America and American

This morning I feel compelled to address what has become a “pet peeve” of mine. It is the habit of folks from the U.S. to always refer to their homeland as “America” and to themselves in an exclusive manner as “Americans.” The fact is that “America” or “the Americas” consists of the continental land mass with three divisions, being North America (of which Central America is actually a part), the Isthmus of Panama and South America. The name America first appeared in the early 1500’s and is often attributed to the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, who explored the east coast of Brazil from 1499 to 1502 (although attributing the name to him has been disputed). This great land mass covers 8.3% of the surface of the earth, 28.4% of its land mass and contains 13.5% of its inhabitants.  It is also referred to as the “New World.” Before the explorers from Europe arrived on the scene it was entirely inhabited by native Indians. So when, where and how did the U.S. suddenly arrive to become widely known as “America” and solely the citizens of that one particular country (out of 35) as “Americans?” I can tell you as a fact that it is offensive to the folks here in Costa Rica to hear a person from the U.S. refer to his country, or to himself, “exclusively” in this way. What is meant by it anyway? Is it just a lazy, or ignorant, habit? Or is there some underlying motivation? Is it that we who are from the U.S. truly believe that we are so exceptional that we embody 100% of what it means to be “American” and that all those poor schleps to the North and South of us just don’t quite “cut the mustard?” The other day I wrote of Obama’s speech at Cairo University and of his quote in which he stated, “any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail.” Throughout the course of human history, nations, and groups of people within them, have done just that and it hasn’t generally led to good things. Anyone who calls home the northernmost reaches of Canada to the southernmost of Argentina, as well as all points in between, has the right to call him or herself “American.” It is just a geographical fact. There is a lot of resentment, however, especially amongst the people that inhabitant the southern region of the Americas. Why? They seem to have often gotten the “short end of the stick” when it comes to being part of America. They are often portrayed in U.S. culture as being of a lower class or social order (as in the gardener, house keeper, or drug dealer). In short, they have often been looked down upon from those to the north. This habit of referring to oneself, if you happen to be from the U.S., as American to me is just another arrogant example of that haughty mindset. I admit, I did the same thing when I arrived to Costa Rica and was scolded often for it. It was a habit that took some time to shed. But shedding that habit of speech, or, much worse, of thought, was the right thing to do. Yes I am American, but so are my brothers and sisters from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, and all other lands of the true Americas. If it sounds like I am lecturing, I am. So, the next time you become conscious that you are about to refer to the U.S. as America, think before you speak, especially if you are in the audience of someone who might be offended. It does matter. To a nation that consists almost entirely of immigrants, or descendants of immigrants, that should be understandable.