DKC Atlas Forum

[Jomingo]

Yes, we're already familiar with our Bot brethren. Infact we even started a topic all about it...

[Kiddy14]

So uh... I was kind of doing a homework and found this text:
If you're too lazy to read it completely, read the 3rd, 4th and 5th paragraph.

Spoiler!

The math classroom was huge, and I was the only Mexican sitting in there. It was my first day of school at Rosemount High School, my second week living in the United States to be precise. Everything in this country seemed new to me, language, people, food, and even ideas. “Hi”, someone behind me said. I turned to where the voice was coming from, and a white tall guy was staring at me, apparently waiting for an answer. By the look on his face I knew he was new to Rosemount High School too, I greeted him back and talked with him for a few minutes. Then, out of nowhere he asked “How do you like America so far?” At first I didn’t know what to say, I thought this was a stupid question. “Well, I have been living in America for all my life, in Mexico”, I said confidently with a smile in my face. If someone had seen that guy’s face, he or she would have thought that I was speaking to him in Spanish. My thick accent and apparently weird response had obviously confused him a lot. America for him meant the United States, his country. America for me means a whole continent, home of dozens of countries. That was my first conversation with an actual US citizen.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered what we know now as America. The name of “America” was given in honor to Amerigo Vespucci. Amerigo was an Italian sailor and business man who proved that Christopher Columbus didn’t reach Asia as he thought, what Columbus had actually discovered was a new continent, America. The continent is divided in three general parts which are: North America, Central America, and South America. Here in the United States, when people refer to America, they are referring to their country, which is wrong.

Someone that lives in the United States might not think its true, but I have friends and know people that don’t like people from the United States naming themselves after a whole continent. Mexicans are aware of this problem, and it may seem weird how other Americans (Brazilians, Mexicans, Canadians, etc.) react to it, but for some of them, including me, it is a generalization that should be eradicated. People from the United States, have a very arrogant culture. Their history is based in war and Imperialism, the power they own comes from bullying the weak. The last thing we need is them naming themselves after a whole continent. This arrogance can be dangerous, as we have seen in the war “against” Iraq (if you can call that a fair war.) When Theodore Roosevelt was the president of the US, he took over Hawaii; he thought that the power of a country came from owning other ones. This cocky attitude is old, and at large I think it is going to be the self destruction of the Unites States of America.

For some US citizens this topic is outrageous, “America a whole continent? NO WAY!” Well start believing it buddy, open your eyes to the world, you are not the only American out there. This generalization is being dragged from generation to generation; it starts in Kinder Garden and ends on the grave. If someone doesn’t stop it, it’s never going to change. The generalization is everywhere, schools, ads, radio and even the president says it. I think this generalization is far away from stopping, no one can change the past of a country, but hey! We can start somewhere! What we can do, is grab a map, and show the truth to everybody. Think of the other countries living in America, how do they feel about this? An Ecuadorian friend once told me, “it’s their problem; they don’t even know what’s going on.” Other relatives in my
family think that the generalization should stop. They think that the essence of the continent we live in is lost. I think it couldn’t be clearer, the United States OF America.

“It is not our fault; no one has ever taught us that”, that’s what my friend Scott (he is from Minnesota) told me when we were talking about this problem. Teenagers and children have no fault, is something they have never been aware of. One of the biggest issues is the lack of international education the children from here receive. Children from here don’t choose what they should be taught. The government should do something about this; they need to enforce more international and geographical affairs to the United States teaching system. I think that the future of this country relies on foreign nations; the US is falling into an economic decadency, so they might as well start learning some new languages. Is widely known that other nations make fun of the United States for their lack of education, it might not be proper, but it doesn’t mean they are wrong. What do people from the U.S think about this? Well, all I can think of is that most of them are not aware of the issue or would think it is stupid. Every country has their ignorant and intelligent people. The United States has had brilliant ones like Benjamin Franklin, it has had crazy/wrong ones too like the Ku Klux Klan members, the result of fear, arrogance, and again a get out of “America” kind of idea.

