American

For: Javier Reverte

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A couple of weeks ago in these pages published an article on the American heartland and my travels throughout the United States and one of the friendly VOD readers commented with surprise and some moodiness: “¿América? But if you only speak of the United States!”. Although my co VaP. not include responses to comments-not anything special, much less disdain, but because I'm pressed for time and spend all of that I have to write books-this time it actually matters to respond because the issue has a crumb, more than meets the eye.

From the geographical purity, America is a continent that is bent on two continents: the North and South. And accordingly, Americans are so inhabitants of the last islands of the Arctic and the inhabitants of the coast of Tierra del Fuego. So American is the Canadian and Chilean, the Mexican and Ecuadorian and Nicaraguan Paraguayan. And yet ...

Americans are those who deny the term to all the inhabitants of America, South or North, and reserve, exclusively, for the people of the United States

Yet it is not, strictly speaking the use of the term. Because withon the Americans themselves who deny the term to all the inhabitants of America, South or North, and reserve, exclusively, for the people of the United States. It took me aware of it after several trips through the countries of the continent, the southern and northern. And I have no idea where it comes from the habit, although I suspect that perhaps that famous Monroe doctrine expressed with the famous slogan: "America for Americans". When Monroe coined the phrase must have thought, subtly, on those living in USA.

Who is the American Dream? When we speak of "American West", West unto which we refer? And when anti-American mobs burning American flags, Are perhaps the Peruvian or the Uruguayan? When the newspapers announced nearly half a century ago that the Americans had set foot on the Moon, Is it related to the Argentine? And what we think when we talk about American cinema, American actors of the American folklore it?

Canadians-who, certainly, always call Canada and U.S. only occasionally

It remains curious that, the exception to Canadians-who, certainly, always call the Canadian and American-only occasionally, to refer to all the other inhabitants of the continent most frequently used terms such as Latino or Latin American or South American. But not us, European and Spanish, who do, but themselves are natives of America who make the distinction. Try the gentle reader you are traveling for America: to anyone who speaks of Americans understood that speaks of the U.S..

What I have spoken to American friends from the north and south, and even U.S.. And like it or not, all accepted the habit as a fait accompli. So, some years, in my books of travels in America-the last two, eg- I put a note warning that where appropriate, when I talk about American, I mean the U.S.. Any reader to peek into "The river of light" the "In wild seas" I say find in its pages.
Do you not remember that far in Pancho Villa?:

"Mexico, February 23:
Americans spend Carranza left,
3.000 soldiers, 600 airplanes,
Villa looking to willingly kill.
And those Americans believed
Pelear That was a dance of any.
With the face covered with shame
They all returned to their country ".

Well, that, friends. All American; but some more than others, as they themselves.

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Comments (7)

  • Pablo Basanta

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    Strongly agree, but is very common to refer to Americans as gringos

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  • Raul Pinto

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    I loved your new book. Thanks for making me enjoy another of his stories. When will the next?

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  • laura

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    I'm glad to read Javier Reverte! I also loved his book Arctic and the interview I read on the web

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  • The lover of Africa

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    Lost in the eternal Namibian roads, search of the Grand Canyon, I find this text of my favorite writer. Javier thanks for pushing me to come to Africa, Now the bad thing is that I do not want to go. I have not yet read the new book, but already on my shelf.
    On the other hand, mountain refuge recomendáis here is well, thanks for the advice.
    Paul

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  • Kavik

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    Hello, since I entered the University during the summers of temporary work in Europe to go in September and October, travel. During those years and after completing toured amazing sites, especially Africa, my passion. At that time I was in my head to travel to the U.S., had the same anti-American sentiment with many.
    Pero a veces de leer blogs de montaña «americanos» me entró el gusanito de viajar hasta allí. My surprise was that I loved, since then I travel every year, people other than me seems very friendly and given to foreign, in North America have discovered the untouched nature not found in other continents.

    Javier do not know if you read this comment, but I use this medium to request you to please post in ebook format, I have too many books and I discovered a year ago the electronic reader, Now try not to buy print editions.
    Your travels have transported me to distant regions, your book last year physically accompanied me through the Yukon River, thank you very much for your work.

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