[PRCo] Re: THE UGLY AMERICAN

[Donald Galt]

On 23 Jan 2003 at 17:04, Fred Schneider wrote:

> 
> How did we get to the point where "We are American?"   Does it have to do with size and
> population?
> 

Okay, now *I'm* confused.

The statement I was originally replying to was, essentially "we are all (i.e. 
everybody in the Western Hemisphere) Americans." This is an attitude commonly 
taught to US schoolchildren in an attempt to impress on them that their nation 
is not the only one on the two continents.

An valuable lesson, that. The only problem is that the way it is taught leads 
the children into believing that Canadians, Mexicans, Venezuelans, Argentines, 
all are being shown respect by being referred to as American. Whereas in fact, 
Canadians, Mexicans, Venezuelans, Argentines emphatically do not wish to be 
referred to as Americans. North American, South American, indeed. But NOT 
American(s).

It's a simple case in semantics, but understanding the distinction is tiny step 
in re-sensitising the tin ear that Americans are so often accused of.

On the other hand, this can also be a learning experience for Canadians, 
Mexicans, Venezuelans, Argentines: when Yanks say "we are all Americans" they 
are not being nationalistic or expansionist, despite how it may sound to you.

Don