On the other hand, we have to think what they would call themselves if not America… United Statians? People from Mexico are called Mexicans, because the ending of our official country’s name is “Mexicanos” (Mexicans), and it is the same thing with people from Europe like Spain, they are called and known in other countries as Spaniards. I don’t see why someone from the United States of America wouldn’t refer as himself or herself as an American, if the
ending name of their country’s name is America. The thing here is that they take it over the top. Like, they think they ARE America, they don’t respect all the other countries out there in their same continent. I think this whole “I’m American” type of thing, comes from the superiority people from the United States already had, this superior race type of thing its wrong and has to change, because nothing good comes from that. No other country in the American continent has the name “America” in the official name of their nation. It is understandable that someone would refer as himself as American, but hey, is it hard to say “I’m North American” instead of saying “I’m American”? I personally think everybody in the world has grown tolerant and conscious of other races and cultures. If you are from the United States just be conscious that you are not the only one out there. War is not the solution to any problem, not even to freedom. Why would you believe in everything the media says? Go out there and do some research! Think for yourself, explore the world, and see that there are millions of people out there just like you, happy to learn about your culture.

The generalization of America was/is the result of grandeur and ignorance of the leaders of the nation. The term American for people in the United States, works as if America was their country. When they travel outside the US, to some place in the American continent, its 100% sure that they are going to be corrected, “America is a continent, not a country.” Scott and I kept debating about this problem, and we came to the conclusion that we should correct anyone who says it. “Why do you make such a big deal about it anyways” asked Scott, “I dunno” I said, “I’m American too I guess.

What is your overall opinion about this? Personally I've always refered to people living in the US as US Residents, and in spanish as Estadounidenses (Unitedstatians).

[Tiptup Jr.]

Mmmmmmmmmmkay. I've heard people talk about this before, but I think it's rather stupid. After all, you wouldn't call someone from Canada "American", would you? He would be North American, but not specifically American. It's just the way it's always been, and the way it's always going to be. There's really no changing it.

Do I think it's arrogant? Maybe, but I also think that it's not that big of a deal. Obviously, I can't speak for other countries, but... I don't really care.

[Stone]

Those EeePC's (and other Netbooks) look almost like a portable SNES/NES/Arcade system. Perhaps, I'll buying one soon...

Does anyone on this forum have an EeePC?

[The Guy]

No.

Never heard of that...

Until NOW.

[Stone]

Gaming isn't the main reason to buy such a netbook. You cannot play any new games on it. But it's relatively cheap, light, small and energysaving. And it should be more than enough for most 16-bit emulators.

[Kiddy14]

After all, you wouldn't call someone from Canada "American", would you?

I'd do, after all he lives in America, so as I do, and you...

He would be North American, but not specifically American.

North America is a political division, the whole continent's name is America =P

I think it may be used as a synonym: You can be American because you live in America and you can also be American because you live in the USA.
Similar to how some people over the 5 continents call Oceania Australia instead of Oceania.

Really, in Latin America you don't generally refer to an Unitedstatian as an American (as we are all taught in school that we live in America and thus, we're Americans); we call them Unitedstatians, or more informal, gringos...

[Gnawzooka]

North America is a political division, the whole continent's name is America =P

Actually, they are separate continents altogether.

[Kiddy14]

It's one; there are 5 continents: America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

By the way, here is some more info about the usage of the word American.

[Gnawzooka]

Actually, there are 7. North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia and Antarctica. Want proof?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continent
Also, if you wanna know, North and South America aren't one continent because they aren't connected (They might be connected by land, but their continental plates aren't). In fact, South America was once connected to Australia, Africa, Antarctica and some other continents on the supercontinent Gondwanaland, while North America was attached to most of Europe and Asia as the supercontinent Laurasia. Also, according to Wikipedia (I knew the rest already) North america didn't crash into South America until about 23 million years ago. Though it does say America (both North and South together) count as a supercontinent, but regardless it is still two continents.

[Kiddy14]

I was going to edit my message when I found this. So in spanish I know there is only one continent called America; being politically separated in North America, Central America, South America, and the Antillas. And I know the continents as America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania (being Australia and Antarctica part og it).

Now I see cultural differences suck...

