> I have no problem with being North American, it's just that too often
> people drop the adjective. Plus, usually when people ask, "are you
> American?" they aren't thinking in terms of continent.
Although we all know it's not true, there is a common perception that
"Americans" (i.e. the U.S. variety) are pushy, self-centered, and a real
PITA. Like it or not, that's how some people outside of the U.S.
catagorize U.S. citizens abroad and, therefore, why "Americans" of the
non-U.S. variety are sensitive (perhaps overly so?) to being "lumped
together" with their U.S. counterparts.
Conversely, Canadians are commonly perceived abroad as being quiet, shy,
and polite. That's NOT to say that there aren't pushy, self-centered
Canucks. We're just not generally perceived that way.
Frankly, characterizing ANYONE based on generalizations is WRONG! No, all
Irish are NOT drunks.... All Scots are NOT cheap... Yankees are NOT all
jerks, etc. But, the fact of life is that we tend to generalize.
Just my morning rant. Please ignore if you'd rather talk 'bout OM stuff.
Regards,
Chris
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