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I'm both naturalized Canadian and American (not born in either country).
In my personal experience, in very general terms obviously, Canadians do not really dislike Americans but they tend to have a somewhat palpable inferiority complex towards their southern cousins.
If as a foreigner you meet a Canadian for the first time, he/she will find a way to tell you within the first half hour of conversation that "We are not America, we are different than Americans".
Many Canadians tend to resent, be jelaous of success and successful people in general (not necessarily related to America or Americans in particular).
On the other side, Americans do not really care about Canada or what Canadians think or how different they are.
I found the Aussies in general more sincerely proud of their country. Kiwis on the other side, just like Canadians, struggle to communicate to the outside world how different they are from Australians, they have a complex relationship with their big brother.
The similarities are striking, Canada is to the US what New Zealand is to Australia
The reason Canadian's sometimes make it clear to others that we are not " American's " is that because most people when they meet us outside of Canada tend to believe we are. I have almost always been greeted by strangers while travelling with the phrase " so where in the U.S. are you from ".
When stating I'm not from the U.S. but Canada I got everything from " I'm sorry " to " same thing".
I have actually had to explain to people that Canada is not part of the U.S. That we have our own laws etc.
It has nothing to do with a inferiority complex at all. Canadians are not that fragile.
New Zealander's have this to a certain extent when travelling, explaining that they are not Australian.
Very true, but oddly enough Canada (the little guy in the North American relationship) is substantially larger than Australia.
Ture but this has nothing to do with landmass and everything with size of the relative economies, population, cultural aspects.
The population ratio between Australia and New Zealand is almost the same as the one between USA and Canada, the Kiwi economy is similarly vastly dependent on the larger economy, there is a significant brain drain (or call it one-way immigration) from NZ to Australia, (sounds familiar??), etc....
Ture but this has nothing to do with landmass and everything with size of the relative economies, population, cultural aspects.
The population ratio between Australia and New Zealand is almost the same as the one between USA and Canada, the Kiwi economy is similarly vastly dependent on the larger economy, there is a significant brain drain (or call it one-way immigration) from NZ to Australia, (sounds familiar??), etc....
I love the USA, what it stands for, and it's history as one of the most generous nations on Earth. Wouldn't have minded you showing up a bit earlier in WWII and WWI mind you......
What I don't like is the celebrity obsessed, polarizing, loudest talking head, materialistic U.S. Media. To my mind, no one does more to dumb down arguments (and dumb down people) with their non-stop rhetoric. If there wasn't all this posturing and preening for the media, the US Congress might actually get something done.
Problem is, Canadian politicians are guilty of playing the anti-US card on a regular basis in Canada. "US style health care" carries the same connotation as "Adolf Hitler" in a debate. Think of the level of anti-US rhetoric that flew around during the "Free Trade" election in 1988. The false superiority and arrogance that some Canadians adopt through this attitude is the least appealing part of the Canadian identity.
Plus, as a multicultural nation saturated in American culture, it is sometimes difficult to describe ourselves, other than through a comparative to the US.
As a good neighbor, I don't look down on the racial problems created from the legacies of slavery, emancipation, and segregation. Instead I weep when I see American cities like Detroit, Gary, Flint, Baltimore, and Camden dying, and the disasters of suburbanization, white flight, and deindustrialization. There but for the grace of God goes us. And I realize looking in a mirror that Canadian hands are not clean either, and there is still a bill to be paid with our First Nations people.
I also empathize with those who are born into a strata of society they would likely never choose, for whom the Canadian/American Dream is as unattainable as the moon. And I wonder with heavy heart, when, oh when will leaders step up in these communities, and say enough is enough, and end this cycle of crime and poverty. Because, it is not the adults who've made choices who suffer....no, it is each successive generation of children born into this, scarred by this, and murdered by this, unless they are one of the lucky few who escape.
Common human decency isn't and never will be separated by a border. And our mutual belief in this is one of the most important things we share.
And as a Canadian, I am proud to have the U.S.A. as a best friend. And like most best friends, sometimes you do things that surprise me, sometimes you do things that make me shake my head, and sometimes I wonder why you can't just get some of your problems cleaned up. And as my best friend, I'm sure you wonder the exact same things about me.