[The Guy]

I was going to edit my message when I found this. So in spanish I know there is only one continent called America; being politically separated in North America, Central America, South America, and the Antillas. And I know the continents as America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania (being Australia and Antarctica part og it).

Now I see cultural differences suck...

[Swing King]

Are you a mind-reader Guy? I was about to post that same picture.

[Kiddy14]

I don't get it...
Ahaha ok, I'm a noob =P

EDIT: Ok, I am kind of a little obsessional with this kind of stuff, I like investigating different point of views, and to interact with people (just how I found out there are different continent models, like how Gnawzooka showed me), and you know my opinion on the word being used as a synonym... but um, I found this text about Leo Maslíah's book Líneas:

Spoiler!

I know about some people who were to these supposed United States of America.
I don't know what place is that.
From what I'm sure is that is not a country.
If it was, they should give it a name.
Actually, that appellation could refer to several countries.
Some were already named in this text.
I once had a problem with a guy.
I worked in migrations.
The guy arrived to the country.
He showed me his passport.
It said he was from the United States of America.
I asked him to specify.
From which part of America.
He said from North-america.
Yes, but from what country, I asked.
He didn't understand me.
I explained to him that North-america has various countries in it.
I asked him if he was from Mexico or Canada.
He said from the United States.
I asked him if the Mexicans or the Brazilians.
He said from the United States of America.
I told him that was not a country.
It could be, however, an organization like the OAS.
Something that centered several American countries.
I didn't mind which organization he was part of.
I wanted to know his nationality.
He said he was American.
I got angry.
f---, I told him I was also American.
But that that wasn't a nationality.
I, for example, was from Mercosur.
But I couldn't show up at Peru's migrations just for that.
I would be asked what country of the Mercosur I was from.
I should show a passport issued by at least one of the countries.
They guy didn't have any national document.
So I didn't feel authorized to let him enter.-

Leo Maslíah. Líneas; Ediciones De la Flor, 1999.-

Of course, this is a little too exceeded, but it does show a point.

[DKCplayer]

Ugh, sorry. I can't keep up with what's being talked about here...

[Jomingo]

Just kinda half paying attention here, but you keep saying that North America and South America are one continent but politically divided, yet somehow you count Eurasia as two seperate continents even though that is very clearly a political division.

And Antartica is huge enough to be it's own continent, not just grouped with Australia as "Oceana".

Just because N. A. and S. A. are connected doesn't mean it's one continent. I mean, during the winter Asia is connected to N. A. sometimes due to the ice, and Asia is already connected to Africa and Europe.

We can't go by Techtonic plate movements either, as someone suggested, as part of California is on a seperate plate than the majority of N. America(hence all the earthquakes).

[The Guy]

Are you a mind-reader Guy? I was about to post that same picture.

No.

But I have foresight.

But I didn't see this!

[Kiddy14]

Just because N. A. and S. A. are connected doesn't mean it's one continent.

As I said is a cultural thing. In many places the Americas is considered one continent called America. As in spanish... read this:

America is a continent that occupies much of the Western Hemisphere of the Earth. It stretches from the Arctic Ocean to the north to Cape Horn in the south, at the confluence of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans that surround the continent to the east and west, respectively.

You'll get that in spanish, America is just one continent; while in other cultures it is North and South America, thus called the Americas...
My Geography book says there are 5 continents; America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Being Antarctica an almost human uninhabited mass of land is not so often considered a continent; and according to it, some parts of the Antarctica may be considered to be in different continents, like the Argentinian Antarctica being part of America.
Your geography books may say different things...

[Gnawzooka]

and according to it, some parts of the Antarctica may be considered to be in different continents, like the Argentinian Antarctica being part of America.

That doesn't sound right. Australia is owned by England but that doesn't mean it's part of Europe.

[CaptainEddie]

I'm gonna take over the world one day.

[The Guy]

I'm gonna take over the world one day.

Just in case, bring your little white flag.

[Jomingo]

Hmmm.... you should start with Canada. It's a good access country for some of the big ones.

[Rodent]

I used to rule the world...

[The Guy]

I used to rule the world...

Never heard of someone who auctaully DID.

[Gnawzooka]

I'm gonna take over the world one day.

Sorry to break it to you, but I'm going to do it first.

