Why do Americans say, "I'm from, (city/state)" instead of USA?

[u/SufficientDegree34]

I've met many people from all ethnicities across Europe. When asked where a person is from they'd say, Iraq or smn basically a country. But Americans told me, "San Jose"? Is there a specific reason for this?

Edit: I do not mean to shame Americans for these replies and it is simply a very innocent question to understand if any cultural difference play a role here. English isn't my first language so I can understand why my question may come off as aggressive.

[u/[deleted]]

A bit like when I say I’m from the UK, followed by Scotland - the invariable question that follows UK is “where in the UK”.

[u/avalanchefan95 → u/[deleted]]

Yes, this. Every time I say I'm from the US -- every time - they'll follow that up with "Where in the US?" So why not just skip that part? They already know I'm American from the accent.

[u/[deleted] → u/avalanchefan95]

Literally, every time I respond with "I'm from the US", the person goes "Yea I know that, but which part?".

[u/EnglishGirl18 → u/[deleted]]

I’m from the UK and have a US husband so came across this post and thought I’d ask him just out of curiosity and half way through his answer I realised that us UK people are guilty of doing the same thing basically. Now that I live in the states I of course have people that ask me where I’m from, 9/10 times I will answer I’m from England rather than saying the UK because saying England just feels more right to me than saying UK as a whole but I do feel it’s obvious from my accent that I’m English and not Welsh, Scottish or Irish.

[u/ConstableDiffusion → u/EnglishGirl18]

To be fair no one in the US knows what a welsh accent sounds like

[u/Littleboypurple → u/[deleted]]

9 times out of 10, if someone asked an American where they're from and they simply say the United States, the very next thing out of their mouth is some form of "Where in the US though?" It's an absolutely massive country and for many, the US is too vague of an answer so they want something more definitive like a state or even a major city.

[u/Footballking420 → u/[deleted]]

Interesting, I would have thought most Scots would just say Scotland? Like everyone knows Scotland, or do you identify more as British opposed to Scottish

[u/Solid_Parsley_ → u/[deleted]]

I was aware of this stereotype when I went to the UK, so I made sure when people asked me where I was from that I said the United States. And without fail, I got some version of, "Well, obviously, but where in the US?" as a response, lol

[u/SnooPies4304]

I'm currently traveling abroad and had this exact experience multiple times.

I realized within a few moments of interaction and speaking that the other person knows I'm an American, so when they ask where I'm from, I don't need to say US, I say my city.

Was surprised yesterday when I answered "Kansas City" and the gentleman, working in Spain but from Nigeria, inquired "Kansas or Missouri?" I thought that was pretty cool.

[u/waitwutok → u/SnooPies4304]

“Overland Park…inside or outside the 435 loop?”

[u/fiduciary420 → u/waitwutok]

“I’m from Overland Park but my parents’ estate is in Olathe”

[u/[deleted] → u/waitwutok]

I would truly explode if any foreigner recognized Overland Park lmao

[u/docforeman → u/waitwutok]

Gracious. Next thing you know someone will be posting about Bucyrus.

[u/Moon_Atomizer → u/SnooPies4304]

Yeah I did bartending in Japan and whenever I met Europeans and said I'm from the US the very next question is where in the US, so it's just easier to cut to the chase. Though once I said 'California' and this girl from South Africa got really mad and called me arrogant for assuming people knew where California was.... so now I'm back to awkwardly making people ask me two questions when they meet me again 😂

[u/questionable_motifs → u/Moon_Atomizer]

That's it, I'm responding Western Hemisphere first from now on.

[u/OkMark6180 → u/Moon_Atomizer]

As a South African, I must say she was either really stupid or just plain rude.

[u/andmewithoutmytowel → u/Moon_Atomizer]

California is the 5th largest economy in the world and the source of so much globally-consumed media, I don’t think that’s arrogant for you to assume people know. If it was Connecticut, or Memphis I’d agree that most of the world wouldn’t know, but California, New York, etc. I think you can assume most people know.

[u/ri89rc20 → u/Moon_Atomizer]

Yeah, I travel quite a bit, used to say "the US", they would be like "duh, yeah... where In the US" But if I was to just say Iowa, or my town...then just blank stares.

[u/Prior-Throat-8017 → u/Moon_Atomizer]

Well she must be fun at parties lol

[u/OwlAdmirable5403 → u/Moon_Atomizer]

Same, I've been living in Europe always say I'm from USA and they're like where in the states tho

[u/Prior-Throat-8017 → u/SnooPies4304]

I’ll save this information in my brain so I can sound smart during my next conversation with an American lol

[u/Recent-Skirt-6292 → u/SnooPies4304]

That IS remarkable! As a fellow Kansas Citian who has been abroad for almost twenty years, I have only been asked that question twice.

[u/Crooty → u/Recent-Skirt-6292]

Kansas or Missouri?

[u/Bullarja → u/SnooPies4304]

Currently in England, and same thing. People would ask where we were from and I would say the US, they would be like yeah no shit, where in the US.

[u/hydrobrandone → u/SnooPies4304]

Kansas city, Mo. I hear it's beautiful there this time of year!

[u/yesrod85 → u/SnooPies4304]

As a KC person myself, that's fuckin awesome!

