The Naming of America (2023)

Dating and Nature of the Essay

• Commenters try to pin down when the essay was written:
  • Early versions appeared in 1988 and 1991; Google Scholar lists 1988.
  • The author’s publication list ties a very similar essay to a 2023 magazine piece.
  • Internal references go up to 2001 and to a 2016 dictionary edition, suggesting incremental updates over decades.
• Consensus: it functions like an encyclopedia entry, originating in the late ’80s/early ’90s but later revised.

“America” as Country vs. Continent

• Major thread on how different cultures use “America”:
  • In much of Latin America, “America” is a single continent; calling only US citizens “Americans” is seen by some as exclusionary.
  • In Anglophone countries, “North” and “South America” are distinct; “the Americas” is the continental collective, and “America” is the US.
  • Some argue it’s simply the country’s name; others see a “main character” attitude from the US.
• Alternative demonyms:
  • “USian” is proposed and occasionally used online.
  • Spanish “estadounidense” (“Unitedstatian”) is cited as a precise term, but noted as awkward in English.

Demonyms, Identity Labels, and “Hyphenated Americans”

• Debate over terms like Latino/Hispanic, African-American, Native American vs. Indian:
  • Several comments stress that many of these labels were chosen or preferred by the communities themselves, not imposed.
  • Others counter that some shifts (e.g., “African-American”) were elite or outsider-driven and never fully embraced.
  • Polls are cited within the thread that many Black people prefer “Black,” and that pan-ethnic labels are often tools for bureaucrats.
• Some claim hyphenated labels are used to seek special treatment; others reject this as cynical and inaccurate.

Comparative Naming Disputes

• Analogies to other places:
  • UK vs. England vs. Britain; Netherlands vs. Holland; differing exonyms like Londres/London.
  • Used to argue that divergent naming conventions across languages are normal and not inherently offensive.

America Vespucci Story

• Commenters dig up 19th‑century sources:
  • She petitioned the US Congress for a land grant as a Vespucci descendant; the Senate declined on legal/precedent grounds.
  • Politicians and elites then raised private funds for her to buy land; one account says she refused the money because it wasn’t a “national gift” and returned to Europe.

Alternative Discovery Theories and Rigor

• Some critique the essay’s rigor in etymological sections and its mention of a speculative “black African discovery” of America:
  • Phrases like “it has been argued” are seen by some as weaselly if evidence is weak.
  • Others defend mentioning fringe theories as context, noting the essay explicitly warns that many origin stories are speculative and agenda-driven.
• Polynesian contact with the Americas is noted as more plausible and supported than African-contact claims.