians and all the rest.

[WUlcN1Rz]

Well SSA are called Africans and mongols Asian
while Maghrebians are the truly "Africans" and Assyrians are the truly "Asians"
so I don't think Mexicans should be called "Americans" because that how the British used to call British citizens living/born in America so that belongs to U.S citizens and latinos shouldn't try to hijack it as SSA/mongols did

[Goksiodiffeli]

Because a lot of Mexicans (from Mexico) don't see it as innocent to call U.S.Americans 'Americans', but it is associated it with ideologies like the Manifest Destiny and Monroe Doctrine and US imperialism.
To us it is not just a name, or about simple, innocent usage of words, but of underlying political connotations.
Mexicans are after all, also Americans as are Canadians, Colombians and all the rest.

Good point. I can understand that reluctance. But we must also understand that the Americans chose this name for themselves before there ever was a Monroe Doctrine or any thought of hemispheric imperialism - or an independent Canada, Mexico or Colombia for that matter. So they have first use rights on the "American" brand name.

At the same time, I think it is simple respect to refer to a nationality according to their name for themselves. As a Canadian I certainly have no problem doing so with Americans.

[AnneseeKels]

Well SSA are called Africans and mongols Asian
while Maghrebians are the truly "Africans" and Assyrians are the truly "Asians"
so I don't think Mexicans should be called "Americans" because that how the British used to call British citizens living/born in America so that belongs to U.S citizens and latinos shouldn't try to hijack it as SSA/mongols did

But Back in colonial times spanish descendants in America used to be called 'Españoles americanos.' It's not like the British invented it and also the British weren't the first ones to land on the continent or to conquer it, it was the Spanish.

[AmfitNom]

But Back in colonial times spanish descendants in America used to be called 'Españoles americanos.' It's not like the British invented it and also the British weren't the first ones to land on the continent or to conquer it, it was the Spanish.

Au contraire, it was the English, in 1497.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cabot

[Biashpainabix]

Well my grandparents parents were Españoles Americanos or Criollos and from one generation to the other (grand dad's) they became American Amerikans (Invasion of 1898 on our island). My family was born american and U.S. citizens so I get to call myself an american either way it's not like there is a Puertorican passport to begin with so I also carry the Blue passport. Do I bleieve Americans Amerikans are the only Americans? No that would be silly and anti intellectual, that is a polysemous word, and whoever does not understand that there was an appropiation of that signifying significant should rethink linguistic theory about the social uses and values of words and the symbolic and historical meaning they hold within the process of linguistic exchanges. Everyone that was born in the Americas is an American weather people like it or not Americans Amerikans do not hold monopoly over its use and will never have it so.

---------- Post added 2011-09-12 at 16:39 ----------

@ Haithabu: Not even the linguistic root of the word is derived from the people that populated North America. The linguistic root is Latin and its use on the continent was widespread not limited to what is now known as U.S.A.

[finasteride]

Well SSA are called Africans and mongols Asian
while Maghrebians are the truly "Africans" and Assyrians are the truly "Asians"
so I don't think Mexicans should be called "Americans" because that how the British used to call British citizens living/born in America so that belongs to U.S citizens and latinos shouldn't try to hijack it as SSA/mongols did

I think Anatolians would be the "true asians" according to your logic. This would make Turks the "true asians".

---------- Post added 2011-09-12 at 20:56 ----------

Well SSA are called Africans and mongols Asian
while Maghrebians are the truly "Africans" and Assyrians are the truly "Asians"
so I don't think Mexicans should be called "Americans" because that how the British used to call British citizens living/born in America so that belongs to U.S citizens and latinos shouldn't try to hijack it as SSA/mongols did

Also, "America" was the name given to the continent by a German mapmaker, Martin Waldseemüller, using the correspondence and notes of Ameriggo Vespucci, an Italian sailor. Martin thought Vespucci had been the first European to discover that land. Vespucci went to the lands that were originally the Northeast and Southeast of Brazil. So, according to that logic, Brazil is the "true America".

Incidentally, the Spanish refused to use the term "America" to the new continent for two centuries, because they knew that it was Columbus who had dicovered the continent, and not Vespucci. The Spanish used the term "Indias Ocidentales" (Western Indies), until they gave up.

[herrdwq]

Even though they serve American style coffee as "cafe Americano", Mexicans usually resist referring to citizens of the U.S. as "Americanos". The usual reason given is that it is presumptuous for Americans to call themselves American because Mexicans are also geographically American. So they use the much more awkward "Estadounidense", which comes from the Spanish translation for the U.S.A.: "Estados Unidos de America".

There is one small problem with this. Mexico itself is legally known as "Estados Unidos Mexicanos". So for the sake of consistency, shouldn't Mexicans also be known as estounidenses? Of course that would be confusing, so they simply refer to themselves as Mexicano. However if a citizen of E.E.U.U. Mexicanos can be called a Mexican without anyone quibbling, why can't a citizen of E.E.U.U. de America expect to be called Americano?

Mexico is the region, America is known to be the whole Hemisphere, I calle people of the US, United Staters