North America and the Americas
Posted in General Travel Tips on Nov 10th, 2008
All citizens of the United States are Americans but not all Americans are citizens of the United States. Costa Ricans, Ecuadorians and Chileans are all Americans just as English, French and Italian are all Europeans. European does not mean a resident of the UK exclusively.
I’m a practical person. If I am in Europe and I say American I know that everyone is going to assume I am speaking about the United States. I don’t bother to try to be specific when I am over there. When I am in Latin America I try to be more sensitive and refer to myself as a North American. I’m not the most politically correct person in the world (I have a sense of humor) but the United States has not always been the best neighbor. I think its important to treat our fellow Americans(be they North, Central or South) with respect.
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