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I was getting very confused wondering what on earth Beaumont has in common with Orange County other than being in the same state (California). Wrong Beaumont and wrong Orange County!
There's at least three Orange Counties that I know of. The googles tells me there are eight.
I always thought that French Canadians were racial mixers, too (with Native Americans early on), but DNA studies show this to be false.
Francophone Louisiana, on the other hand, was very permissive on racial mixing. I keep hearing stories of white ladies in some part of the U.S., but with roots in southern Louisiana, usually New Orleans, finding out they are "black" after it is unearthed that someone earlier on in their family tree was "Creole" (Afro-Euro genetic mix).
I always thought that French Canadians were racial mixers, too (with Native Americans early on), but DNA studies show this to be false.
Francophone Louisiana, on the other hand, was very permissive on racial mixing. I keep hearing stories of white ladies in some part of the U.S., but with roots in southern Louisiana, usually New Orleans, finding out they are "black" after it is unearthed that someone earlier on in their family tree was "Creole" (Afro-Euro genetic mix).
This is complicated because of the "one drop" rule. Basically if you have one drop of black blood (your ancestors intermixed with blacks way back when) you are black even if your skin is lily white.
For the other folks on here that don't know what you're talking about:
Creoles: original French settlers in Louisiana
Cajuns: Acadians from Maritime Provinces in Canada that were expelled by the British for not taking an oath to the King and converting to Protestantism. It was a form of ethic cleansing to which the British government still hasn't compensated the Cajuns.
Oh don't get me started, but I can explain some differences in regards to food:
* Creoles use okra in their gumbo, Cajuns never do (it is only fried in Cajun country)
* Creoles use tomatoes in their gumbo, etouffee, and jambalaya; Cajuns never do
* Cajuns use file' powder (ground sassafras leaves) in their gumbo, Creoles never do
* Creoles use mirlitons, Cajuns never do
* Cajuns use various game, Creoles rarely do
* Shrimp/Chicken Creole vs. Shrimp/Chicken Sauce Piquant (Cajun)
Thank you for the information, I had thought cajun only referred to a culinary culture.
It's different, sometimes quite different but I would've say it's foreign feeling. One of the biggest difference I see is, surprisingly, that the poverty seems harsher or deeper. I am basing that on observations in rural Montana, cities along the west coast and two trips to New Orleans.
Things that seem very foreign to me are armed guards in small town banks, beer in grocery stores while very little milk in the same stores and most importantly the difficulty of obtaining a proper cup of tea (or hot tea in American English). In appearance it is mostly the huge number of flags on almost everyone house. To be the notion 9f telling all your American neighbours that you are American seems bizarre and I totally foreign concept.
My only other foreign countries I have been to are Scotland, Iceland, Austria, Czech Republic and Cuba.
on the "hot tea in American English" remark. Tea is tea, and it refers by default to hot tea except for some parts of the south where they only seem to drink iced tea. But you are right about the difficulty of getting a good cup of tea outside of your home in the USA. Years ago, the Archbishop of Canterbury was visiting New York and gave an interview with the New York Times. The interviewer noticed that he was drinking coffee and he said he drank coffee in the USA because the coffee was good but the tea was not. I fired off a letter to the NY Times agreeing with the Archbishop and asking why, in a city where you can get any cuisine on the planet, you cannot walk into a restaurant and get a cup of tea made with freshly boiled water.
But speaking of which, why can't I get unsweetened iced tea in a restaurant in Ontario? After getting odd looks when asking if they have any in several places, my Canadian S.O. told me, "I don't think I've ever seen that available anywhere", so I stopped asking for it. They do sell it in one of the iced tea brands in Foodland...sometimes. I just order water now at restaurants as my unsweetened beverage so as not to confuse the Canadian waitstaff.
And re the flags...um, the Canadian flag is on pretty much every dang house up here. Sometimes it's hanging from a hockey stick at the foot of the driveways, although I think some of that has to do with the terrible accident with the hockey team earlier this year. But I noticed the proliferation of Canadian flags the first time I came up here, about a year ago and thought "Wow, more Canadians fly their flag than Americans do." Most Americans, at least where I live, DON'T fly flags except on holidays.
And of course, in America it's got nothing to do with telling your neighbors you're American. Silly. It's just a sign of patriotism or pride in one's country, same as it is in Canada.
ETA: LOL, I see the flags were discussed at length already. But, you've also said what parts of the USA you've been to, and yes, those places are very different from the east coast/NY/NJ metro area.
I've travelled by car all through the north, west and mid-west states of America but not the eastern or the southern states (except for southern Arizona). We have several different cultures here in Canada too, but there can be numerous similarities between America's northern towns in border states and southern Canadian towns that are very near the border. There is some overlap of socializing and recreational activities shared by all near the border. Also a lot of shared mannerisms and speech and accents.
I think America is a lot more familiar to Canadians than Canada is to Americans so I can understand how some Americans may find it different to adjust to. There are many thousands of Canadians who snowbird in the warmer states for 6 months every year and that makes it just like a second home to them. Apart from snowbirders and regular vacationers, since so many Canadians live within a couple of hundred miles of the border there are also a lot of Canadians who regularly go shopping across the border. Also, in addition to our own Canadian TV and movie productions we all get so much daily exposure to American news, and all the usual programming and popular TV shows that you get on American TV we get here in Canada too, direct from the states. What we don't get on TV here (thank goodness) and don't care about is the excessive, obsessive political talk programs and religious proselytizing programs that people apparently can't escape from in America. I think Americans are brainwashed with that kind of stuff and don't even realize they're being brainwashed and manipulated.