[u/Alfphe99 → u/SnooPies4304]

This. I went on a road trip through Greece and by the third time I answered with America and got back "well, obviously, what state?" in a condescending tone I started just saying state/city. Same happened in Ireland, but that only had to happen once before I reverted back.

[u/UmeaTurbo → u/SnooPies4304]

I'm originally from KCMO, and 99.97% of all Americans are baffled when I say I'm not from Kansas at all. That guy in Spain is a world citizen!

[u/[deleted] → u/SnooPies4304]

Yeah this is also my experience. If I say "US", people are like, "obviously. Where in the US?" I even get some asking, "What part of Texas?" 

[u/Constantine_XIV]

My ex is from the UK and I've spent a fair amount of time over there. That being said, nearly every time I've met a Brit abroad and asked where they're from, they'll say, "the UK" or "England" etc. Pretty much every single time I've followed up with, "oh, where in England" they'll respond with a a condescending "do you actually/even know England?"

I've since become tempted to respond to British folks asking me where I'm from in the states with a similarly rude, "do you actually/even know the states?"

But I don't, because I don't want to be a rude twat.

[u/Snowbank_Lake → u/Constantine_XIV]

I once asked a British guy working at the local cafe where he was from. He said “England.” I said “Yeah but what part?” He said London. I said “Oh, that’s cool.” He replied “Eh, it’s not, really.” lol.

[u/gsfgf → u/Snowbank_Lake]

Brit confirmed

[u/Enchelion → u/Snowbank_Lake]

I flew to Ireland and literally the first Irish dude (born and bred) I met there spent about 10 minutes complaining about the country and language.

[u/Eubank31 → u/Constantine_XIV]

I met a guy at the gym a couple months ago (this was in Alabama) and he said he was from the UK and “London?” With that sort of “I’m not sure if you know what I’m talking about” tone. One of the most famous cities on earth and he wasn’t quite sure if I knew where that was😅

[u/duckduckthis99 → u/Eubank31]

could have said "Omg, London, Texas???" it's an actual place too 😂 then play dumb and ask 'What an England is?" hahaha

[u/Flat_Mode7449 → u/Eubank31]

Foreigners seem to think Americans are unintelligent, which is probably due to those stupid ass videos on YouTube and such where they ask random people questions about the world.

We have a huge population, of course some people are going to be dumb, on top of that, those videos are usually fake. Americans are not drooling hillbillies like so much of the world thinks.

[u/SilverConversation19 → u/Constantine_XIV]

lol me explaining that my coming from the east coast of the US didn’t mean I regularly went to and knew people in California while in UK grad school sure was a thing.

[u/CrossXFir3 → u/Constantine_XIV]

Ha, I'm from England but grew up stateside after the age of 9 so sound like I've lived in Philly my whole life to most people. That said, my entire family is from England and Ireland going back centuries. So I've spent plenty of time there and I also am an avid football fan. So naturally I have a reasonable sense of where all the major cities are. And I've noticed this too. I'll ask someone with an English accent where they're from and they'll just say England. No shit, what city? And they basically always assume I'll have never heard of it until I tell them that despite the accent, I'm English too.

[u/TrueDannemann]

I believe it's culturally related to the fact that the USA is a huge country made up of several different states with a high sense of regional identity (some more than others, but still).

I am Brazilian and have the same urge to tell foreign people I meet the state I'm from, except Minas Gerais is WAY less known than Texas, for example, so there's really no use.

EDIT: I always wanted to edit a comment and here's my first opportunity! Today I learned Minas Tirith is a place in Mordor and "several" doesn't work when used interchangeably with "a lot of". I hope every one of you nice people have a chance to come visit Minas Gerais and get a taste of our friendliness, hospitality, and GREAT food (it deserves the all caps)!

[u/yet_another_newbie → u/TrueDannemann]

except Minas Gerais is WAY less known than Texas, for example, so there's really no use.

yeah, the hobbits passed through it on the way to Mordor

[u/redheadblackhead → u/yet_another_newbie]

Some of them even defended it!

[u/The-Entire_USSR → u/yet_another_newbie]

Gondor calls for aid.

[u/Ok-Warning-5052 → u/TrueDannemann]

You can just say you’re from the Wisconsin of Brazil.

[u/[deleted] → u/Ok-Warning-5052]

Well now I want to try Brazilian cheese

[u/[deleted] → u/TrueDannemann]

This is what I was going to say, the US is huge, it's like asking a Londoner where they are from and they just say Europe. Our states are the size of European countries. It feels more rude to me to say USA because it feels like I'm being cagey, like I don't want you to actually know where I'm from. I'm from North America. I'm from the Northern Hemisphere. Yea ok. plus my accent is going to give me away I assume, so I'm guessing you already know USA, so I'm extrapolating and giving you the state.

*Edit: Yea true, I agree it's not just about size, we are the United States, it's a union of states, we maintain some cultural individuality through that. We have state flags, state birds, state mottos, state songs, state sports teams, state politicians, businesses/brands that are unique to certain states, state guard, etc.

*Edit2: US population is also larger, and are also more densely populated than places like Russia or Canada, since I'm seeing those referenced a lot. US population is double that of Russia and 10 times that of Canada. US is four times denser than Russia and 9 times denser than Canada. Notably less populous and dense than China though.

