I cannot stand it anymore! I have to post about this! I am fed up to the teeth of this nonsense label called 'European'.Like a French person is like an English person? Like a Spaniard is like an Irish person?!
This term is used to describe some from the continent of Europe, it is NOT meant to describe the person!
There is NO such thing as being typically European. The Spanish have their own language, laws and customs, as so the Swedes, Germans, Latvians, Dutch, Danish and Welsh.
They have as much in common with each other as they do with Americans. Ie, nothing!
People in certain countries like the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany do cross into each others countries a lot but this is not neccessarily a common practice.
I was in the Netherlands recently and they were facsinated to hear about my country, Ireland, as none had ever been there. But Americans seem to think we all pop in and out of each others countries and speak the dozens of languages needed to do this!
This ain't so.
I have been on the west coast of America and the east coast and all over the midwest and you all have the same primary language, the same television shows, same foods, same stores, same cars, same laws (give or take), same everything. Ok, in NY it's a soda, in the Ohio it's pop, so what! It's all the same here!
Europe is not this way. I am not European, I am Irish! Describing someone as European is like describing Fido as a 'canine' at a dog show.
But what KIND of canine, they would ask! Like a poodle is the same as a Rottweiler?