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AMERICAN |
Some Canadians and more Latin Americans are understandably irritated when
US citizens refer to themselves simply as “Americans.” Canadians (and
only Canadians) use the term “North American” to include themselves in a
two-member group with their neighbor to the south, though geographers
usually include Mexico in North America. When addressing an
international audience composed largely of people from the Americas, it
is wise to consider their sensitivities.
However, it is pointless to try to ban this usage in all contexts.
Outside of the Americas, “American” is universally understood to refer
to things relating to the US. There is no good substitute. Brazilians,
Argentineans, and Canadians all have unique terms to refer to
themselves. None of them refer routinely to themselves as “Americans”
outside of contexts like the “Organization of American States.” Frank
Lloyd Wright promoted “Usonian,” but it never caught on. For better or
worse, “American” is standard English for “citizen or resident of the
United States of America.”