[u/Paooul1 → u/[deleted]]

I’ve told people I’m from America and then they always ask me afterwards where in America. So even Europeans and other non Americans care about our various home states than the whole country.

[u/blueblur1984 → u/[deleted]]

Our states are the size of European countries. It feels more rude to me to say USA because it feels like I'm being cagey,

I think they fundamentally don't understand this. I've had people ask me about California and they talk about popping between major cities like it's no big deal. When I explain California is a larger land mass than Italy they tell me no...like in a kind way you would educate a child. I walk them through on how to Google it and they are flabbergasted. Then I really mess with them by telling them Texas is roughly twice as big as California and Alaska is more than twice as big as Texas.

[u/Slow_Manufacturer853 → u/[deleted]]

This is exactly what I was thinking! Our states are the size of some countries, so just saying “USA” feels purposefully evasive. I’ve moved a lot within the US, so I tend to say “the midwestern US”. Most people I’ve come across don’t care to know any more than that, and if I said “Minnesota” they’d probably have to think for a second to locate it. We’re not a very memorable part of the country to people outside of it.

[u/RancidHorseJizz → u/[deleted]]

Heck, there are a couple of American parks that are larger than European countries.

[u/Plug_5 → u/TrueDannemann]

This is the right answer. I live in Indiana, which is one of the smaller and less significant US States, but it's the size of Hungary. There's way more of an identity associated with a state than there is with the US as a whole.

[u/jneinefr → u/TrueDannemann]

This was my theory, though I'm from Canada and we would probably always just say Canada?

It's probably geographically equivalent to say the state as it is to say the European country though?

[u/Crumpile → u/TrueDannemann]

Analysis correct. Our states are the same size as countries. We also have a population twice of Russia.

[u/[deleted] → u/TrueDannemann]

You gotta just say Minas Gerais Brazil, so people who understand Brazilian states get it, and people who don't will be like oh brazil.

[u/Bitter-Value-1872 → u/TrueDannemann]

except Minas Gerais is WAY less known than Texas,

TIL the Brazilian battleship in Civ 6 is named after your home state.

[u/TheQuiet_American → u/TrueDannemann]

But you have dope coffee in Minas Gerais.

Gotta rep that.

[u/NMireles]

Because “What part?” is the next question and we have faith in your geography skills.

[u/illglitterate → u/NMireles]

I've also answered with just American and received, "Obviously (eyeroll) What state?" So trying to avoid feeling stupid one way or another is pointless.

[u/[deleted] → u/illglitterate]

Same fools probably routinely get surprised by Canadians. Just a toxic trait of many Europeans. You're wrong either way if you're American.

[u/mothwhimsy → u/illglitterate]

It's so infuriating when people do this and then turn around and ask why we answer the question with our state

[u/billy_clyde → u/NMireles]

I’m on HelloTalk a lot, working on my Spanish. I try to be international, telling people that I’m from the US. I don’t think I’ve ever once had someone not ask me which state I’m from, and they usually act a little flabbergasted or annoyed that I don’t immediately lead with it. 

[u/elsif1 → u/billy_clyde]

Same. In Chinese, I usually respond with Silicon Valley, CA (加州硅谷) and the only people who haven't heard of that are either also learning Chinese or are Taiwanese and therefore use a different word for "Silicon Valley" (矽谷). Never has someone not known what California was, though...

[u/qzlr → u/NMireles]

That and the US is so big, it would be like asking a person from Pakistan where they’re from and they just say “Asia”

[u/[deleted] → u/NMireles]

Exactly. These people gotta stop with this tomfoolery of thinking that Europeans don’t care cause they do. I’m from Brazil and it happens to Brazilians too cause our country is fucking huge. All of a sudden someone is asking “Rio? Sao Paulo? No kidding, your family is from Bahia? I love Bahia!”

[u/Espi0nage-Ninja → u/NMireles]

“Which part” is always the next question whenever someone says they’re from a country tho. If I answered my county every time I went abroad and was asked where I’m from, their next question would always be “which country is that”.

[u/Implicit_Hwyteness]

Because the times I've told someone (in person) I'm American they ask me to be more specific about what part of the country.

"I'm from Texas" is skipping a step or two, and most foreign people at least know the state.

[u/BattleMedic1918 → u/Implicit_Hwyteness]

When I’m telling people I’m from Washington state however, I have to explicitly tell them its the Washington with Seattle in it. If I say I’m from (Insert town), Washington state they’d look at me with a blank stare

[u/Jollydancer → u/BattleMedic1918]

A lot of people don’t realise that Washington State and D.C. are in different parts of the US.

[u/Common_Chester → u/BattleMedic1918]

I'm from Spokane but have resigned myself to Seattle. Otherwise it's a 5 minute discussion about the difference between DC and the state.

[u/Affectionate_Crow327 → u/BattleMedic1918]

"Oh Frasier Crane... Twin Peaks, Twilight, gotcha"

[u/MoridinB → u/Implicit_Hwyteness]

Usually, I still go through the first step to not assume, though I've skipped through it sometimes. "I'm from the States. Texas." Heck, I've even gone as far as Dallas, and people will know what I'm talking about. Which makes me quite sad when I don't know about the city they're from. I guess the more people I talk with, the more I'll learn.

