Well, everybody born in the american continent is technically “american” too, including Central and South America. Is there a specific term in english for these people?
Edit: Thanks for all your answers, especially the wholesome ones and those patient enough to explain it thoroughly. Since we (South Americans) and you (North Americans) use different models/conventions of continent boundaries, it makes sense for you to go by “Americans”, while it doesn’t for us.
I didn’t know that, thanks.
Look man, I’m not american and I didn’t ask the question to create some debate about the ethics or whatsoever. I just wanted to know if there was a specific word for that.
Eh, I agree common and mostly unambiguous usage is that ‘America’ refers to USA, but even in English it feels incongruous sometimes.
Plenty of cultures use the term “English” or some variation thereof to refer to the United Kingdom despite England only being 1/4th of the member states of the UK. I find the whole “Mexicans and Canadians are technically Americans” to reek of manifest destiny.
I understand the Scots aren’t always best pleased at this, though I’m sure they’re too polite to say so.
Just to be clear, I didn’t think that you were being offensive. It came across entirely as a good faith question from a foreigner, but it ties into (ironically arrogant) advocacy from some foreigners who call Americans arrogant for using the term American.