The Great White North

Canada. Our neighbors to the North. Its colder, its bigger, and its different. Have you ever seen a Bob and Doug Mackenzie movie? For the longest time, that's what I thought most Canadians were like: laid-back, chill, hanging out while wearing toques, saying "eh?" at the end of every sentence, eating maple syrup and back bacon, and watching hockey.

I became good friends with a native Canadian, and she did none of those things. Except I can charge her with the occasional, "eh?" and every so often, a toque-wearing incident. We traveled overseas together, to London and Liverpool, England. I found that I was not the only one with pre-conceived notions about Canadians...

We went to an underground comedy club in London. The comedian performing picked on every single member of the audience, largely based on their country of origin. When my Canadian comrade was chosen as the subject of his humorous slaying with words, she informed him she was Canadian. His response: "Oh, so you're American, but you want people to like you."

I was floored! At the time, I laughed, because it seemed funny. Everyone had told me to tell people I was Canadian instead of American while in England because they would be nicer to me. However, I found that people were nice to me regardless, no one came out as rude while I was there...

But in believing in the stereotypes, I had built myself up for this incredible let-down. Although the stereotypes I've mentioned about Canada based on my exposure to Bob and Doug Mackenzie movies as a kid may not necessarily be seen as negative, they are still judgments that should not have been made...

Here are some of the stereotypes about Canadians and their culture (Source):
Canadians have an easygoing society where everyone follows the law.
Canadians are moderates.
Canadians are polite and courteous.
Canadians have a subtle form of patriotism.
Canadians are beloved in foreign countries (especially Europe).
Canadians resent America and feel superior to the US especially in matters of government.
Canadians have more ethnic influences and are more tolerant of these influences and this encourages diversity in its people.
Canadians live in a caring nation where the needy and less fortunate are well-taken care of and not left to fend for themselves.

There are so many more, but I will stop there.

Are these true? Is Canada this oasis of caring, compassionate people who are beloved in foreign countries and have all the answers? No, they are not. The Canadians I have met could match any of those stereotypes, but not as a whole can a country fit a stereotype. But some would argue that it doesn't matter, because all of those stereotypes are favorable to the Canadian people, so they are fine and good to have.

Wrong.

Seemingly "good" or "favorable" stereotypes can be just as harmful as incriminating ones. Let's take a look at a Canadian's rebuttal of these stereotypes (Source).

Here's the proposed "bad" side of these "good" stereotypes, compare with the seemingly "good" stereotypes that were listed above:
Canadians trust too much and don't criticize their law-makers enough.
Canadians are afraid to express controversial opinions.
Canadians are passive.
Canadians have no reason to be patriotic.
Canadians are not well-known to foreign countries, they have no opinions about Canadians because they don't know anything about them.
Canadians ignore criticisms about their own country and government because they are so anti-American.
Canadians lack a sense of social unity.
Canadians live in a socialist society where self-reliance is discouraged.

Do you see now how "good" stereotypes are ultimately "bad" ones? Canada seems like the cooler older cousin, smoking weed and chilling out up there above the United States. But are they, really? Do Canadian citizens appreciate these points of view about them, made without true education about them and their culture? I'd hazard to guess they don't.

I surely didn't appreciate the native Englanders who assumed that because my travel companion said she was Canadian, which she was, that she was merely hiding the fact that she was American because being an American is such a "terrible" thing...

So I have learned a lot this week. What have I learned? That not all Canadians are Bob and Doug Mackenzie.

No, I'm just kidding, I've learned a lot more than that. I've learned that even a country I may have viewed as having nothing but "good" stereotypes about them, may not appreciate those stereotypes because they hold a darker side to them.

Do you have any views about Canada? Have you ever been there? Would you like to go there? Do you know anyone native to Canada? Feel free to post any comments, questions, or concerns you might have about the stereotypes associated with the country of Canada in the comments section below!

Next week, we're swimming 'across the pond' to learn about the country of England.