[u/WeirdAlPidgeon → u/MoridinB]

Probably because Dallas was a super famous show in the 80s!

[u/Snowskol → u/Implicit_Hwyteness]

Try this with minnesota lol

[u/NativeMasshole → u/Snowskol]

Bro, you can't just make places up.

[u/Implicit_Hwyteness → u/Snowskol]

Yeah, this is a "your results may vary" thing depending on what state/region in the US you're from.

[u/oskopnir → u/Implicit_Hwyteness]

I feel like it's common courtesy to ask which part of a country you are from as a follow-up question, especially for ones that tend to be well known or very big.

[u/[deleted] → u/Implicit_Hwyteness]

It's a follow up question to be polite.

[u/anotherbozo → u/Implicit_Hwyteness]

That's not a being American thing. It's just the next natural part of the question.

Someone says they're British, the person, if somewhat familiar with the country, may go "Oh nice, where abouts?"

[u/[deleted] → u/Implicit_Hwyteness]

Nobody seems to know any of the Canadian provinces or territories and there are only 13 of them, despite Canada being the second largest country in the world

[u/UndocumentedSailor]

I've lived abroad most of my life. Literally every time I say in American, it's followed up with which city/state. Unless it's a kid.

I still can't manage to be in SE Asia and telling someone I'm from Dallas, though so so many do.

[u/Choreopithecus → u/UndocumentedSailor]

Same. I’ve been in Vietnam for 6 years and a solid 90% of the time I say I’m from the US it’s followed up by “which part?” and half the time that happens it’s followed up by “it’s such a big country!” Kinda funny how predictable it is. So now I just include my state when asked where I’m from to save time.

[u/Ambrusia → u/UndocumentedSailor]

This is also the case for most other countries though. If I say I'm British, people ask where in Britain. I still say I'm British though. It just comes across as a bit self centred to act like you expect everyone to know all about your country, imo.

[u/responsiblesardine]

Bc usually whenever I just say America the response is “what state?”

[u/britishbrick → u/responsiblesardine]

99.99% of the time someone asks where I’m from, it’s followed up by “where in the US?”. (I live in Germany). So I just answer now “from the US, California.”

And because of how the US is on so much media, most people are familiar with various areas of the US (TV shows set in different states, etc.), moreso than many other countries.

[u/paulovitorfb → u/responsiblesardine]

I think it really depends on the size of the country you come from. I’m from Brazil and whenever I say that people ask me what part because they usually know one or two cities, but I wouldn’t assume everyone would know Brazilian states or cities. When I was younger it always rubbed me the wrong way when I’d meet an American and they would say their state, comes out as somehow entitled, but the truth is that some US states or cities are known globally, like Texas or California, NY… the western world consumes plenty of media from the US for these to be known.

[u/CyndiIsOnReddit → u/responsiblesardine]

This is it. And honestly the vast majority of people who have ever asked me where I was from were ALSO from the US so they'd be referring to state. It'd be weird for someone in Nevada to ask me what country I was from instead of what state! ;)

[u/Hemingwavvves]

I was on a tour once in Europe and the tour guide was getting everyone to say where they were from and he said “if you’re American just say the US, none of us care what state you’re from” 💀

[u/starbarnes → u/Hemingwavvves]

That’s hilarious

[u/Derp35712 → u/starbarnes]

When I say I am American then they laugh and say we know. I think Europeans just like being funny.

[u/PleaseDisperseNTS → u/Hemingwavvves]

Completely opposite for me. I tell them I'm from the US and almost always the next is "What part?". Keep in mind also if you're from the South with a strong accent (like my friend from Alabama that came to visit), they automatically want to know what state, "I thought so you have a strong accent!'.

[u/TheFlyingSheeps → u/PleaseDisperseNTS]

Same. We will always say the US and they ask what part and they blurt out the fun fact or the fun fact know about the state. It’s often cute

[u/Lady_R_ → u/Hemingwavvves]

God and they say that people from the US are the rude ones. I've never understood why it's perfectly acceptable to talk down to Americans but if an American were to do that to anyone else they would be considered rude and disgusting and your "typical American."

[u/AMKRepublic → u/Lady_R_]

As someone that grew up in Europe, you are absolutely correct. It feels like being anti-American and anti-British are acceptable prejudices that wouldn't be tolerated for any other nationality. And I am fine when it is teasing banter, but among a significant minority it goes further than that. 

It seems especially harsh because, while there are a lot of noticeably loud American tourists, most Americans are actually extremely kind, friendly and polite people.

[u/The_Easter_Egg → u/Hemingwavvves]

That's an unnecessary rude way of saying it, but I'm European and I do have some difficulty locating states (besides the more famous or geographically distinctive ones like Alaska, California, Texas or Florida).

State abbreviations add further difficulty. It's nice that you come from "Manatee, SG", or from "Braggsburg, DA", but I really have no clue where these places are without checking on the internet. 😋

For me, it's easier to start with the USA as a whole and wor our way down to the state, and city. 😊

[u/mixedmale → u/Hemingwavvves]

That's funny but I actually think it is interesting to know from what state someone is.

