American (USA)

[poli]

Sure, gringo works, but...
Americano is simple and gets the point across.
Estadounidense is more a more educated, worldly, specific, but it's an awkward word.
An analogy would be:
Black is to americano
what African-American is to estadounidense.
Really both are OK. The second one is more specific, educated but cumbersome. Personally I prefer the second.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

I believe that the word American is most said in my country, but anyway there is a word most said for the people, and the word is Gringo.

For example.

Who was the gringo that entered yesterday to the victor's party.

I hope this don't offend anyone.

In Chile, almost all blondes are called gringos/as

As well as, Anybody from Europe including Russians, excepting Spaniards and Italians, and maybe French

.

[Elaina]

They used to say that the word "gringo" was born when Mexico was being invaded by American soldiers. The soldiers wore green uniforms so the Mexicans would say......

green go (They wanted the Americans to leave Mexico) and this is how the word "gringo" was born.

Don't kill the messenger!

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by Elaina

They used to say that the word "gringo" was born when Mexico was being invaded by American soldiers. The soldiers wore green uniforms so the Mexicans would say......

green go (They wanted the Americans to leave Mexico) and this is how the word "gringo" was born.

Don't kill the messenger!

I didn't know that the beginning of the word Gringo were for the American soldiers.

I only know that the word gringo is for the people were born in U.S.A.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Elaina

They used to say that the word "gringo" was born when Mexico was being invaded by American soldiers. The soldiers wore green uniforms so the Mexicans would say......

green go (They wanted the Americans to leave Mexico) and this is how the word "gringo" was born.

Don't kill the messenger!

I was told the same thing by our English teacher, in High School.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

I didn't know that the beginning of the word Gringo were for the American soldiers.

I only know that the word gringo is for the people were born in U.S.A.

So, in Mexico if there is a German or a Yugoslavian, you do not called them gringos?

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by chileno

So, in Mexico if there is a German or a Yugoslavian, you do not called them gringos?

No one is German and the other one is Yugoslavian, the gringo is the merely gringo.

You're Chileno.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

No one is German and the other one is Yugoslavian, the gringo is the merely gringo.

You're Chileno.

jajajaja!

Not in Chile.

Even a chilean blonde is referred as gringo/a sometimes....

[Elaina]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

No one is German and the other one is Yugoslavian, the gringo is the merely gringo.

You're Chileno.

Crotalito, how can you tell that the person is German or Yugoslavian? They could just be blonde, sitting there, without saying a word and you would know they aren't "gringos"?

[ZeroTX]

Originally Posted by poli

Sure, gringo works, but...
Americano is simple and gets the point across.
Estadounidense is more a more educated, worldly, specific, but it's an awkward word.
An analogy would be:
Black is to americano
what African-American is to estadounidense.
Really both are OK. The second one is more specific, educated but cumbersome. Personally I prefer the second.

If that's the case, it backs up my theory that I'm American (Americano). I think the term "African-American" is retarded political-correctness rhetoric with no basis in reality. If blacks are "African-Americans" then what is everyone else? Are we going to tag the continent of origin in front of every person's ethnicity? That's ridiculous.

I'm a white American with Hispanic family roots, which go back to Spain. That doesn't make me a Spanish-American. I'm just an American...

-ZeroTX