[laken]

If you go anywhere within Latin America, you'll find quite quickly that "American" is used to describe someone from the continents, and it's consider very odd to introduce yourself as "American" to a local. You say you're Estadounidense, or "Soy de Estados Unidos" (From the United States).

It's actually a very charged topic in Latin America, as many latinos feel that the word they use to describe themselves has been stolen.