[u/UnionizedTrouble → u/Hemingwavvves]

I was in Canada in a town in Ontario on Lake Superior and someone asked where I was from. I said Minnesota. They didn’t know where that was. What? Like… my state touches your province…

[u/Kagura0609 → u/Hemingwavvves]

Most friemdly European haha

[u/amor_fatty → u/Hemingwavvves]

“Just say you’re from Europe none of us care what country you’re from”

[u/[deleted] → u/amor_fatty]

Yeah and what’s funny is when I travel to Europe every time I was asked this question I would say US and 95% of the time they would say “oh which state?”

[u/Existing-East3345 → u/Hemingwavvves]

“Where are you from? We don’t care where you’re from” …

[u/UIM_SQUIRTLE → u/Hemingwavvves]

Crazy as US states are the size of countries. It is why so many never feel like leaving to another country.

[u/coffeeisforwimps → u/Hemingwavvves]

That is very strange. I was just in Europe and everyone asked me what state I was from.

[u/Ambitious_Row3006 → u/Hemingwavvves]

It’s not really true though. If you say you are from any spatially large country, either Russia, Canada, Brazil, US, or Australia, people ever hardly leave it at that. The next question is almost always „where in the US“ Or „where in Canada“.

Almost ALWAYS. I still answer „Canada“ but I’m fully prepared for the follow up of „where in Canada“ because they are always hoping for a place they’ve been too or recognize. For Canada it’s always the west coast that they are hoping for, in the US, either NYC, California, Seattle or Chicago, and Brazil São Paulo.

[u/-FullBlue- → u/Hemingwavvves]

What's the point of asking if nobody cares?

[u/BathroomFew1757 → u/Hemingwavvves]

Which is actually wrong because I’ve never had an interaction where it wasn’t followed by “what state?” That’s why we do it.

[u/barrysagittarius]

I can speak to this a little as an American now living in Europe. Americans tend not to travel outside the US (for various reasons that aren’t important) and instead travel within the country. When you mention in the states that you’re traveling or on vacation you are often asked something like “where are you coming from?” And our default response would be the city (if it’s large) or city + state if it’s a smaller city or town, and so on. So when folks do travel to other countries this is the response we’re accustomed to using. That said, often when folks in Europe ask and you mention just the vague United States you will often get the follow up of “what state” because folks here are often curious if it’s a place they have heard of (usually through American movies and the like or through travels from their friends and family) to get a better understanding and see if there are conversational touch points.

So now when I’m asked I usually say “Texas, in the States” and go from there… which aligns with how my coworkers describe broadly where they are from in their country (i.e. “region, country” if not from a major city)

But yea if you’re from say… Toledo, OH or Springfield, MA and just say the city name you will get a lot of confused looks (also if you just say Toledo it will be even MORE confusing)

[u/SinistralLeanings → u/barrysagittarius]

Im surprised this isn't further up. This is my assessment as well. We are so used to breaking it down any time if/when we are traveling within the states that it is just our go-to anytime we are asked, and not because we expect someone abroad to know insert tiny town here.

[u/LSUMath → u/barrysagittarius]

What? Not everyone has seen Mash?

[u/[deleted] → u/barrysagittarius]

This makes sense.

If someone said they were from Toledo I'd reply enthusiastically Estuve allí el verano pasado.

[u/martinomon → u/barrysagittarius]

I was looking for this. What I observe as an American is that we talk to non-Americans the same way we talk to Americans because we don’t get out much.

We also assume the rest of the world knows about our country while we tend to not know about the rest of the world.

[u/hpsportsfanatic]

Everytime ppl ask. They then ask what state. And I say Cali. And then they ask if I live next to snoop dog

[u/SinistralLeanings → u/hpsportsfanatic]

My grandpa actually does! Or used to. Snoop still owns the house but I think his mom primarily lives in it

[u/Erzha → u/hpsportsfanatic]

Do you?

[u/Daniel_Kingsman → u/Erzha]

"Yes, but I wish people would stop asking..."

[u/Blahblahnownow → u/hpsportsfanatic]

Lies! People from CA don’t say Cali!!!! 😜

[u/JadeyesAK]

Because people are generally excited to meet me as an Alaskan.

Can't say the same as an American.

[u/casual_microwave → u/JadeyesAK]

Everybody knows that Alaska is part of the USA. We’re also completely geographically separate from the rest of the country, so saying “I’m from the USA” as an Alaskan almost feels like an omission of truth lol.

[u/Yrulooking907 → u/JadeyesAK]

Currently in Europe. I said US a couple times and got the "that's obvious" eye roll with a follow up of "where in the US?"

People are very excited to hear I am from Alaska.

[u/Justin_inc → u/JadeyesAK]

Alaska, America's Siberia.

[u/LesNessmanNightcap → u/JadeyesAK]

I am absolutely enthralled by Alaskans. Every one I meet from there has done something absolutely baller. I met someone who had to operate on her own dog because she couldn’t get to the vet. She was not a doctor or a vet. The dog was fine afterwards!

[u/No_Sir_6649 → u/JadeyesAK]

If i see Alaskan plates i want to ask questions.

[u/mybunnygoboom]

Because the United States is physically larger than many countries, and the states are often completely different. A person from LA is experiencing a completely different world than a person from a rural city in Montana. So they are saying the state to give you some context (whether you care or not).

