What Separates Us From The Americans?

As Canadians, we pride ourselves on... well, I'd say being Canadian, but that's not quite it. Canadian politicians and artists alike have been struggling for years to identify what exactly it means to be Canadian. What does BC have in common with Newfoundland (except perhaps an envy of Toronto and an impatience for Ottawa). Within the enormous borders of our country, what defines the people that live here? We've all come from other countries- whether recently or long ago, many of us forgetting completely where we came from, and thus leaving behind our traditions and old-world beliefs. Others hold strong, and keep their language, and continue to celebrate their traditions and beliefs from what used to be home. But how does this impact our identity? Is Canadian identity one that can be defined? There is nothing easier than spotting Americans in downtown Montreal- they parade around as though they own the streets, attired head to toe in Boston Celtics gear. They get lost somewhere between Crescent Street and Super Sexe. They travel in packs of six, eight, twelve- sometimes more. But more than anything else, they set themselves apart because these enormous groups that take-over our streets are usually all-white. Montreal is such a cosmopolitan city that it's fairly rare to see large groups of one race together, without someone a little different thrown into the mix. So what does that say of Canada? In allowing people to keep their culture and traditions, have we also found ways of bridging cultural gaps and better understanding each other? Or is it simply that the racially mixed groups of Americans blend in better into the streets of Canada? How can Canada possibly have one identity, with such a fantastically diverse population?

As Canadians, we've grown up with a love-hate relationship of our southern neighbours. We're confused by their patriotism. Sure, we love Canada- but as the Montreal comedy duo, Bowser and Blue once said- it's only because we can't afford to go anywhere else. And we don't go screaming it through the streets. In most parts of the country, Canada Day is one celebrated by free 54-40 and Headstones concerts, with some beer and maybe some modest fireworks. It always seemed to me that the Stampede fireworks always outdid the Canada Day ones. If you're an hourly paid employee, it's time and half. In Montreal, we don't even related July 1st to Canada Day. Quebec politics at its best. When we think July 1st, we break into a cold sweat. We start to hyperventilate. In Montreal, July 1st is Moving Day. We have nightmares about July 1st. We start to dread it in January. The rush to find an apartment begins in March, and god-forbid you don't have a lease signed by April, you're likely to find yourself temporarily homeless. On Canada Day. So you've signed the lease. Great. Did you book the truck? Because if your truck isn't booked by May (at three times the rate it would be on June 30th... being that it's a holiday & all), you're going to be begging your neighbours to throw your things into their truck. Do you have people to help you move? Being that everyone moves the same day, it can be tough to find help. Either that or your friends are so sick of spending their Canada Day moving, they hide in their apartments, in bed, under the covers, waiting for it to end. Shaking for fear the phone will ring and they will be called upon to serve. On Moving Day. Then you have to consider, do you live on St Catherine Street? If so, you will be forced to contend with the piddly-ass parade. Then when it's finally all over and done with and you've moved everything you own to the new apartment, be sure not to answer the phone, as it's likely a friend who got stuck without a truck looking for a favor. If you were smart, you called months ago to have your phone line and your cable moved to the new apartment, otherwise you're likely to be on hold until the next moving day. So to truely celebrate our culture as a vibrant city, in true Canadian fashion, we head to the bars on June 24th, le Saint- Jean Baptiste. I have yet to determine why Quebec chose John the Baptist as their saint, but choose him they did. And so we're forced to celebrate "La Fete Nationale" a week early, if we choose to at all.

