Is an Expat Living in Chiriqui a True American?

[Chuck Bolotin]

Written this last American Independence Day, REGARDLESS OF POLITICS, this article discusses what can be a very divisive and painful subject for expats and those considering becoming an expat:

Can you live in Chiriqui and still be a “True American”?

See if you agree with this answer.

Is an Expat Living Abroad a True American

Edited July 4, 2017 by Admin_01
Repaired faulty hotlinks

[Keith Woolford]

Many Latinos believe that anyone from the Americas, be it North, South, or Central ..is a true American.

Edited July 4, 2017 by Keith Woolford

[Pantah]

Do Canadians believe they are true Americans, using the same logic?

Does this also apply to people from St. Pierre and Miquelon too?

[Keith Woolford]

59 minutes ago, Pantah said:

Do Canadians believe they are true Americans

Canadians are happy to be Canadians.

 

Edited July 4, 2017 by Keith Woolford

[Keith Woolford]

14 minutes ago, Pantah said:

Does this also apply to people from St. Pierre and Miquelon too?

Not sure that there are many Latinos living there.

[JudyS]

2 hours ago, Chuck Bolotin said:

Written this last American Independence Day, REGARDLESS OF POLITICS, this article discusses what can be a very divisive and painful subject for expats and those considering becoming an expat:

Can you live in Chiriqui and still be a “True American”?

See if you agree with this answer.

Is an Expat Living Abroad a True American

The question is ignorant and insulting. Who cares what the answer is.

[Bud]

On 7/4/2017 at 7:59 AM, Keith Woolford said:

Many Latinos believe that anyone from the Americas, be it North, South, or Central ..is a true American.

On my very first arrival in Panama a long, long time ago, as I got into the taxi at Tocumen for the ride to my hotel the taxi driver started the conversation with a question. I will never forget that dialogue; it was an important and cathartic learning experience, more like a sense of increased awareness and sensitivity.

His question was: "Are you (referring to me) an American?" To which I of course answered "yes". He responded with "So am I," with a good deal of pride in his voice. He was not trying to be condescending. That was an important lesson for me -- that everyone from the north, central, and south regions of the "New World" are in fact Americans (Américanos to the Spanish speaking parts of the Americas).

My life experiences are that few US citizens think that way.

[JimAndNena]

A better question would be was he a true American before leaving his country of residence? We have all heard the stories of those who left for one political reason or another, who were dissatisfied with the system. Perhaps there are expats who don't wish to be true Americans.  The true test is the same question the agent asks when applying for US citizenship, "would you fight to defend the US"?

[Whskyman]

People get hung up on "LABELS" .... true Americans; African Americans; Asian Americans; republicans; democrats.  Labels give people something to hide behind and/or talk about.  As previously cited, if someone is a "citizen" of the United States or Central American or South America ..... then technically, they are an American.  Unless you renounce that citizenship, you are still an American wherever you live (whether you like it or not).

Are there "better" Americans??  In my opinion, yes.  Any man or woman who has signed a blank check and served their Country .... in my opinion, better.  A fireman, a policeman ... better (again, my opinion). 

Sure, people that are born here are Panamanian (but they could call themselves an American).  I am personally a permanent resident here in PTY, but still an American.  However, when people ask me where I am from, I say Panama.  I celebrate the holidays here because this is where I live - my choice, my opinion.

Just my $.02

[Pederhaney]

Sorry, Chuck.  That inane and degrading question does not merit a response.  Oh.  Wait.  I just did!  

Edited July 5, 2017 by Pederhaney

[JimAndNena]

On 7/4/2017 at 11:01 AM, Bud said:

On my very first arrival in Panama a long, long time ago, as I got into the taxi at Tocumen for the ride to my hotel the taxi driver started the conversation with a question. I will never forget that dialogue; it was an important and cathartic learning experience, more like a sense of increased awareness and sensitivity.

His question was: "Are you (referring to me) an American?" To which I of course answered "yes". He responded with "So am I," with a good deal of pride in his voice. He was not trying to be condescending. That was an important lesson for me -- that everyone from the north, central, and south regions of the "New World" are in fact Americans (Américanos to the Spanish speaking parts of the Americas).

My life experiences are that few US citizens think that way.

While this is technically true, almost no one except a US citizen would identify himself as "an American". I have yet to hear a Mexican or Salvadoran, etc. use the term. Panamanians refer to us from the US as norteamericano. 

[Bonnie]

1 hour ago, JimAndNena said:

While this is technically true, almost no one except a US citizen would identify himself as "an American". I have yet to hear a Mexican or Salvadoran, etc. use the term. Panamanians refer to us from the US as norteamericano. 