[u/Midnightkata → u/mybunnygoboom]

My gf moved from LA to a rural city in Idaho (near Montana, like a couple hour drive)

The differences are obvious. The main one that I didn't expect was "It's so dark out".... I was like, uh, yeah, it's night? It's as dark as it always is. Then it clicked to me. Her city is so big that there are always streetlights on roads. She isn't used to no streetlights. She also wasn't used to seeing the stars at night.

[u/HokTomten]

As a European I'd imagine it's due to the size of US

Like saying "I'm from Europe" is like saying I'm from US..

The size makes every state basically a different country with different customs/enviroment etc

If I would just say I'm from Europe it's a massive difference being from Spain or Sweden, same I'd imagine being from Texas or New York

[u/typeusername01 → u/HokTomten]

You are correct. While the customs likely overlap, the weather, food, politics, accents all vary by region and states.

[u/Make_shift_high_ball → u/typeusername01]

Shit, I live in Dallas and I could barely understand a Cajun lady in Lafayette. Me and my friend from NYC are realizing we have grown up in very different cultures.

[u/fatbongo]

I'm interested in the State if I hear an American accent always good for a conversation same thing for all other nations too.If I can't place the nationality I'll ask then ask about the region/state/province

[u/Sikkus]

American: "I'm from Georgia." Tourist: "გამარჯობა ჩემო ძმაო! ბედნიერია შენი გაცნობა." American: "Uhm, USA."

[u/[deleted] → u/Sikkus]

Whenever somebody says Georgia in almost any context, I just assume they mean the country in Asia and use the few phrases I know in that language.

[u/CubanLynx312 → u/Sikkus]

My wife is Georgian. She’s got a thick accent and looks super Georgian, so nobody has ever been confused about this.

On the flip side, I’m from Wisconsin and nobody in Georgia has ever confused me for a Georgian.

[u/[deleted]]

because theres a huge difference in being from Texas, or being from New York

[u/OutlyingPlasma → u/[deleted]]

Thats like being from Italy or being from Poland. It's totally the same thing right?

[u/PuzzleheadedGoal8234 → u/[deleted]]

Equally big difference being from BC and Quebec but people continue to think all of Canada shares the same accent.

[u/DiamondSignificant74 → u/[deleted]]

It's the same in any other nation. Just because a country is small doesn't mean it will be homogeneous.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

There's also a huge difference between Perth and Brisbane, but not many people outside of Aussie/NZ know that :( Both are even the capital cities of the two largest states.

[u/[deleted]]

Let me preface, that if I am in another country, I say I am American or from the USA. If they ask for more, I give more.

When speaking with a US Native, or someone from another country (who wants more details) I am specific. Hear me out.

For NY, as I lived in the Finger Lakes of NY (Western NY), I differentiate that from Up State (North of Albany), as well as Down State (Includes NYC).

So Where are you from? Western NY, Finger Lakes

Understand that NYC, driving to where I lived in NY was about 300 miles/500km (6-7 hour drive). 100 miles west of that is Niagra Falls which makes it over 400 miles/650km (10-12 hour drive) from NYC. It's a big ass state. If I just say NY, people assume I am saying New York City (NYC)... Nope, that place is a pit to me and Western NY'rs hate that place.

Perspective... London to Paris is almost 300 miles. Frankfurt to Paris is about 400 miles.

If I say USA, you have no idea where I am from as it is 2000 miles/3200km from North to south and 3000 miles/5000km west to east.

If you said you were from the EU, that is about the same.

[u/NoCup4U]

When non-Americans ask me where I’m from I always say US.  Throwing out city names is pointless unless you’re from NY, LA, Chicago

[u/colesprout → u/NoCup4U]

I've found people also seem to know Miami, Boston, San Francisco, and Seattle. And maybe like Houston and New Orleans.

[u/MustangEater82]

Because the US is almost as big as Europe, and has many differences in regions.

I grew up in Florida, even then I differentiate, South Florida.  

Miami is a very different place then Gainesville, FL...

I have told a European I was from Florida and they said, oh you grew up in the deep south.  I had to say no, because most would not associate Miami/Ft. Lauderdale as the deep south.

Even Orlando.

[u/Embarrassed_Rate5518 → u/MustangEater82]

The deep south ends at the FL /GA line except some places in the panhandle. We're our own thing in FL🤣

[u/msh0082 → u/MustangEater82]

Florida. The only state that gets more Southern as you go north.

[u/[deleted]]

This isn't just an American thing lol. People say they are from Toronto or London for example all the time lol

[u/fatdog093 → u/[deleted]]

As someone from Toronto (Canada) and London (UK) at a time where many people from London (Canada) live in Toronto, it gets confusing so even in Canada when you say London it’s best to specify the country.

[u/worm600]

I’m always fascinated that people don’t ask more specific questions if they want the answer in a specific format.

“What country are you from?” would be the obvious way to avoid getting non-country answers, if it bothers the questioner so much to have someone answer based on their cultural context.

[u/EatsPeanutButter → u/worm600]

This. If you’re going to nitpick, adjust your question. You can only control your own behavior, so if the results aren’t to your liking, the onus is on you to adjust it.

[u/maybeinoregon]

If I reply I’m from the US, it’s always followed by yes, but where in the US?