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I really enjoyed your insights because I've noticed this to be true. I grew up in West Michigan and didn't really have much experience with Canada until I started spending time on the East side of the State. It wasn't weird for my friends here to visit Canada on a regular basis because it was just over the bridge or going through the tunnel, not a 2 hour trip to get to the bridge, tunnel, and then Canada. There's just a lot more border cultural cross over here.
I love traveling to Canada, but after a few days, it's noticeable that you are in a different country and in a different culture.
But the time I get home, I'm ready to be back in America.
Yes, as an American, since giving up my cable it's hard to miss how much we are really brainwashed and manipulated in our country. I really see the benefits of multiple parties and proportional representation these days.
I was really surprised at how many flags popped up when we were in Ottawa one year for Canada Day. Just because the American flag is everywhere all the time here and in Canada patriotism is just more muted. It's just "not in your face", but you know that Canadians still love Canada. It's just not excessive, so Canada Day in Ottawa was really a cool experience with the concerts and all the stuff going on.
Here Canada is our neighbor, but you can get along without knowing much about Canada. I can see how because America is so dominant in the world and our news/politics tend to have repercussions for the rest of the world why other nations would need to pay attention more to our politics. And with the mass media/movies........
Even though a lot of our movies/TV is filmed in Canada, it is still presented as if the story is taking place somewhere in America.
One of the shows that I like is a Canadian show and it doesn't try to pretend that it takes place in the States. The cultural differences are there, but they are really subtle. I kind of wish that some Canadian websites didn't block content if you are outside Canada b/c I find some Canadian shows/stories preferable over what's offered in America.
on the "hot tea in American English" remark. Tea is tea, and it refers by default to hot tea except for some parts of the south where they only seem to drink iced tea. But you are right about the difficulty of getting a good cup of tea outside of your home in the USA. Years ago, the Archbishop of Canterbury was visiting New York and gave an interview with the New York Times. The interviewer noticed that he was drinking coffee and he said he drank coffee in the USA because the coffee was good but the tea was not. I fired off a letter to the NY Times agreeing with the Archbishop and asking why, in a city where you can get any cuisine on the planet, you cannot walk into a restaurant and get a cup of tea made with freshly boiled water.
One explanation I have read is that after independence Americans wanted to distinguish themselves from British, so tea fell out of favor due its association with Britain.
on the "hot tea in American English" remark. Tea is tea, and it refers by default to hot tea except for some parts of the south where they only seem to drink iced tea. But you are right about the difficulty of getting a good cup of tea outside of your home in the USA. Years ago, the Archbishop of Canterbury was visiting New York and gave an interview with the New York Times. The interviewer noticed that he was drinking coffee and he said he drank coffee in the USA because the coffee was good but the tea was not. I fired off a letter to the NY Times agreeing with the Archbishop and asking why, in a city where you can get any cuisine on the planet, you cannot walk into a restaurant and get a cup of tea made with freshly boiled water.
But speaking of which, why can't I get unsweetened iced tea in a restaurant in Ontario? After getting odd looks when asking if they have any in several places, my Canadian S.O. told me, "I don't think I've ever seen that available anywhere", so I stopped asking for it. They do sell it in one of the iced tea brands in Foodland...sometimes. I just order water now at restaurants as my unsweetened beverage so as not to confuse the Canadian waitstaff.
And re the flags...um, the Canadian flag is on pretty much every dang house up here. Sometimes it's hanging from a hockey stick at the foot of the driveways, although I think some of that has to do with the terrible accident with the hockey team earlier this year. But I noticed the proliferation of Canadian flags the first time I came up here, about a year ago and thought "Wow, more Canadians fly their flag than Americans do." Most Americans, at least where I live, DON'T fly flags except on holidays.
And of course, in America it's got nothing to do with telling your neighbors you're American. Silly. It's just a sign of patriotism or pride in one's country, same as it is in Canada.
ETA: LOL, I see the flags were discussed at length already. But, you've also said what parts of the USA you've been to, and yes, those places are very different from the east coast/NY/NJ metro area.
As mentioned, it must be regional. I don't see that out here in the Metro Vancouver area at all. My mother lives in a suburb and I would say maybe one out of 50 houses may have a flag.
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I use whatever ingredients I want to use in my gumbo, anybody else's culture not withstanding.
on the "hot tea in American English" remark. Tea is tea, and it refers by default to hot tea except for some parts of the south where they only seem to drink iced tea. But you are right about the difficulty of getting a good cup of tea outside of your home in the USA. Years ago, the Archbishop of Canterbury was visiting New York and gave an interview with the New York Times. The interviewer noticed that he was drinking coffee and he said he drank coffee in the USA because the coffee was good but the tea was not. I fired off a letter to the NY Times agreeing with the Archbishop and asking why, in a city where you can get any cuisine on the planet, you cannot walk into a restaurant and get a cup of tea made with freshly boiled water.
After getting odd looks when asking if they have any in several places, my Canadian S.O. told me, "I don't think I've ever seen that available anywhere", so I stopped asking for it. They do sell it in one of the iced tea brands in Foodland...sometimes. I just order water now at restaurants as my unsweetened beverage so as not to confuse the Canadian waitstaff.
