Re: "Two meanings in "american"

travis garrett jackson (tjackson@UNM.EDU)
Sun, 19 Feb 1995 17:39:19 -0700

On Sun, 19 Feb 1995, Bret Diamond wrote:

> Sometimes I really think that we over-analyze things... At the
> risk of being politically incorrect, might I suggest that we call
> ourselves "Americans" simply because it sounds a hell of a lot better than
> "United Statesians?!" Anybody?
>
I agree that United Statesians sounds worse, but the problem here
isn't with how it sounds. It is a matter of identity. Any one in the
western hemisphere has some right to the name American, yet we arrogantly
claim it for ourselves and subconciously rule them out of that category.
It is seen as yet another ignorant infraction of and already ethnocentri
society. People are proud of their identity. It gives them more power
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