Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Sorry, and excuse my ignorance, but I honestly don't know the differences. I am a Mexican-American male and well I don't live that far from Canada, but yet it's a country I don't know about nor hear about nor talk about in my daily life. I have met a few Canadians here, but honestly, if they didn't tell me they were Canadian, I would've thought they were American. I guess after they told me, I could hear a few things in their accent like "a boot" instead of about, or "oot" instead of out. Maybe also "progress" instead of prawgress (I know it's the wrong spelling but Americans say it that way).
Yeah there are slight accent differences, but they aren't always noticeable unless you're looking for them. I've also noticed that if I spend a decent amount of time in the US that I'll start pronouncing things their way anyway (hawse instead of house; sawry instead of sorry etc).
Politics are a little different in Canada and attitudes as well, but not wildly so. In general, Canadians have more in common with residents of the northern/western states and less in common with residents of the southern states.
Sorry, and excuse my ignorance, but I honestly don't know the differences. I am a Mexican-American male and well I don't live that far from Canada, but yet it's a country I don't know about nor hear about nor talk about in my daily life. I have met a few Canadians here, but honestly, if they didn't tell me they were Canadian, I would've thought they were American. I guess after they told me, I could hear a few things in their accent like "a boot" instead of about, or "oot" instead of out. Maybe also "progress" instead of prawgress (I know it's the wrong spelling but Americans say it that way).
What makes a people? Is it defined by the way they say their words? What's the difference between a Mestizo from Guatamala and one from Honduras? At the end of the day the difference is that they grew up in different, but related, societies, and thus have different cultural frames of reference, it's less about things that are very obvious and visible. For example, the people you're describing would not be as quick to think about their identity as "White Canadian" because of, on the one hand, the historical divisions between first French and English speaking white people, and, on the other, the diversity of what they might imagine as their in-group, depending on the region and community in question in Canada.
as if you can tell the difference between a German and a British.
Actually, bott, some of us can. I'm sometimes able to accurately determine a (Caucasian) person's ethnic heritage (Irish, Scottish, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, Eastern European, etc) at first glance.
Don't get hung up on accents. The real differences are "in the head " , as in what people think about various subjects. Or how the social system works. Or how people define their "important stuff " versus the "not so important stuff ".
At a VERY basic level, Canadians tend to want a society that is safe and one that takes care of the weak and the elderly, with opportunity for our kids to have an education and a bright future. How do we do that ? By using the concept that the group is more important than the individual, and that by looking out for each other, we all benefit. This explains why we have been a leader in bringing in national programs that for example, resulted in a national pension program, voting rights for women, a national unemployment benefits program, and a maternity leave program that is national in scope.
Because we live next door to the USA, we are VERY aware of the mistakes that they make, both politically, and socially. We see their TV and hear their radio stations, and can read their magazines and newspapers.
In your opening post, you said that you never "hear about Canada ". I can tell you that we are VERY used to being ignored by America. Despite the fact that we are the biggest supplier to the USA of all kinds of goods, and we BUY the most from the USA, we are low on the radar, for most Americans. They don't know, and in many cases, they don't care, about Canada.
Canada came about by a peaceful political process, by an Act Of Parliament. The USA fought a bloody war of rebellion that saw families torn apart by it. Then about 100 years later, they fought a civil war that saw more Americans killed than any other war since then, Canada never had a civil war, and we don't murder our political leaders , either.
Most of the hot button issues that are still controversial in the USA, like abortions, race relations, political corruption, gays in the military, gay marriage, religious bigotry, and illegal immigration, are non issues here in Canada. We have dealt with most of it all ready.
We are NOT perfect. We do try harder. We are not afraid to admit we are wrong, or to say we are sorry, if it is needed. We do what we say we will do. We stand by our friends, even when they ignore what we have done and continue to do, for them. And YES I am talking about the USA, when I say that.
We are a big country, with a small population. We have a long and proud history. We are the country that American COULD have been, but is not.
Jim b.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
