# Mexico. Should it change its name?



## Longford (May 25, 2012)

There's some discussion that Mexico should change it's official name. What do you think?

Mexico's president tries to change country's name - Yahoo! News


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Longford said:


> There's some discussion that Mexico should change it's official name. What do you think?
> 
> Mexico's president tries to change country's name - Yahoo! News


The country that ought to change its name is the US. It doesn't really have a name of its own. "United States" could describe any of dozens of countries. And "America" refers to two continents and three regions. 

Then there is no reasonable form to use to refer to citizens of the US. So they are called "Americans", but that really describes any resident of the western hemisphere. It would be like one country in Europe deciding that "European" only referred to their citizens. The rest of Europe might object. And the rest of the Americas does object but most of the US is too myopic to realize how offensive the appropriation of the term is.

Sorry about hijacking the thread and I apologize for the diatribe. Obviously, you touched a sore spot with me.


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

TundraGreen said:


> The country that ought to change its name is the US. It doesn't really have a name of its own. "United States" could describe any of dozens of countries. And "America" refers to two continents and three regions.
> 
> Then there is no reasonable form to use to refer to citizens of the US. So they are called "Americans", but that really describes any resident of the western hemisphere. It would be like one country in Europe deciding that "European" only referred to their citizens. The rest of Europe might object. And the rest of the Americas does object but most of the US is too myopic to realize how offensive the appropriation of the term is.
> 
> Sorry about hijacking the thread and I apologize for the diatribe. Obviously, you touched a sore spot with me.


I've traveled extensively and worked throughout all of Latin America and I highly doubt you would find a single person on the street that would identify themselves as an "American". This is from my personal experience.

I have too explained to South Americans and Central Americans that they too are in fact Americans....the response I am met with is "No, I'm (insert citizen of country name here)".


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

TundraGreen said:


> The country that ought to change its name is the US. It doesn't really have a name of its own. "United States" could describe any of dozens of countries. And "America" refers to two continents and three regions.
> 
> Then there is no reasonable form to use to refer to citizens of the US. So they are called "Americans", but that really describes any resident of the western hemisphere. It would be like one country in Europe deciding that "European" only referred to their citizens. The rest of Europe might object. And the rest of the Americas does object but most of the US is too myopic to realize how offensive the appropriation of the term is.
> 
> Sorry about hijacking the thread and I apologize for the diatribe. Obviously, you touched a sore spot with me.


Sure, and I'll put that on the "to do list." But before I do this, what should we, who live north of Mexico and south of Canada, call ourselves in English? :focus:


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

joaquinx said:


> Sure, and I'll put that on the "to do list." But before I do this, what should we, who live north of Mexico and south of Canada, call ourselves in English? :focus:


My question is how many of the responses that you might get are printable.


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

Ben Franklin proposed the name Columbia. But then we would run afoul of the Colombians.


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## cuylers5746 (Mar 19, 2012)

*Changing Mexico's Name*

Changing Mexico's Name;


Another misguided attempt by Pres. Calderon. Boy does power to go these guys heads?(Politicians all over the World).

One very interesting piece in this article you quoted;

"..A poll released this week by the Vianovo consulting firm said that half of all Americans view Mexico unfavorably and more than 70 percent believe it's unsafe to travel south of the border. The poll of 1,000 adults had a margin of error of four percentage points."

Some desperate measures along with some good one's, Pres. Calderon is trying to shove down the Congress/Senate gullet in his last 90 days in office. 

Viewed in the context of the above quote; I still say the new Immigration Bill will be very destructive for Mexico and one of his misguided rush to get things done he couldn't before. Sounds like piling on to the misery in Mexico? Sours my mostly favorable view of Pres. Calderon. Sounds like a bitter old man trying to shove his will upon all of Mexicans and us too in order to try and reshape a place in history at the last minute? Trying to paint a picture of himself other than what the other major party has been painting him; the leader of the vicious Cartel Wars during his Presidency where 47,000 (and probably a whole lot more) lost there lives. When viewed in total, that's almost as many American's lost their life in the whole Vietnam War (officially). Kind of puts things in perspective.


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## edgeee (Jun 21, 2012)

Go for it.
That way i could long for the opportunity to be part of the new country known as:
That New Country!

Boy, am i thrilled by that concept.


