Because I HATE anachronisms...
Argh!
Ok, watching a Buffy episode (S5: Tough Love to be precise), and Giles said that Anya was born in America.
IMPOSSIBLE.
She is 1,100 years old! The only way she could have been born in America back in the 1100s would be if she were an American Indian, or possibly a Spanish conquistador (but even then there were very few settlers, mostly merchants or pirates ventured to the Americas).
WHICH SHE IS NOT!!!
She is obviously of Gallic or Anglican descent, and I'd place her original birthplace as Europe, probably Germany or England.
Oh dear. Buffy, I expect better from you. But looking at the details (on my handy dandy dvd episode guide), I don't recognise the writer of this episode, so at least it was Jane Espenson, Marti Noxon or the Great Whedon that made the mistake. But still, it's terrible this wasn't picked up.
Ok, not a big deal to those of you not nit picking History students. I'll shut up now.
PS: if anyone knows of a way this is possible, then let me know - I don't like anachronisms to break my suspension of willing disbelief, so I'll take any logical explanation! :P