Why do Eastern Europeans object to being called Eastern European?

[Joso]

Central Europe is a geographical term. Hungary is not in Eeast Europe, like it or not.

True

[Moje ime]

Reading the comments on online forums I get the impression most ethnicities from the part of Europe that is regarded as Eastern Europe by Western Europeans and Americans don't like being called Eastern European.

I've just finished reading a thread where a Serbian user argued he's not Eastern European but "Balkan", after a German called him Eastern European. When you read what Balkan means, it will be defined as "peninsula of southeastern Europe". How is Southeastern Europe not Eastern Europe?

On another forum there was this bulgarian guy who would rather identify as Southern European than Eastern European. A british person will call them Eastern European anyway.

.

Because dear, you can tehnically call Serbia eastern Europe but thing it, it is different than it. Most important difference is that Yugoslavia (which Serbia was part) was never under SSSR political influence like rest of East Europe, we had more liberal communism version, we were basically more "western" while e.Europe suffered under Iron Curtain, so that gave us certain differences in mentality, also Balkan had different cultural influences starting from Byzantine times, to Ottoman times to Yugoslavia times, all that was exclusive only on Balkans. So that is the reason why you should differ Balkan from eastern Europe.

[Joso]

Because dear, you can tehnically call Serbia eastern Europe but thing it, it is different than it. Most important difference is that Yugoslavia (which Serbia was part) was never under SSSR political influence like rest of East Europe, we had more liberal communism version, we were basically more "western" while E.Europe suffered under Iron Curtain, so that gave us certain differences in mentality, also Balkan had different cultural influences starting from Byzantine times, to Ottoman times to Yugoslavia times, all that was exclusive only on Balkans. So that is the reason why you should differ Balkan from eastern Europe.

Yes, Balkans are Southeastern Europe, to be more exactly

[Peterski]

I thought you are from Hungary. We are not in East Europe.

The Baltic-Adriatic Pass or Narrowing (the shortest line connecting Travemunde and Marano Lagoon) is the border between West and East. Not only you are Eastern Europeans, but so are also Austrians and East Germans (as well as their ancestors Polabian Slavs):





"Shape of Poland within its natural borders" (1847 map):

[Dick]

I don't care.

[nightrider+]

I don't care.

Does anyone? Oh wait, 6 pages. Only on TA.

[Finnish Swede]

Nobody wants to be called ''Eastern Europeans'' as that gives idea/association of poorer Europeans.

Problem solved.

Lets go and call/share Europeans directly into two groups .... richer Europeans and poorer Europeans. Any idea where the borderline would now go?

[StevenTylerAerosmith]

I don't care.

ur a canadienne though

[Dick]

ur a canadienne though

What's the point. We're all going to die one day anyway.

[Karol Klačansky]

I dont have a problem being called Eastern European in one sense, but I usually correct people because in reality its just wrong. Besides speaking a slavic language and being related to eastern and southern slavs, central europeans such as Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, and Hungarians have historically been western oriented (Roman Catholic) and part of central european kingdoms having nothing to do with Ukrainians or Russians for over a 1000 years. Poland is a bit more debatable. I dont get butt hurt over this question, but culturally it makes no sense to group people from Northern Macedonia to Russia as one entity. Greeks are usually considered western european when historically they were the definition of what it meant to be eastern european.