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.
Do French-speaking Canadians actually view themselves as being French in the same way actual French people from France are? Or do they see themselves as being a related but distinct ethnic group that (more or less) shares the same language?
English speaking Canadians of course don't literally consider themselves to be British, even if all their ancestors are from there. Is it different from Francophone Canadians? Do they see themselves as being more akin to people in France, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, etc than they do to people in Orangeville or Moncton?
I do have to say that I am surprised at this question since you have made threads about Quebec being the best place to live in North America. Quebecois consider ourselves a nation, as recognized by the Canadian government. We don't need independence to be a distinct people. So we are not French nor are we Canadian, we are just Quebecois. We are French through history (most of us) and Canadian by geography, but in identity we are Quebecois.
I do have to say that I am surprised at this question since you have made threads about Quebec being the best place to live in North America. Quebecois consider ourselves a nation, as recognized by the Canadian government. We don't need independence to be a distinct people. So we are not French nor are we Canadian, we are just Quebecois. We are French through history (most of us) and Canadian by geography, but in identity we are Quebecois.
Well certainly some feel that way, but some, like my grandmother ( now dead ) who can trace her Quebecois roots back to the 1640's, always said she was Canadian first, Quebecois second.
I can see why some French speaking Canadians consider themselves French because France owned Canada once until they unwisely traded it for Guadeloupe. In the end you are all European: Canadians, Americans, Australians, New Zealanders; one big happy family.
Well certainly some feel that way, but some, like my grandmother ( now dead ) who can trace her Quebecois roots back to the 1640's, always said she was Canadian first, Quebecois second.
I was going to say "French-Canadian" is outdated, but that may be a stretch. Older people are more likely to say that, and mot people now just say Quebecois. In your grandmother's time every francophone would identify as Canadian, now most identify as Quebecois, and often Canadian in a geographic sense. Identifying as a Quebecois has been the norm since the 1960's, before that it was Canadian.
By the way, did you know that as late as WW II, francophones always identified as Canadians, but anglos often looked down on the term, sometimes preferring to be called English, Scottish, or another nationality? Now it is as if things have inversed themselves.
I do have to say that I am surprised at this question since you have made threads about Quebec being the best place to live in North America. Quebecois consider ourselves a nation, as recognized by the Canadian government. We don't need independence to be a distinct people. So we are not French nor are we Canadian, we are just Quebecois. We are French through history (most of us) and Canadian by geography, but in identity we are Quebecois.
I don't mean to insult or belittle Le Belle Province at all I was just curious about their identity. It's quite unique, really.
The answer is C: We consider ourselves Quebecois. Not French, and keep in mind that some here won't even identify as Canadian.
Sadly, the average anglo Canadian knows a lot less about the Quebecois than a guy from France. That is largely thanks to the language barrier. Our cultural scene is often shared with France and other francophone cultures, and anglo Canadians are more or less completely cut off from this.
Generally, we (anglos and francos) don't intermingle at all (even on internet forums) except for in politics.
This thread is similiar to one I started asking how interested/disinterested Quebecois are in the goings ons in other provinces. See link below if interested.
Referring to the quoted post above, do the Quebecois know as much about Anglo-Canada as vice-versa? Are the Quebecois as cut off from Anglo-Canada as vice-versa?
Are there French Canadians of British descent in the same way there are Anglophones of French descent?
Yes. My high school boyfriend in Montreal had cousins of the same Anglo name, and they were all grandchildren of Brits. But the cousins grew up in a predominantly French suburb of Montreal, and not only was English their second language, but they spoke English with thick Quebecois accents.
Until modern times increased travel and communication, for centuries there was very little interaction between Quebec and France, and people in France had little awareness of Quebec. Quebeckers continued speaking a dialect similar to 18th century style French.
Also, during World War I, although 35,000 French-Canadians bravely served overseas, yet there was much resistance in Quebec to draft conscription, and riots broke out (unlike in Anglo Canada). Even though the war was fought to liberate France, still French-Canadians equated service as an endorsement of the British Empire, which they did not identify with.
Last edited by slowlane3; 06-21-2015 at 10:11 PM..
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.
I was just curious about their identity. It's quite unique, really.
