Why do Americans call Spanish speakers and Latinos "Spanish?"

[Tuvatuva]

It gets confusing when talking to Americans about the Spanish. Once I was told an American guy that I the girl was seeing was Spanish and he asks me, "Oh where is she from?"

Or if I say, "I have some Spanish friends. I can bring them to the party." Americans will ask, "Which countries are they from?"

Of if I may hear some guy say he met a sexy Spanish girl, but it turns out she's Dominican or Colombian or something.

It's obviously Spain. Spanish in terms of nationality = from Spain.

We don't say Canadians, Saffas, Aussies, Kiwis, and Americans are English because they speak English. If you hear someone is English, nobody would ask which country he is from; they just assume he's from England.

I can imagine how confusing it must be for Spanish people to tell Americans that they are Spanish and Americans ask them which country they are from.

Spanish people are from Spain.

 

[mb23100]

I've never experienced this

 

[Beau Wring]

wait until you have an asian gf, then the confusion will really begin.

 

[TheTickG]

It gets confusing when talking to Americans about the Spanish. Once I was told an American guy that I the girl was seeing was Spanish and he asks me, "Oh where is she from?"

Or if I say, "I have some Spanish friends. I can bring them to the party." Americans will ask, "Which countries are they from?"

Of if I may hear some guy say he met a sexy Spanish girl, but it turns out she's Dominican or Colombian or something.

It's obviously Spain. Spanish in terms of nationality = from Spain.

We don't say Canadians, Saffas, Aussies, Kiwis, and Americans are English because they speak English. If you hear someone is English, nobody would ask which country he is from; they just assume he's from England.

I can imagine how confusing it must be for Spanish people to tell Americans that they are Spanish and Americans ask them which country they are from.

Spanish people are from Spain.

There are far more Spanish speaking people not from Spain living in the US, than there are Spanish speaking people from Spain living in the US. Considering the demographics, saying "Spanish Speaking" takes up far more time than it is worth. Therefore, the "Spanish friend".

 

[Tuvatuva]

There are far more Spanish speaking people not from Spain living in the US, than there are Spanish speaking people from Spain living in the US. Considering the demographics, saying "Spanish Speaking" takes up far more time than it is worth. Therefore, the "Spanish friend".

Why not just say "Mexican friend" or "Peruvian friend?" If you have a Canadian friend, you won't call him "English friend" or "French friend" if he speaks French.
Or you just say Latino if you still want to be general but get the wrong country.

wait until you have an asian gf, then the confusion will really begin.

I have a Taiwanese girl.
Which part of China is she from?

 

[TheTickG]

Why not just say "Mexican friend" or "Peruvian friend?" If you have a Canadian friend, you won't call him "English friend" or "French friend" if he speaks French.
Or you just say Latino if you still want to be general but get the wrong country.


I have a Taiwanese girl.
Which part of China is she from?

What's the likelihood the listener knows the difference between Peru, Bolivia, and El Salvador?

I wouldn't be surprised if you knew people who know the difference. But, I could easily find just as many people who didn't know Spanish isn't the national language of Brazil.

 

[Jesus X]

Folks are just ignorant about geography in general. Most Americans,brits, Canadians can't even spell Colombia correctly with an O.

 

[5crew]

Most South-East Asians call citizens of China, 中国人, "Chinaman".
Westerners call them Chinese. But because Chinese can also be the ethnic group, 华人, it gets a little confusing sometimes. I'm Chinese, 华人, but I'm not from China, 中国.

 

[Bapho96]

There are some Americans who think Spain is in South America lol. It would be easier and more correct to say "hispanic".

 

[Cole train]

I call everyone no matter sex or race "it"

It puts the lotion in the basket...

 

[ferrisjso]

In the US a large minority of the population is hispanic but very very few people come from Spain.

It's pretty straightforward.

 

[Cariñito]

It gets confusing when talking to Americans about the Spanish. Once I was told an American guy that I the girl was seeing was Spanish and he asks me, "Oh where is she from?"

Or if I say, "I have some Spanish friends. I can bring them to the party." Americans will ask, "Which countries are they from?"

Of if I may hear some guy say he met a sexy Spanish girl, but it turns out she's Dominican or Colombian or something.

It's obviously Spain. Spanish in terms of nationality = from Spain.

We don't say Canadians, Saffas, Aussies, Kiwis, and Americans are English because they speak English. If you hear someone is English, nobody would ask which country he is from; they just assume he's from England.

I can imagine how confusing it must be for Spanish people to tell Americans that they are Spanish and Americans ask them which country they are from.

Spanish people are from Spain.

It's more of an East Coast thing.
Like "Who was it?"
"I don't know it was that Spanish Cat."
Or
"The Spanish kid."
It basically means someone of Central or Latin America.

You go to the West coast and it's changed to Mexican.

 

[Belaya Smert]

Most Americans prob call them Mexicans.

 

[zapataxiv]

bro you serious right now?

 

[MDoza]

Do you mean “Hispanic”, because thats a catch all term for Spanish speaking countries.

 

[650lb Sumo]

'America' is everything from Alaska to the Falklands. US Americans and Canadians are known for geographical ignorance and calling themselves European nationalities.

Person from Chicago: 'I'm Irish!'
Person from Quebec: 'I'm French!'
Person from San Francisco: 'I'm Irish, Scottish and German!'

https://www.reddit.com/r/ShitAmericansSay

 

[milliniar]

How come when someone says they are American no one asks what country at least North or South,
But if someone says they are European they will ask.

 

[Alphaboy]

The simple answer is people aren't really educated. But we understand "Spanish" is a colloquial term form Hispanic or Latino, so we just go with it.

It's similar to when people say: "He's not black/white he's Dominican"

 

[Busgosu]

yeah, I'm Spanish from Spain
I honestly don't care. Once you understand that the States are incredibly obsessed with race, ethnicities and classifying and fitting people into subgroups the best you can do is sit back and enjoy the ridiculousness.

 

[tomjones]

Spanish are Spanish and Mexican are Mexicans. It should be straight forward but in American minds it isn't.