Politically correct way of stating our nationality in Spanish

I often hear that the latin Americans don't like it when we Americans say that we are American. Because, of course, they are Americans too.

But in Spanish classes I took many years ago and on most Spanish language tapes, you were taught to say, "Soy americana." Or "soy norteamericana." Most Mexicans called us norteamericanos. But then, Mexicans and Canadians are north Americans too.

But now I have noticed when glancing through Spanish books, that we are supposed to say we are "estadounidences," which sounds just awful, if you ask me. It just does not flow well. Nicaraguences are Nicaraguans, estadounidences are United Statesans. Not right at all.