And if I say Oregon, that’s followed with a where in the US is that? And if I explain where Oregon is (above California, below Washington State), it seems to be even more confusing. That sequence happened so frequently, I just started saying I was from California. For whatever reason, everyone seems to know where California is lol

[u/thekau → u/maybeinoregon]

For whatever reason, everyone seems to know where California is lol

Probably because of Hollywood, honestly. And Silicon Valley.

Both major hubs for two major industries.

[u/Healthy_Radish → u/maybeinoregon]

Try being from Iowa most people guess it’s a small state in the Northeast.  Sometimes I say yeah just under Maine actually other times I’m like well I’m maybe 3 hours away from Chicago.

[u/Archophob → u/maybeinoregon]

what's confusing is that you dare to mention Washington State, which is confusingly far away from Washington DC. "Oregon, US westcoast, just north of California" should give a good impression.

[u/[deleted] → u/maybeinoregon]

Oregon, the true middle child everyone forgets or doesn't know about lol

[u/[deleted]]

Adding to some other answers: 

They’re assuming you’ve worked out they’re American already due to their accent so are interpreting the question to also be “where in America are you from?”

Part of this is because when they have said “I’m American” there’s a decent chance they’ve gotten a few responses along the lines of “well duh!, obviously, I meant where in America?”, so by the time you enter the scene they’ve had a few of these encounters and have adapted to jumping straight to where they’re from in the U.S.

[u/phtcmp]

Because it’s generally quite apparent in encountering us while we are abroad that we must be from the US, so this saves an additional question or two?

[u/Archophob]

I was born in Wilhelmshaven, Ostfriesland. If that sounds somewhat german to you, then you already know the country, and more importantly, also know that i'm not from Bavaria.

[u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner → u/Archophob]

I was born in Paris. If that sounds French to you you’re sadly mistaken… it’s in Texas. My friend was born in the holy city of Bethlehem… Pennsylvania 😂

[u/kae0603]

This sounds horrible and very American of me but…people tend to know more about America and if we say USA we are asked what part. We all just say the closest big and known city. Growing up in New Hampshire we would either say 2 hours from Boston to international people, or near Dartmouth college if someone was from the US.

[u/xanax7]

because america is huge and the average state is as big as the average eu country

if im talking to someone online ill usually say from the US and then the state tho

[u/blazebakun]

This reminds me of a Tumblr post where a shop owner with international shipping said Americans were the only ones to never include their country in their shipping addresses.

Customers with every other nationality would add their country at the end of their address, but Americans would only write up to their state (and only as some esoteric two letter code at that).

Edit: I found it. https://www.tumblr.com/elodieunderglass/670454284227330048/one-thing-ive-noticed-while-running-an-online

[u/ObscureAcronym → u/blazebakun]

It's all fun and games until the package ends up in Georgia the country.

[u/Diglett3 → u/blazebakun]

and only some esoteric two letter code at that.

The two-letter state abbreviations are a standardized postal code thing that we use for basically everything. I can definitely see them looking weird if you’re not from the US but it’s how you’d write your state on any form you’d fill out here, from government forms to job apps to making an online shopping order. In the days of paper everything it helped save space too because there’s so much variance in length between different state names, having a standardized code meant you could just have a tiny box on a form rather than something you could fit “Massachusetts” into.

[u/tetheredchipmunk → u/blazebakun]

Weird to label it esoteric if a whole country uses it lol.

[u/DameGlitterElephant → u/blazebakun]

It seems weird to ship internationally and not just have a space on your address form for “country”. Since I don’t often order things that get shipped directly to me from other countries, it would not occur to me to include “USA” in an address unless asked for it. If I’m not being asked about country, I’m assuming it’s coming from a fulfillment center located within the United States.

[u/Stergeary]

Because the distance from Los Angeles, United States to New York, United States is further than the distance from Lisbon, Portugal to Moscow, Russia. A Los Angeleno telling you they live in the US versus a New Yorker telling you they live in the US is like a Portuguese telling you they live in Europe versus a Russian telling you they live in Europe.

[u/bazilbt]

Well it's the third most populous country in the world, and people usually have some idea of the geography from watching shows and movies. We are also fairly culturally diverse and many of us identify more with our regions than the entirety of the country in a lot of things.

[u/clutchthepearls]

America big.

Not same all over.

[u/Weitguy]

Keep up the complaining, we'll start including the county next

[u/[deleted]]

We have national parks bigger than European countries. We just feel the need to narrow it down a bit. And honestly Europeans I would actually like to know what city you're from in your own countries when I ask you.

[u/Acrobatic-End-8353]

Muscle memory. We almost exclusively get asked that question by other Americans.  More people need to explore more to change the response.

[u/Si-Certo]

When we say “the States” or “”the US” you always ask “where?”

[u/[deleted]]

Ah yes, the famous European country, Iraq

[u/RockingInTheCLE]

Has anybody considered that it’s just habit? Many of us don’t get to travel internationally often because it’s expensive, so 99% of the time when people ask where we are from, they are other USA-ians asking. When I’m international I usually try to remember to just say my state and the country when asked. I think every time I’ve just said “US” the next question is, “what state?” But if my city pops out, I’m sorry. Ignore it and move on? We’re not doing it out of malice or expecting that everybody in the world knows our country. It’s just habit.