I'm both naturalized Canadian and American (not born in either country).
In my personal experience, in very general terms obviously, Canadians do not really dislike Americans but they tend to have a somewhat palpable inferiority complex towards their southern cousins.
If as a foreigner you meet a Canadian for the first time, he/she will find a way to tell you within the first half hour of conversation that "We are not America, we are different than Americans".
Many Canadians tend to resent, be jelaous of success and successful people in general (not necessarily related to America or Americans in particular).
On the other side, Americans do not really care about Canada or what Canadians think or how different they are.
I found the Aussies in general more sincerely proud of their country. Kiwis on the other side, just like Canadians, struggle to communicate to the outside world how different they are from Australians, they have a complex relationship with their big brother.
The similarities are striking, Canada is to the US what New Zealand is to Australia
Great analysis.
English is my fourth language. I am a naturalized American. I lived in Canada in the early 1970's and hated it and Canada (except for Alberta.....they are great!!!). For years, I was rude to Canadian visitors to the states operating in payback mode.
Canadians are different than Americans and thanks to them......I finally realized in spite of English being my fourth language I really was an American.
What I really missed living in Canada.
1) The First Amendment to the Constitution on Free Speech. I was there when the Federal Government was censoring the press and got to read the papers with great white areas. It was a great move on the part of the papers to show how much the government was censoring.
2) Lack of respect for unearned AUTHORITY. Everytime I went to Canada Post I wondered who elected her QUEEN. The DEAN of my Graduate Department actually told the graduate students to shut up, keep quiet, graduate, get a good job, and leave the university. Can you imagine this comment in an American university?
3) Lack of acceptance for original ideas. Canada is very proper country. Get into line and do not color outside the lines. That is why you find so many creative Canadians in the states.
4) Stupid laws. Too numerous to mention. They have been changing over the years....and someday might actually get there.
With all that Canada is a great country....for some people.
I was lucky in that I got to pick the country I ended up living in.
English is my fourth language. I am a naturalized American. I lived in Canada in the early 1970's and hated it and Canada (except for Alberta.....they are great!!!). For years, I was rude to Canadian visitors to the states operating in payback mode.
Canadians are different than Americans and thanks to them......I finally realized in spite of English being my fourth language I really was an American.
What I really missed living in Canada.
1) The First Amendment to the Constitution on Free Speech. I was there when the Federal Government was censoring the press and got to read the papers with great white areas. It was a great move on the part of the papers to show how much the government was censoring.
2) Lack of respect for unearned AUTHORITY. Everytime I went to Canada Post I wondered who elected her QUEEN. The DEAN of my Graduate Department actually told the graduate students to shut up, keep quiet, graduate, get a good job, and leave the university. Can you imagine this comment in an American university?
3) Lack of acceptance for original ideas. Canada is very proper country. Get into line and do not color outside the lines. That is why you find so many creative Canadians in the states.
4) Stupid laws. Too numerous to mention. They have been changing over the years....and someday might actually get there.
With all that Canada is a great country....for some people.
I was lucky in that I got to pick the country I ended up living in.
Judging a country from your experiences 41 years ago seems like it's not the best way to go.
Canada Post? It's not hard to find anyone in any country that hasn't been upset at their postal service so I'll take that criticism with a grain of salt.
As for stupid laws, they exist again everywhere. Here's a fun site, however I'm curious as to what specific stupid law in Canada bothers you?
Censorship is another issue that is always a hot topic, but pointing fingers never works. Have you forgotten that it was only a short time ago Bush forbade news agencies filming or photographing and publishing or broadcasting the images of dead soldiers coffins coming home from Iraq?
Let's just agree that censorship is not a good thing overall.
I am glad you found your place on the planet, that is what all of us want. I do find it strange though that with your lists of Canadian faults, especially the " Canada is a very proper country " and " do not color outside the lines" it's Canada that is more socially progressive. It's the U.S. that is struggling to get people to colour outside the lines in that regard.
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