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## Guategringo (Nov 9, 2012)

conorkilleen said:


> I've traveled extensively and worked throughout all of Latin America and I highly doubt you would find a single person on the street that would identify themselves as an "American". This is from my personal experience.
> 
> I have too explained to South Americans and Central Americans that they too are in fact Americans....the response I am met with is "No, I'm (insert citizen of country name here)".



I completely agree.. no one here in Guatemala considers themselves Americans!!! They are Guatemalans or Chapines... but not Americans. Americans are gringos. I did have a business partner who was from England and he used to tell me I should not consider myself American but North American since America was anywhere from the Yukon Territory south to Tierra del Fuego... But I told him North Americans include Mexico and I certainly do not look Mexican!!!


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

joaquinx said:


> Sure, and I'll put that on the "to do list." But before I do this, what should we, who live north of Mexico and south of Canada, call ourselves in English? :focus:


I never say I am "American", I say am from the US. Or in Spanish I say I am estadoundidense.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

edgeee said:


> Go for it.
> That way i could long for the opportunity to be part of the new country known as:
> That New Country!
> 
> Boy, am i thrilled by that concept.


You did notice that all Calderon is proposing is that Mexico change its name to ... Mexico.
Currently, its name is Estados Unidos Mexicanos. The Estados Unidos was included by analogy with the US when Mexico got its independence from Spain. Calderon would like the name to be simply, Mexico.


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

TundraGreen said:


> I never say I am "American", I say am from the US. Or in Spanish I say I am estadoundidense.


Ok, your a "United States of American?" And it's _estadounidense_ not _estadoundidense_. We wouldn't want to confuse anyone. You say in English "where you are from", yet in Spanish "what you are." 

Before the Civil Was, we would say "The United States *are*. . . .", but after the the war, we began to say "The United States *is*. . . ." So before, we would have said "I am a Virginian" and after "I am an American." I can't think of another word to describe my national citizenship.


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## tepetapan (Sep 30, 2010)

joaquinx said:


> Sure, and I'll put that on the "to do list." But before I do this, what should we, who live north of Mexico and south of Canada, call ourselves in English? :focus:


I think NOB should be renamed either HOT DOG or APPLE PIE since those are "All American" according to many in the advertising business.
My vote is for naming it the country of HOT DOG. For some reason it seems to fit.


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## edgeee (Jun 21, 2012)

Wow, and i used to think i was only slightly confused.
Now i am TOTALLY confused.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

joaquinx said:


> Ok, your a "United States of American?" And it's _estadounidense_ not _estadoundidense_. We wouldn't want to confuse anyone. You say in English "where you are from", yet in Spanish "what you are."
> …


Thanks for the correction. I didn't notice the extra "id".

in that vein, it is "you're" rather than "your" in this context.

And I am not anything of "American". I am from the US and I am sticking to it.


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

TundraGreen said:


> Thanks for the correction. I didn't notice the extra "id".
> 
> in that vein, it is "you're" rather than "your" in this context.
> 
> And I am not anything of "American". I am from the US and I am sticking to it.


Thank you for the correction, USer. I blame it on the computer.


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## makaloco (Mar 26, 2009)

Stop it you guys, I just snorted wine all over the keyboard. 
I call myself a "US citizen" and avoid "American". But when inside the US of A, I tend to backslide.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

TundraGreen said:


> I never say I am "American", I say am from the US. Or in Spanish I say I am estadoundidense.


Most people who live in the United States, who are citizens of the USA, typically refer to themselves as "American" and the country is referred to as "America" as often as it is "the United States." Just like most Mexicans, probably all, referer to themselves as "Mexican" and from "Mexico." I think the President raises a good point which most Mexicans will agree with. He's planted a seed and we'll see if it grows under the next six year administration of the incoming President.


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## vantexan (Sep 4, 2011)

I've read many times that Canadian backpackers will sew a Canadian flag on their backpack and be quick to tell others they are Canadian, not American. Look at it this way: we are citizens of the united states in the Americas. Everyone else in the Western Hemisphere(except maybe Caribbean islands) are citizens of independent states in the Americas.


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## Souper (Nov 2, 2011)

I refer to myself as American, or Americano, as locals describe me. I see no need to complicate a simple question of where are you from. 

I have no desire to make a political statement about the USA, Mexico or Canada.


KISS


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## mickisue1 (Mar 10, 2012)

makaloco said:


> Stop it you guys, I just snorted wine all over the keyboard.
> I call myself a "US citizen" and avoid "American". But when inside the US of A, I tend to backslide.


Because I'm so redblooded and all, I say I'm a Murrican.


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