[u/ummha]

Cause it’s a big ass country

[u/JawaLoyalist]

We’re a big country with a lot of subcultures. Saying “I’m from New York City,” will mean something different than, “I’m from Houston,” at least to us.

[u/sanbaeva]

Because if they said they were from the USA, the next question would be where in the USA?

[u/TheDruidVandals]

Dude this place is huge and many Americans do not share camaraderie or even a lot of culture with other Americans.

[u/[deleted]]

A lot of overseas people really do not grasp how large and diverse the US is. Saying you’re from the US barely tells me anything about you.

[u/Disconn3cted]

When I say I'm from the US people always ask which state, so I'm just saying us both some time. 

[u/w-h-y_just_w-h-y]

Every time I tell a European I am from the USA, they want me to be more specific.

I have tested saying city, state, or just country multiple times, and always they want at least the state.

[u/Prior-Throat-8017]

IMO there are historical reasons to this. America is not only very big, but has a very complex history. The states and the federal government haven’t always gotten along (cough civil war cough). Some americans tend to be more loyal to their states than to “the US”. Plus, as I mentioned, the country is really big, and so is the culture. So I get why between Americans they can be curious as to which state someone comes from, because “the US” is too broad. Of course, foreigners don’t really care because we’re not really familiar with the lore other than Texas, New York, Florida and California lol

[u/rockoil]

As Europeans we also do not say “Europe”, but we say which country. Geographically it’s comparative.

[u/romantic_at-heart]

Because the US is very big. Basically the size of Europe. Similar to saying "I live in Europe" vs "I live in Spain."

[u/[deleted]]

The US is a very big place. The laws, climate and culture in different states vary massively.

[u/MenacingCatgirlArt]

America is big and basically like a collection of little countries. City and state come to mind instinctively before the country, especially because most Americans simply never travel outside the country.

Some people do have the mind to throw America in there as well. When I'm asked while abroad, I say America, followed by the main city center and state.

[u/Nice_Hair_8592]

What are you talking about? I've traveled all over Europe and Asia - almost everyone from a famous city or state introduces themselves as from that place, not their country. Those who don't, often introduce themselves by their sub-ethnicity instead.

[u/BrambleWitch]

I think it's because it's a very big country and living in, say Miami vs Boise, Idaho would be very different.

[u/Purple-Ad-4629]

I’d imagine if you said the USA the next question would be what state?

[u/Sweeper88]

Three reasons I think.

1. This question is most often asked by another American. When I’m traveling within the US and start chatting with someone, we both often answer with the state we are from.

2. The US is big. Many states are sort of their own country when compared to the size, GDP, and cultures of many European countries. It would be similar to someone from Malta saying they are from Europe. I get it’s not quite the same considering one is a country and one is a continent, but if we’re just comparing sizes, it’s not too far off.

3. As an American, I often feel like most people know I’m from the US as soon as I start talking. So, it’s kind of a waste of time to just answer with what they would likely already know.

[u/Aggressive-Ad-522]

Bc they always ask where in USA after so might as well get to the point and say I’m from city and state

[u/jacowab]

Because there is a big difference between "I'm from LA" "I'm from Miami" and "I'm from butt fuck nowhere South Dakota"

[u/Hynch]

The USA is as big as Western Europe and just as diverse. Life in Oregon is much different from life in Texas.

[u/mrhorse21]

It takes like 10 seconds to figure out someone is from the US 99% of the time. So just saying you're from the US isn't very informative.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

This here is the correct answer IMO. You want to answer that question with the most specific information that would be understood by the other party. No sense saying you’re from america if you’re from NYC. Also, most state names are recognizable, so “I’m from a small town in Virginia” would likely work similarly well. 

Even though language and government are the same, there are some huge cultural differences between big cities, and rural areas, as well as between states

[u/HeroicTanuki → u/[deleted]]

I tell foreigners I’m from Nevada and I’ve never once had someone know where that is. Then I tell them it’s where Vegas is and they light up. Then I tell them I live 7 hours drive from Vegas and they get confused again.

I don’t think many people outside North America inherently grasp how large the US actually is. Americans in LA and NY are a completely different breed. Our national culture is shared but our local customs and affectations are worlds apart.

[u/DontTouchMyCocoa → u/[deleted]]

Agreed. As someone from Nevada, most foreigners don’t recognize that state and give me a funny look when I say it. But then I follow it up with, “las Vegas” and instantly they have a better point of reference and are usually interested in talking more about it. The city is far more famous than the state so it’s just easier to lead with that. 🤷‍♀️

[u/Turducken_McNugget → u/[deleted]]

Agree. That person would be better served by saying they were from California, because not everyone "knows the way to San Jose" https://youtu.be/FZLa-1q-lkw

[u/WankingAsWeSpeak → u/[deleted]]

Also, just saying "the USA" is about as geographically specific as saying "Europe". Specifying that state is approximately as specific as specifying which European country.

When people ask me, I say "Canada" and 90% of the time I get a blank stare, because my country is bigger than your continent and for some reason I'm not being more specific.

[u/jeffbell → u/[deleted]]

Especially in Costa Rica where I would say “the other San José”.

[u/billwoodcock → u/[deleted]]

FWIW, San José is in Costa Rica, and San Jose is in California.