Call Yankees by their right name!
Another day I was chatting about nations and their identity with an Yankee, and, believe me, it is difficult. When a full country learn that they are the only ones, the chosen one, the... (well, you got the point) they just can't accept that they don't have a proper national name. I'll explain:
• American: any citizen from America, or Americas. E.g. Mexicans, Brazilians, Canadians, Uruguayans, etc. And here something important: they all belongs to America (not only USA citizen as they insist in think about);
• North Americans: alright, we are getting close, one of three. It can mean an USA citizen as well as Canadian and Mexican. (yes, both are in north America too)
• In Latin languages you will find the denotation "estadounidense", with means something like US citizen. Well, it is getting better, because now is only 2 countries: USA and USM (United States of... Mexico). Yep, Mexico is an United State federation.
So, what are the alternatives?
That's the point. There is only one, and it is Yankee. It is the only word with refers ONLY to USA citizens. The word was created to define the inhabitants of New England, and today it is the only one with can be used only with USA citizens. They have, by some reason, forgot about their nationality and adopted the continent name definition as their own (and only their).
I don't know why it happened, or when, but it really drives me crazy. If you can't understand it try to imagine this panorama: from now Frenchs will be know as European, and only then. Africans will be only the habitants of South Africa, and Asians only Chineses.
So, do you like the idea?
We are living in a global era, in a time were we have knowledge of the world and were minorities are found voice to claim about something with annoying then. As an American, a South American and a Brazilian I fell myself disappointed with this situation. It is time to say the true:
Yankees, you are Americans too, but not the only ones.
When someone talks about "I'm American", just ask from what country, and insist until you can conclude: "Oh, so you are an Yankee."
You know why? Because this is the true.
P.S. This is my first post in English, and I still learning the language, but been nowadays English the universal language and knowing enought to be understud I accepted that this is the right time to start posting in English. Be free to correct grammar and etc.
• American: any citizen from America, or Americas. E.g. Mexicans, Brazilians, Canadians, Uruguayans, etc. And here something important: they all belongs to America (not only USA citizen as they insist in think about);
• North Americans: alright, we are getting close, one of three. It can mean an USA citizen as well as Canadian and Mexican. (yes, both are in north America too)
• In Latin languages you will find the denotation "estadounidense", with means something like US citizen. Well, it is getting better, because now is only 2 countries: USA and USM (United States of... Mexico). Yep, Mexico is an United State federation.
So, what are the alternatives?
That's the point. There is only one, and it is Yankee. It is the only word with refers ONLY to USA citizens. The word was created to define the inhabitants of New England, and today it is the only one with can be used only with USA citizens. They have, by some reason, forgot about their nationality and adopted the continent name definition as their own (and only their).
I don't know why it happened, or when, but it really drives me crazy. If you can't understand it try to imagine this panorama: from now Frenchs will be know as European, and only then. Africans will be only the habitants of South Africa, and Asians only Chineses.
So, do you like the idea?
We are living in a global era, in a time were we have knowledge of the world and were minorities are found voice to claim about something with annoying then. As an American, a South American and a Brazilian I fell myself disappointed with this situation. It is time to say the true:
Yankees, you are Americans too, but not the only ones.
When someone talks about "I'm American", just ask from what country, and insist until you can conclude: "Oh, so you are an Yankee."
You know why? Because this is the true.
P.S. This is my first post in English, and I still learning the language, but been nowadays English the universal language and knowing enought to be understud I accepted that this is the right time to start posting in English. Be free to correct grammar and etc.
Labels: Americans, ego, justice, miniries, north Americans, selfish, wrong definition, Yankees
posted by Iluminador | 7:32 am
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