Now, July 4th, in comparison- is a gong show. Hollywood works hard to ensure that there is an 'America Saves The World' movie released every fourth of July. Nothing like patriotism to pack a theatre and make some money. The national anthem is sung from coast to coast and people are overcome by their love for their great country. But what makes them so great? It is almost like a stereotype that they have given themselves. It is not based in any fact. Studies have shown that the 'American Dream' is more of a reality in Canada. In the 'Greatest Country on Earth', we find some of the world's wealthiest entrepreneurs, living alongside Americans too poor to make their way to a doctor. Too poor to have any real options in life. Canadian students complain about the cost of our education, and we should, since education is a right and not a priviledge. But in the US, it's the opposite. At twenty five to forty thousand dollars a year, how many American McDonalds' workers can make a better life for themselves? What makes the US so great? Still hanging on as the world's super-power, many of its citizens can't afford the basics. Their social safety net is no more a reality than the Hollywood stories. If you fall into the welfare system, you could spend your whole life paying it back. We shake our heads and wonder why people would live there. We are happy that the violence found within their borders largely stays there. We have no interest in it, and can't understand why they are so afraid. What a frightening place it must be, if a child feels he needs to bring a gun to school. What kind of modern country still believes that gay marriage should be outlawed, and possession of a joint should land you in jail for life? All the same, Canadians seek opportunities to find themselves south of the border. We don't want to live there, we don't want to be American, we just want to exploit them for their opportunities. For the money. For the career options. As Canadian artists flock to Toronto in hopes of making some money, the thought is always present that the real opportunity lies just to the south. How embarrasing for Canada that all of our talented artist head south, leaving behind their Canadian identity (whatever that means) to acquire fame and fortune there. If we had a music industry, film or television- would the world know that Jim Carrey, Mike Myers and the Barenaked Ladies, all hail from Canada? How do you explain this complicated relationship to someone who is not Canadian?

My Korean friend, Songhee asked me this week-end if it were true that all Canadians wanted to be American. And I launched into an explanation of our love-hate relationship. We hate American values, but we like the opportunity that the much sought-after citizenship presents. Ideally Canadian actors could live in New York, a mere six hours from Montreal by bus- with twice the opportunity. But when we travel abroad, we proudly wear the maple leaf- determined not to be confused for our American cousins. The first Korean word I learned was 'migguk' (American)- so that when I hear it, I know to turn around and clarify that I most certainly am not American. Koreans have a similarly confused relationship with all things American. The military presence is not particularly welcome, and the American district seems to be avoided by Koreans, unless they are accompanied by foreign friends. I don't blame them. It's the only area of the city where I don't feel safe, and though I blend in more, I also get stared at more. It's not the curious glances of people baffled by the colour of my eyes, but the aggresive, desperate stares of military men. I feel the need to distance myself from these people, and proudly declare myself Canadian whenever I make purchases, as it usually results in a 10% Canadian discount. As much as Koreans detest the military presence, they also have a fascination with American culture. American brand names are huge. There are stores dedicated to the sale of Yale and Harvard paraphernalia. Young Korean men are decked out Chicago Bulls jerseys. When they graduate from high school, many Koreans find themselves in the US in an effort to perfect their English. Why this fascination with a culture that they claim to hate? Wearing American labels has come to be associated with being worldly and educated, just like attending English schools. Korean schools fight to find Canadians to teach the American English. Some schools insist that Brits and Australians cover up their accent and try to sound more blandly American. It's all about status and image, and if you can pretend to be up on all things American, then you're regarded as worldly. A strange dynamic, but perhaps more straight forward than the US/Canada relationship.

In a recent issue of K-Scene (an English by-weekly for foreigners in Seoul), an advertisement in the clubs section read:

World Class is an organization in Seoul that brings together all nationalities to discuss world issues and break down cultural barriers and prejudices. We meet once a week. No Canadians please. Contact xxxxxxx@yahoo.com

Being a Canadian with a sense of humour, I laughed at the ad. I thought it was a clever joke, claiming to be an open forum, but requesting no participation from one of the world's most diverse countries. Apparently other Canadians ex-pats failed to see the humour. The magazine received so many complaints, that they pulled the ad and informed its readers that they would begin sensoring classified ads. There was such an uproar that the Korea Herald caught wind of the story and interviewed the offender, who is of course, Canadian. I was dissapointed by the reaction. If there is one thing that for me, defines us as Canadian, it's our ability to laugh at ourselves. It left me wondering if spending time surrounded by Americans abroad makes us feel as though we should be more patriotic. And in becoming more patriotic, do we lose that which sets us apart? If we stop laughing at ourselves, how will we tell the difference between us and the Americans? And if we can't tell, how can the rest of the world?