When I lived in Mississauga, Ont, in the seventies, people would remark on my Texas accent. When they'd ask me where I was from, if I said "The US," I'd get this cold shoulder. But if I answered, "Texas," they'd be all excited, welcoming and wanting to hear about cowboys et al.
It seemed churlish to remind them that Texas was a part of the US, so I didn't.
No point in complicating matters eh?