Yes. Just look in your dictionary. The first definition, and therefore the most widely accepted, is "of or relating to the United States of America or its inhabitants." I have family in south Texas, near the border. The daughter of one of their Mexican-born employees is named Amerika, and they're not talking about Mexico.

[Keith Woolford]

19 hours ago, Bud said:

few US citizens think that way

Obviously.

[Keith Woolford]

4 hours ago, Bonnie said:

The daughter of one of their Mexican-born employees is named Amerika, and they're not talking about Mexico.

If I'm not mistaken Bonnie, the name America, in other variations, was a given name long before it was a destination. The Americas were called after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer.

It's been my experience that Latinos here generally refer to folks from the U.S. as 'Estadosunidenses', 'Norteamericanos', and 'Gringos', but not 'Americans' or 'Americanos'.

Their view, not necessarily mine.

Edited July 5, 2017 by Keith Woolford

[Bonnie]

1 hour ago, Keith Woolford said:

If I'm not mistaken Bonnie, the name America, in other variations, was a given name long before it was a destination. The Americas were called after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer.

It's been my experience that Latinos here generally refer to folks from the U.S. as 'Estadosunidenses', 'Norteamericanos', and 'Gringos', but not 'Americans' or 'Americanos'.

Their view, not necessarily mine.

This certainly may be true in some cases, but I'm confident that these employees are unfamiliar with Amerigo Vespucci. And the daughter's mother told me when I last visited that they best thing that ever happened to them was coming to America.

I am not arguing that this should be how "American" is interpreted. Historically, though, it's meaning has evolved (or devolved) into referring to the U.S. Therefore, the dictionary definition.

Edited July 5, 2017 by Bonnie

[MarieElaine]

I believe that Canada and the US are officially North Americans, Mexico to Panama are Central Americans and every country south of Panama are South Americans.  This is how I learned to identify the Americas and yes, we are all Americans.

[Pantah]

16 minutes ago, MarieElaine said:

I believe that Canada and the US are officially North Americans, Mexico to Panama are Central Americans and every country south of Panama are South Americans.  This is how I learned to identify the Americas and yes, we are all Americans.

Mexico is one of the five countries who's flag flies over North America. Custom and usage and context defines the term american, and norteamericano. Being called a "Norteamericano" here is ambiguos in definition but not in usage. People are also conflating the geographical and political "american". Kind of silly to even discuss this and also is how many continents are there. Hint: the count is different between Latin America and English speaking North America.

[MarieElaine]

Thanks for the correction Pantah.

[Bud]

My research suggests that Canada, the USA, and Mexico are considered the countries of North America. Then there are seven countries that comprise Central America: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. South America is everything south of Panama. I am not saying the above is absolute fact, but simply the end result of a huge amount of research.

P.S., the part about Mexico being a North American country was a surprise to me.

[Uncle Doug]

4 hours ago, Keith Woolford said:

 

It's been my experience that Latinos here generally refer to folks from the U.S. as 'Estadosunidenses', 'Norteamericanos', and 'Gringos', but not 'Americans' or 'Americanos'.

Their view, not necessarily mine.

Wait, are Canadians not considered "Gringos"?  I assumed the term applied to anyone whose place of origin is north of Mexico.

[JimAndNena]

The Americas are two continents: North, and South. This is from the 7 continent model that I learned when the Earth was still cooling.  Therefore, Panama is in North America. 

[Bonnie]

I bet Mr. Bolotin is glad he directed this particular post to us. We've done an outstanding job of ignoring the original question and raising it to higher geographical and philosophical realms. (Compare the responses here to those on the other forum to the same question.)

Edited July 5, 2017 by Bonnie

[Keith Woolford]

49 minutes ago, Bonnie said:

I bet Mr. Bolotin is glad he directed this particular post to us. We've done an outstanding job of ignoring the original question and raising it to higher geographical and philosophical realms. (Compare the responses here to those on the other forum to the same question.)

One of the peeves, and it is just a peeve, that I have with Mr.Bolotin is an attitude that's reflected in his question, which is the inference that expatriates in Chiriqui are only from the U.S.

Edited July 5, 2017 by Keith Woolford

[JimAndNena]

1 hour ago, Keith Woolford said:

One of the peeves, and it is just a peeve, that I have with Mr.Bolotin is an attitude that's reflected in his question, which is the inference that expatriates in Chiriqui are only from the U.S.

What if the expat is a naturalized US citizen from Panama?  Would they be considered a True American or a True Panamanian?  And, what would be their status while they lived in the US?

The combinations are endless.

[JohnF13]

Keith, the World ponders.  I'm a Brit with Canadian citizenship, my wife is Canadian but as an armed forces brat has lived all over the World.  I'm just so confused as to what label we should affix to ourselves.....Maybe, hmmmm, " people"?