avatarNanie Hurley 🌿

Summary

The author, a Brazilian, discusses the misconception of the term "American," emphasizing the political and economic influence of the United States on South American countries and the tendency to blame the U.S. for global issues.

Abstract

The article "I’m American, But Not That Kind of American" by an author from Brazil addresses the common misconception that the term "American" exclusively refers to individuals from the United States. The author points out that this narrow view overlooks the entire continent of South America, where millions, including themselves, are also Americans by geographical definition. The piece reflects on the historical and ongoing impact of U.S. interventionism in Latin America, suggesting that the U.S. bears significant responsibility for many of the region's challenges. While acknowledging that the U.S. is not solely to blame for all global issues, the author argues that it often plays the role of an instigator or influential force, akin to a "rich bully" in international relations. The article also humorously touches on the author's struggle to find an appropriate term for U.S. citizens, proposing playful alternatives like "USish" or "USian." Ultimately, the author distinguishes themselves from the stereotypical notion of an "American," while maintaining that they, too, are American, albeit from a different part of the Americas.

Opinions

  • The author feels that the term "American" is misappropriated by the United States, disregarding the rest of the Americas.
  • There is a critique of the United States' tendency to meddle in the political and economic affairs of South American countries.
  • The author believes that the U.S. is often rightfully blamed for its role in global issues due to its significant influence and history of interventionism.
  • The piece suggests that the U.S. sometimes sees itself as superior or separate from the rest of the American continent.
  • Despite acknowledging the U.S.'s role in world troubles, the author does not hold U.S. citizens personally responsible for all issues.
  • The author humorously laments the lack of a distinct term for U.S. citizens, proposing whimsical alternatives.
  • There is a personal connection to the issue, as the author, born in Brazil, identifies as American but distinct from the typical association with the United States.
  • The author lightly mocks their own geographical knowledge, questioning if their inability to name all countries on a map is a trait that makes them a "true American."

I’m American, But Not That Kind of American

Should I blame the US for all my problems? Maybe.

America isn’t a country; it’s a whole continent. | © Image credit: Nanie Hurley 🌿 with Canva using image by Michal Collection— CC-BY.

I’m American, but not that kind of American.

I was born and raised in Brazil. At least on our maps, Brazil is in South America, making us, and millions of other people who weren’t born in the US, also Americans. I’ve heard geography isn’t the US’s forte, though, so perhaps the maps are different there. It seems like they’re only slightly better at recognising their own country than any country at all when faced with a map.

As a representative of Americans who aren’t born in the US, especially those of us born south of the border, I can say a lot of our problems come from US meddling. That’s not to excuse Europe, but at least in modern times, the US has a more pronounced influence over us, politically and economically. American countries have to do a lot to protect themselves from the US’s god complex.

“America seems, unfairly in my view, to be the whipping boy for all the world’s troubles.” — barry robinson in “JFK. A good president or a bad one”.

When I saw this sentence in Barry’s post this morning, I couldn’t help but cry out, “I’m American, too”. Which is true, but I’m not that type of American. We’re not blamed for the world’s troubles. We, the other Americans who can’t even call ourselves Americans without 900 words of explanation attached to it, have a long history of trying to fence off unwanted “help” from the big boys in the north. It’s hilarious that, on the one hand, the US loves to call themselves American, but on the other hand, they try to separate themselves from the rest of the continent. They’re not that kind of America; they’re basically an improved version of Europe.

In my opinion, the US is to blame for many of the world’s troubles. They’re not the only party to blame, but in many cases, they are the boy who came up with the idea and convinced the other children to do what he wanted, either by force or sheer ‘influence’. I’m not sure if they’re the student council president as they think they are, or just the rich bully for whom consequences aren’t as real as for the other kids.

Look, I don’t think Americans are to blame for everything. (I do wish there was a proper name I could call them! USish? USian?) But I also don’t think they’re unfairly blamed for things that aren’t their fault. I tried to think of one example of when America was blamed for something they didn’t do. I realised I have to stop blaming the US for Crocs. Crocs are American, but they’re based on clogs and those shoes can be traced back to at least seven hundred years ago in Europe. Much before Europeans created America!

I have nothing against Americans; many of my friends are Americans. And so am I. Just not that kind of American.

PS: I can’t name all the countries on a map, either, even though I can name some. Is that what makes me a true American?!

Humor
USA
American
Politics
Humour
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