--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America: the name itself is synonymous…" description: "\"“America: the name itself is synonymous with imperialism - you've taken the name of two entire continents & claimed it as your own, & shut out anyone e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/eric-gamalinda-31206_imperialism_america-the-name-itself-is-synonymous-wi_2805296.jpg" --- # America: the name itself is synonymous with imperialism… ![“America: the name itself is synonymous with imperialism - you've taken the name of two entire continents & claimed it as your own, & shut out anyone else from using it.” quote by Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/eric-gamalinda-31206_imperialism_america-the-name-itself-is-synonymous-wi_2805296.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/eric-gamalinda-31206_imperialism_america-the-name-itself-is-synonymous-wi_2805296.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/eric-gamalinda-31206_imperialism_america-the-name-itself-is-synonymous-wi_2805296.jpg) > ““America: the name itself is synonymous with imperialism - you've taken the name of two entire continents & claimed it as your own, & shut out anyone else from using it.”” [Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The name “America” embodies imperialism, having appropriated continents and excluded others. **In simple terms:** America’s name reflects imperialism and exclusion. Key Takeaway Recognize historical naming power dynamics. Themes colonialism identity geopolitics Mood critical analytical Type political historical When to use this quote - political discourse - educational curricula - activist movements Key Concepts naming territorial claims Questions to Reflect On - What impact does naming have on cultural identity? - How can we decolonize language? A Different Perspective May generalize complex histories. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America Synonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-synonymous-1698214/) [Continents Claimed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continents-claimed-3479268/) [Imperialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperialism/) [Imperialism Ve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperialism-ve-3479269/) [Synonymous Imperialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/synonymous-imperialism-3479267/) ## Related quotes > ['America' is synonymous with opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/america-is-synonymous-with-opportunity/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [Imperialism is the underlying motor of racism. The underlying reason that racism keeps on being promoted in all of its various forms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/imperialism-is-the-underlying-motor-of-racism-the-underlying-reason/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [“All unknowns, at first, at least, to me, until I, like Columbus, “discovered” them. Is voyeurism a form of imperialism?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-rower/all-unknowns-at-first-at-least-to-me-until-i-like-columbus-discovered/) [Ann Rower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-rower/) > [The only acceptable imperialism is the Imperialism of the Forest! Let the whole world are invaded by the tree-soldiers!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/the-only-acceptable-imperialism-is-the-imperialism-of-the-forest-let/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [In order for the second scenario to win, the world would have to return where the struggle for independence and against Western colonialism and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-vltchek/in-order-for-the-second-scenario-to-win-the-world-would-have-to/) [Andre Vltchek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-vltchek/) > [we came to realize that a civilization which rode roughshod over the way of life of other peoples was incorporating evil in its own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/we-came-to-realize-that-a-civilization-which-rode-roughshod-over-the/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“What imperialists actually wanted was expansion of political power without the foundation of the body politic. Imperialist expansion had been touched off by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/what-imperialists-actually-wanted-was-expansion-of-political-power/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [Even today to be civilised is held to be synonymous with being westernised. Advanced countries devote large resources to formulating and spreading ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/even-today-to-be-civilised-is-held-to-be-synonymous-with-being/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [“Nationalism always preserved this initial intimate loyalty to the government and never quite lost its function of preserving a precarious balance between nation and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/nationalism-always-preserved-this-initial-intimate-loyalty-to-the/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations was in large part a critique of imperialism. We often associate opposition to imperialism with Marxism and the Left,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-brennan/adam-smith-s-wealth-of-nations-was-in-large-part-a-critique-of/) [Jason Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-brennan/) > [The essence of what exists in the U.S. is not democracy but capitalism - imperialism. What the U.S. spreads around the world is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-avakian/the-essence-of-what-exists-in-the-u-s-is-not-democracy-but-capitalism/) [Bob Avakian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-avakian/) > [We do not have the right to forget that reactionary imperialism exists and its forces actively operate in the world, that they encourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-grechko/we-do-not-have-the-right-to-forget-that-reactionary-imperialism/) [Andrei Grechko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-grechko/) > [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [American imperialism has always been the imperialism that has been frightened of speaking its name. Now it's beginning to do so. In a way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/american-imperialism-has-always-been-the-imperialism-that-has-been/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) ## More by Eric Gamalinda > [“Rely on no one. Depend on no one for your happiness. I am declaring my independence. I am establishing a republic unto myself. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/rely-on-no-one-depend-on-no-one-for-your-happiness-i-am-declaring-my/) [Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/) > [Love is a fragile, useless thing. It decomposes easily in the tropic heat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/love-is-a-fragile-useless-thing-it-decomposes-easily-in-the-tropic/) [Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/) > [“... it's pointless to think in moral terms when everything is permissible. We have become the people we detest. We have lost the capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/it-s-pointless-to-think-in-moral-terms-when-everything-is-permissible/) [Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/) > [Forgetting: that, too, was the heart's slow way of healing, but it could only be done alone. Love and loss turns us into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/forgetting-that-too-was-the-heart-s-slow-way-of-healing-but-it-could/) [Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/) > [“Let me be the first to say that I know the name for everything and if I don’t I’ll make them up: dukkha, naufragio,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/let-me-be-the-first-to-say-that-i-know-the-name-for-everything-and-if/) [Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/) > [“People