The Can-Am Relationship

August 13, 2007

The Can-Am relationship along with its stereotypes has long been a huge part of my "identity" (if you will). Due to my perspective, that I share with many other Canadians living in America, I find it constantly necessary to defend both sides.

I am, however, a little out of the loop on the Canadian perspective since I've never really lived there, and I claim citizenship through my parents and my unique position in my family as being the only American-born. Add all that to me being left-handed and the middle child and you get the constant need to battle. And my friends tend to make things worse by constantly making fun of me. But, since this has been happening since I was young and continues to happen anytime I use the word "eh", I've begun to ignore lame jokes/comments. My friends have obviously realized that I'm an easily heated target. One with a stubborn sense and a definite opinion.

But, in light of all this, I know that their comments are entirely in jest. They make fun of me because it's fun and we're friends. But I, for whatever reason, still feel the need to enlighten them with "facts" about Canada. And for most Americans, it seems that they either don't care at all or they just don't like listening to me rant.

The truth is, most Americans don't care. They should. But they don't. I feel that this failure to care is just a symptom of poor education throughout school and the symptom of the security in being the world's superpower. Granted that both are based on ignorance and could pose problems for our relationship with our closest friend, but how do you change everyone's mode of thought?

Perhaps the reason people in America don't care is because they don't have time to care. Everyone's so busy with their own lives, that the only bit of the outside world they get is through travels within the continental US or Hawaii, or from the American media-tube and it's limited scope. If they don't have time to form an educated opinion of their own (through extensive travelling to Canada or other countries), they're going to buy it from whoever's selling. Or worst yet, the one bad example they experience while on vacation.

But, that bad example goes true for everything in life. If I travel to Myrtle Beach, SC and see the most ridiculous people in the enire southern US all together in one spot — then I might assume that all of the south is that lame. Or, perhaps the west coast is just like they portray on Babewatch!

Do Americans, in general, really think all mounties ride horses wearing the red coats and funny hats? Yes. Because that's what they've seen in pictures and on Due South (that awesome show that used to come on TV about the mountie). Do they think that every Canadian lives in an igloo? I hope they're not that dumb to believe so. And what exactly is the capital of Canada? Well, it's gotta be Toronto or Montreal, because we hear so much about those cities.

Most Americans I've talked with don't know the capital, but they're really excited to tell me they've been there, and it's really beautiful, and the people were friendly (except the French), and that it was sooo clean!

Is it better to be an ignorant American? Well, as I was told by my brother a long time ago, "I'm not sure if it's worse to be too ignorant about my neighbor to the north or too presumptuous that I know everything about my neighbor to the south."

To further illustrate this point, Canadian Tar Heel mentions in his post Canadian Anti-Americanism some ideas about the other side of this relationship that I don't have the luxury to witness on a daily account. I'll rely on his research and opinion instead of limited travel and knowledge of my family's native country.

But then again, am I relying on a perception from the media? Regardless, Canada and the US have always been close — in proximity, most values, lifestyle, and trade. Why would we want to remain ignorant or worse anti-best-friend?

The Can-Am [...]

August 13, 2007

Mark Caron

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