Split: Mistaken for Canadian

Then they proceed to tell me how England is the  best country and the British military is best, the Green Berets, SEALS etc are no good and the SAS is best.

If a person I am talking to evidently feels that the measure of a country's worth is the quality of their special forces, then I usually terminate the conversation as quickly as possible.

I'm neither here nor there on the whole 'American Pride' thing.  It's part of my identity, obviously, and I think that, in some ways, the U.S. is under-appreciated (or, perhaps, appreciated for the wrong things), but that doesn't stop me from acknowledging that it's far from perfect.

However... Wisconsin is the best place on earth, and I'm terribly proud to be a Cheesehead. :p

Not claiming to have a final word or the only definition. Just having a discussion.

Sorry but I'm still of the mind that in order to be proud, you should be doing something yourself. Otherwise, it's false pride IMHO. 

I don't know that it fits any of the dictionary definitions of pride, but there's a good feeling you get when the group that you are (or consider yourself) a part of does something good or impressive. 

For instance, I haven't been to the Moon, but I get a good feeling out of the facts that a) American astronauts have been to the Moon, and b) I'm an American.  Whatever that feeling is called, that's how I feel about good or impressive American achievements.

Now I'm picturing the closeted patriotic among us turning cupboards into Americana Shrines with sparkly pinwheels being spun by a fan and a large poster of Uncle Sam saying he wants YOU! to buy government bonds.

 

DW usually gets "That's not a Yorkshire accent you have there", which then prompts her to say where she's from.

I always tell people Im from York, but the Newer bit.

Im not too bothered when people confuse my accent, just annoyed when people ask me to keep 'talking' like that. I politely remind them that I am a human being and not a parlour trick. Most usually shut up and walk away then

However... Wisconsin is the best place on earth, and I'm terribly proud to be a Cheesehead. :p

I hear it's almost as nice as California 

However... Wisconsin is the best place on earth, and I'm terribly proud to be a Cheesehead.

I spent a couple months in the Wisconsin Dells and the surrounding area in '95 when my (then) boyfriend was working for Custom Coasters was building the Cyclops roller coaster at what was then Big Chief Carts and Coasters and is now Mt. Olympus. I was completely in love with Wisconsin, and loved the countryside and weather.

Although I am a diehard Colts fan, I'm a bit of a closet Cheesehead. I suppose you could say they are my 'backup' team.

Sorry, but this is a little ridiculous. I'm proud to be American, but I certainly don't think I'm better than anyone else. I know people who put American flags on their FB pages and they don't do it because they think they're better than anyone. They do it because they're proud of who they are. Pride does not necessarily equal arrogance.

I'm Canadian and constantly was mistaken for an American when I lived in the UK. It never bothered me at all but it was a knee-jerk reaction to correct them and say "no, Canadian" because that is what I am.  I'm not an American. It's just as if an American is called a Canadian, it is a natural thing to correct and say they're American.  Why should you walk around all the time being mistaken for someone else entirely?

I've locked this for the moment as I'm in the middle of something, I will come back to it. Please take a time out and cool down in the meantime.

The unpleasant comments have been removed, as well as hotlinked images.

I'm re-opening this for now, please keep your discussions polite and have a good weekend.

I'm Canadian and constantly was mistaken for an American when I lived in the UK. It never bothered me at all but it was a knee-jerk reaction to correct them and say "no, Canadian" because that is what I am.  I'm not an American. It's just as if an American is called a Canadian, it is a natural thing to correct and say they're American.  Why should you walk around all the time being mistaken for someone else entirely?

It's not so much what you say as how you say it. It's fine to say "No, I'm not American, I'm Canadian", in a polite, friendly way. The problem is when someone gets all arrogant, like "I'm Canadian! How dare you suggest that I might be American!"

Many British people seem afraid to suggest that someone is American, so it seems to me that either they've got their heads bit off for it in the past, or they've heard about others getting their heads bit off for it.

My husband's cousins are Canadian and one came over to visit. My husband works so the two of us spent some time together wandering around and she was very defensive about being Not American. Is this reflective of all or most Canadians? Of course not.  But the stereotype exists for a reason.

The way my Canadian friend explained it (although she would not react in an offended manner, I don't think) - it's a sort of displeasure at a general assumption that the US is all there is when it comes to North America (or someone having a North American accent).  Canada being the overlooked, misunderstood, hardly even acknowledged cousin, so to speak -- being dwarfed by the more popular, famous, glamourous kin to the south.  Perhaps this translates into annoyance or a feeling of hard-done-by for some?

Not sure where that leaves Mexico - even more overlooked & misunderstood perhaps?  I wonder how many Mexicans get mistaken for someone from the US?

After reading this I can't HELP but think of that time I was going home from Heathrow and there were two Canadians covered in maple leaves and Canadian flags. I was thinking 'ok, no mistaking where they're from.'

I guess I've just been really lucky and every single person I have ever encountered knew to ask "where are you from?" rather than "are you American/Canadian?"

If someone asks if I am proud of where I came from, I say yes. I am proud. The way I am and the way I think was a product of where I grew up. Had I lived anywhere else, I would be a completely different person. I don't really think that Americans and Brits are different in terms of pride and arrogance and can never agree if someone tries to tell me that one is more so than the other. No one is inherently different just because of their nationality.

The way my Canadian friend explained it (although she would not react in an offended manner, I don't think) - it's a sort of displeasure at a general assumption that the US is all there is when it comes to North America (or someone having a North American accent).  Canada being the overlooked, misunderstood, hardly even acknowledged cousin, so to speak -- being dwarfed by the more popular, famous, glamourous kin to the south.  Perhaps this translates into annoyance or a feeling of hard-done-by for some?

Not sure where that leaves Mexico - even more overlooked & misunderstood perhaps?  I wonder how many Mexicans get mistaken for someone from the US?

I've thought about this before, too. Technically speaking, Canadians and Mexicans are Americans, as they belong to North America. Just the same that the French are Europeans, Chinese are Asians, Kenyans are Africans, and so on.

Just as Johnny Cash said, 'America is the continent, not this country [the USA].'

The thing about Canadians (and I say this with authority is that I am one...) is that they have a huuuuugggge inferiority complex when it comes to the US.  It is a bitter sibling rivalry that is fueled by the highly successful, over-confident brother to the south that gets all the attention.  Of course Canadians will act out in a negative way, just as the younger neglected sibling would.  

It doesn't help that to Canadians, it seems that Americans themselves barely even notice their existence.  Everyone has stories of Americans who come to Canada expecting to see dog sleds and igloos.  I had relatives from Kansas go to visit the rellys in Toronto and decided "while they were in the neighbourhood" they would go and visit the family for dinner in Edmonton.  Three and a half days later...  they arrived totally shocked that Canada was so big.  It's stories like these that fuel the sibling rivalry - all the big showy stuff is won by Americans but it's those little things that make Canadians feel like they're gaining, in even the smallest of ways.  Canadians in the past have had a good reputation as tourists abroad and because Americans generally don't, they try to distance themselves at all costs.  Kind of like being at camp with your brother and completely disassociating from him as soon as the parents have left.. And it is for these reasons that Canadians hate being called American.    

Having said all of that, I think it's time Canada grew up, put on their big kid pants and get on with it standing on their own two feet.  Beating down americans, and even worse constantly acquiescing to them in things such as trade agreements etc..  is old and tired and quite frankly, not exactly the most appealing part of Canadian culture.