That's something which has bothered me for quite some time - though I NEVER have been OFFENDED by/about it!!! That's the confusion about just who are Americans. People from, say, Ecuador, or Brazil, or Costa Rica, are just as much American as we are!!! I was born in Santa Barbara, California, and am a citizen of The United States of America. America is comprised of the areas of North America, Central America and South America, each of which then has individual countries. Anyone from any of those countries IS an American. I have run into a misunderstanding of that here in the Philippines. An official in a government office LOUDLY insisted that I am an "American" citizen, not a "United States" citizen, and would NOT allow me to put the correct information on a form!!! BUT - I am not offended! I certainly do understand that the common misconception of someone from "America" being from the "United States" has been so universal for a long time, that it's difficult to correct, and usually, I just don't try unless it's for some official document. My passport and all my US paperwork, of course, do say US.

The precipitous decline of a once great university is tragic. Perhaps it began with their adapting the "Tree" as their mascot? And their color still is red -- in a blue state??? Their football team has disintegrated! They used to have some good ones - though being a product of the UC system (UCSB), and being accepted at, but never attending, Oregon State, I've seldom rooted for Stanford!

Loren (a US citizen) - in Beautiful Baguio City

In it's annual search of terms that might be offensive to SOMEBODY, Stanford University has determined that the term "American" might be offensive to those individuals who were not born here yet are U.S. Citizens. This could have some profound affects on our society and literature. For instance, Amerigo Vespuci would now be referred to as U.S. Citizen Vespucci, despite the fact that he was Italian. Lee Greenwood's song would now become "I'm proud to be a U.S. Citizen." American Indians would, ofc, be Native U.S. Citizens. We'd have the U.S.Citizen Flag, the U.S. Citizen Baseball League. I guess America the Beautiful would become United States the Beautiful. Doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Of course the movie The Ugly American would become The Ugly U.S.Citizen. Citizen Cane would not be affected, ofc.

Let's just hope Stanford's "suggestion" doesn't catch on and we can all remain Americans.

To tell you the truth, my Italian Grandparents were more than proud to say that they were Americans once they became citizens.

In it's annual search of terms that might be offensive to SOMEBODY, Stanford University has determined that the term "American" might be offensive to those individuals who were not born here yet are U.S. Citizens. This could have some profound affects on our society and literature. For instance, Amerigo Vespuci would now be referred to as U.S. Citizen Vespucci, despite the fact that he was Italian. Lee Greenwood's song would now become "I'm proud to be a U.S. Citizen." American Indians would, ofc, be Native U.S. Citizens. We'd have the U.S.Citizen Flag, the U.S. Citizen Baseball League. I guess America the Beautiful would become United States the Beautiful. Doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Of course the movie The Ugly American would become The Ugly U.S.Citizen. Citizen Cane would not be affected, ofc.

Let's just hope Stanford's "suggestion" doesn't catch on and we can all remain Americans.

To tell you the truth, my Italian Grandparents were more than proud to say that they were Americans once they became citizens.

In it's annual search of terms that might be offensive to SOMEBODY, Stanford University has determined that the term "American" might be offensive to those individuals who were not born here yet are U.S. Citizens. This could have some profound affects on our society and literature. For instance, Amerigo Vespuci would now be referred to as U.S. Citizen Vespucci, despite the fact that he was Italian. Lee Greenwood's song would now become "I'm proud to be a U.S. Citizen." American Indians would, ofc, be Native U.S. Citizens. We'd have the U.S.Citizen Flag, the U.S. Citizen Baseball League. I guess America the Beautiful would become United States the Beautiful. Doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Of course the movie The Ugly American would become The Ugly U.S.Citizen. Citizen Cane would not be affected, ofc.

Let's just hope Stanford's "suggestion" doesn't catch on and we can all remain Americans.

To tell you the truth, my Italian Grandparents were more than proud to say that they were Americans once they became citizens.

I'm offended by "Stanford University" and its woke attitude. I'm a proud American of Chinese descent (ABC, that's American Born Chinese), vote every year, was in the military, attended college, owned a business for 40 years, pay my taxes and cherish living here. If you don't like to be an American, then get the hell out!

Here, everyone can be an American! Can you become Japanese, French or of some other country even if you become a legal citizen of that land?

Be well! Happy holidays and Happy New Year, Americans!

Ed

In it's annual search of terms that might be offensive to SOMEBODY, Stanford University has determined that the term "American" might be offensive to those individuals who were not born here yet are U.S. Citizens. This could have some profound affects on our society and literature. For instance, Amerigo Vespuci would now be referred to as U.S. Citizen Vespucci, despite the fact that he was Italian. Lee Greenwood's song would now become "I'm proud to be a U.S. Citizen." American Indians would, ofc, be Native U.S. Citizens. We'd have the U.S.Citizen Flag, the U.S. Citizen Baseball League. I guess America the Beautiful would become United States the Beautiful. Doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Of course the movie The Ugly American would become The Ugly U.S.Citizen. Citizen Cane would not be affected, ofc.

Let's just hope Stanford's "suggestion" doesn't catch on and we can all remain Americans.

To tell you the truth, my Italian Grandparents were more than proud to say that they were Americans once they became citizens.