who think they have the full support of God, any god, think they're invincible. They will do anything and not even think twice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/people-who-think-they-have-the-full-support-of-god-any-god-think-they/) [Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/) > [“Even dictators become dictators because somehow, deep in their hearts, they believe they've been chosen to save the world. Everyone is chosen. There lies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/even-dictators-become-dictators-because-somehow-deep-in-their-hearts/) [Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/) > [“Because you brand our tongues with silence. Because you watch us in fear, even while we sing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/because-you-brand-our-tongues-with-silence-because-you-watch-us-in/) [Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/) > [“I deny the fact that when I kill time, time is actually killing me”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/i-deny-the-fact-that-when-i-kill-time-time-is-actually-killing-me/) [Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/) > [“I love the excesses of beauty, there is never enough sunlight in the world I will live in, never enough room for love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/i-love-the-excesses-of-beauty-there-is-never-enough-sunlight-in-the/) [Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/) > [“Then she decided she was ready to die. But before she did, she asked the poets to record these moments in song, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/then-she-decided-she-was-ready-to-die-but-before-she-did-she-asked/) [Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/) > [“The monsoon came, six months of infinite rain. The towns I once knew were wiped clean, and everyone said it was God revising his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/the-monsoon-came-six-months-of-infinite-rain-the-towns-i-once-knew/) [Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/) > [“He tells me that Filipinos are in jail because we Americans want a better world for ourselves. 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Every megalomaniac has to believe his actions are sanctioned by God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/there-s-a-strong-message-of-divine-righteousness-in-dictatorships/) [Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/) [Explore all 16 Eric Gamalinda quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/) ## More Imperialism quotes > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [American imperialism has always been the imperialism that has been frightened of speaking its name. Now it's beginning to do so. 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What the U.S. spreads around the world is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-avakian/the-essence-of-what-exists-in-the-u-s-is-not-democracy-but-capitalism/) [Bob Avakian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-avakian/) > [“Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations was in large part a critique of imperialism. We often associate opposition to imperialism with Marxism and the Left,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-brennan/adam-smith-s-wealth-of-nations-was-in-large-part-a-critique-of/) [Jason Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-brennan/) > [“Nationalism always preserved this initial intimate loyalty to the government and never quite lost its function of preserving a precarious balance between nation and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/nationalism-always-preserved-this-initial-intimate-loyalty-to-the/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [Even today to be civilised is held to be synonymous with being westernised. Advanced countries devote large resources to formulating and spreading ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/even-today-to-be-civilised-is-held-to-be-synonymous-with-being/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [“What imperialists actually wanted was expansion of political power without the foundation of the body politic. Imperialist expansion had been touched off by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/what-imperialists-actually-wanted-was-expansion-of-political-power/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [we came to realize that a civilization which rode roughshod over the way of life of other peoples was incorporating evil in its own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/we-came-to-realize-that-a-civilization-which-rode-roughshod-over-the/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [In order for the second scenario to win, the world would have to return where the struggle for independence and against Western colonialism and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-vltchek/in-order-for-the-second-scenario-to-win-the-world-would-have-to/) [Andre Vltchek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-vltchek/) > [The only acceptable imperialism is the Imperialism of the Forest! Let the whole world are invaded by the tree-soldiers!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/the-only-acceptable-imperialism-is-the-imperialism-of-the-forest-let/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“All unknowns, at first, at least, to me, until I, like Columbus, “discovered” them. Is voyeurism a form of imperialism?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-rower/all-unknowns-at-first-at-least-to-me-until-i-like-columbus-discovered/) [Ann Rower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-rower/) > [Imperialism is the underlying motor of racism. The underlying reason that racism keeps on being promoted in all of its various forms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/imperialism-is-the-underlying-motor-of-racism-the-underlying-reason/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [So long as there is imperialism in the world, a permanent peace is impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan-nasrallah/so-long-as-there-is-imperialism-in-the-world-a-permanent-peace-is/) [Hassan Nasrallah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hassan-nasrallah/) [Browse all 412 Imperialism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperialism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“America: the name itself is synonymous with imperialism - you've taken the name of two entire continents & claimed it as your own, & shut out anyone else from using it.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eric Gamalinda" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/america-the-name-itself-is-synonymous-with-imperialism-you-ve-taken/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Imperialism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/america-the-name-itself-is-synonymous-with-imperialism-you-ve-taken/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/eric-gamalinda-31206_imperialism_america-the-name-itself-is-synonymous-wi_2805296.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/eric-gamalinda-31206_imperialism_america-the-name-itself-is-synonymous-wi_2805296.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/eric-gamalinda-31206_imperialism_america-the-name-itself-is-synonymous-wi_2805296.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“America: the name itself is synonymous with imperialism - you've taken the name of two entire continents &…” — Eric Gamalinda", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eric Gamalinda", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“America: the name itself is synonymous...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/america-the-name-itself-is-synonymous-with-imperialism-you-ve-taken/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/america-the-name-itself-is-synonymous-with-imperialism-you-ve-taken/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```