[BlueTronic]

Sorry to break it to you, but I already did it first.

[Swing King]

Sorry, I happen to rule 7 different worlds!

[Jomingo]

See, I'm different than you guys. I rule the world from behind the scenes, manipulating market prices and swinging elections in my favor; ordering assassinations; starting wars, etc.

[The Guy]

Sorry, I happen to rule 7 different worlds!

Sorry, I blew up 5 of yours.

[Swing King]

YOU DARE BLOW UP MY WORLDS! YOU MUST DIE!!!!![Youtube Poop Reference.

[The Guy]

Hey! Push this button! You'll get 'lotsa Spaghetti! Just be careful, Luigi might kill you...


Easy to know what it is Refrence.)

[Tiptup Jr.]

I am the literal god of a small island kingdom known as Squisheyland, where I created numerous cartoon-like mascots to save me the time and embarrassment of actually, you know, interacting with people. I'd say it's all going along pretty well.

Petey Piranha lives there, by the way.

[Gnawzooka]

Fools, one day you shall all know me as Almighty Evil Overlord Jesse Russell The First (And Only).

[Rodent]

Hah, we should all have planet wars.

[The Guy]

Wait, I'm not done!

*Doodles random Stuff*

[Jomingo]

My planet would win. See, my planet is a gas planet as big as venus, but with a moon pulled into the center of the Gas, thus creating somewhat of a core hidden by the gas. The Moon is about twice the size of "Earth", and that is where I live.

So when no one expects it, we jump out and blow people up. Or tax them. But mostly the blowing up part.

[The Guy]

My planet would win. See, my planet is a gas planet as big as venus, but with a moon pulled into the center of the Gas, thus creating somewhat of a core hidden by the gas. The Moon is about twice the size of "Earth", and that is where I live.

So when no one expects it, we jump out and blow people up. Or tax them. But mostly the blowing up part.

Taxes?

*Brings a Lighter*

It won't be a problem... But there will be more blowing up...

[Jomingo]

If you are implying that you are going to use that lighter to ignite my gas planet, than there are few things wrong with that:
1) My gas planet isn't flammable.
2) You can't create fire in space because there is no oxygen.
3) You can't do it from the surface of my moon, as it has an ozone that keeps the Gas of the Gas planet out.

[BlueTronic]

One question: If there's no oxygen, then how can you actually breath on your planet? Much less live there.

[Rodent]

My planets the Death Star, and we pathed up that hole.
*Blows up Jomingo*

[The Guy]

Hey, what's that big, red, shiny button in your Death Star?

*Pushes it*

*Gets blown away by explosion*

Oh, an EXPLOSION...

[BlueTronic]

May the Force be with you.

[DKCplayer]

When there's a big RED shiny button, don't press it... it ALWAYS brings bad news.
*Elmo presses a red button and a smiley face balloon comes out of the roof*
DARN IT! >.<

[The Guy]

The Guy uses "LOL, internet".

Random opponents are ran over!

[Kiddy14]

SO NOW ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!!!!!

[PotoGamer]

Why must you conquer my base? YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DOING!

Spoiler!

I have that song on my iPod...

[Jomingo]

Kongfu: I said there's no oxygen in space. SPACE, you know, that big VACUUM of NOTHING. And as I said, my moon has an Ozone to keep oxygen in.


Rodent: You can't blow up my planet with a Death Star, because that technology was lost long ago, in a galaxy far, far away.....
Besides, you can't blow up my planet if you can't find it.

[Tiptup Jr.]

I got to ride in the front seat of a helicopter today!

...So yeah, I'm pretty sure that I did the most exciting thing out of anyone here on this fine, fine Saturday (or whatever it is for you guys on the other side of the world) .

[PotoGamer]

That's awesome! One question, was it scary? (I'm afraid of heights...) Also, I can't wait for tomorrow! Why? Because I'm going to the Halloween Videogames & Movies Concert! I can't wait!

[DKCplayer]

I once went in the passenger seat of a helicopter too... when the helicopter wasn't going.
That was years ago though.

So... um... how about them... uh... *Gasp* That dog has a puffy tail! *Chases dog* Hehehehehee!