Peace, Love, and Understanding

America is a continent, not a nation.

A continent? Or three continents? North America, Central America, and South America?

Americans are the inhabitants of that continent, not a nationality.

A relative worked for Canadian immigration. They talked about people driving into Canada and, when asked for their citizenship, they would say “Alabama”, or “Georgia”, or “Tennessee” or some other “Dixie” state. That was not acceptable to Canadian immigration, but the immigration officers were not permitted to give the correct answer which was “American”.

You've only to check your U.S. passport to see those facts in plain English. The rest of America except for the USA and Canada agrees that we are all Americans from Tierra del Fuego to the Northern Territories and Greenland.

Wouldn’t the terms for agreement be “North Americans”, Central Americans”, and “South Americans”?

As an aside, I have had friends and coworkers from Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, and Costa Rica. None of them would accept being called “American”. I don’t think that any of my Mexican friends or acquaintances would want me to call them American”.

None of my Canadian friends or relatives would accept being called American. They would vociferously reject that description while agreeing that they are “North American”.

Exactly. This stupid argument just won't die, will it? If a traveler from Paraguay goes to Europe, or anywhere else in the world, including the entire continent of South America, and insists to the authorities that he is "American", he'll be arrested for personation....and stupidity.