Oh, those boastful Canucks
Dec. 8th, 2003 06:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caribou_genAn interesting news story was in the Edmonton Journal today about Canadian and American relationship problems. Here's one quotation:
For instance, an American from San Diego is quoted saying: "What bugs me about Canadians, if I may, is that they wear that damn patch on their bags, the Canadian flag patch. That way, they differentiate themselves from us."
Because it could go offline, I'm copying it beneath:
Oh, those boastful Canucks
Focus group exposes U.S. views on Canada
Jack Aubry
Ottawa Citizen; CanWest News Service
Monday, December 08, 2003
OTTAWA - Canadians should be careful not to appear "boastful" to Americans, who are insecure because of the war in Iraq and admit they are annoyed by northerners showing off the red maple leaf on their luggage when they travel, a recent federal report warns.
In focus groups held this fall in four U.S. cities where the federal government is opening consulates, Americans acknowledged they don't know much about Canadians and have low awareness that the country had not supported the U.S. in the war in Iraq.
"Some participants expressed a certain amount of annoyance at what is perceived as a systematic attempt by Canadians to make the statement that they are not Americans by sporting the maple leaf," said the recently released report.
"This underscores the American sensitivity at feeling rejected by the rest of the world ..."
A front-page story in the New York Times this week, which declared that Canada's stance on social issues is opening rifts with the U.S., is unwittingly confirmed in the earlier findings of the report.
Canadian comedian Rick Mercer said at a recent Toronto show that being attached to America is like "being in a pen with a wounded bull," joking that between gay marriage and pot smoking, "it's a wonder there is not a giant deck of cards out there with all our faces on it."
The report says even Americans who blame the Bush administration to some extent for the country's poor relations with the world do not seem to understand why friendly countries and neighbours such as Canada would want to distance themselves from Americans.
For instance, an American from San Diego is quoted saying: "What bugs me about Canadians, if I may, is that they wear that damn patch on their bags, the Canadian flag patch. That way, they differentiate themselves from us."
The report is based on eight focus groups conducted in September by Millward Brown Goldfarb in San Diego, Raleigh, Denver and Houston where Canadian consulates are in the process of opening. Pierre Bechard, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, said Millward Brown Goldfarb was paid $49,543 for the October report and focus groups.
He said the findings will act as a baseline for the consulates to work to understand how much Americans understand about Canada and how they feel about their relationship with their northern neighbours.
From the findings, federal employees opening the consulates will have their work cut out for them. Most participants said they were "shocked" by a fact sheet about Canada that they were presented during the focus groups.
"A few expressed some concern over the U.S.'s implied dependence on Canada for energy ... However, Canada should be careful not to appear 'boastful,' which could backfire, as Americans do not like to be reminded of any kind of dependence on another country," the report warned. The report also comments that Americans have the same view of Canada as some English Canadians have of Quebecers.
Canadians tend to be viewed as more laid back, more similar to Europeans, live-and-let-live types than Americans.
http://www.canada.com/edmonton/story.asp?id=EE25B4CA-E08A-47D7-A0A9-CE892A65BB0A
For instance, an American from San Diego is quoted saying: "What bugs me about Canadians, if I may, is that they wear that damn patch on their bags, the Canadian flag patch. That way, they differentiate themselves from us."
Because it could go offline, I'm copying it beneath:
Oh, those boastful Canucks
Focus group exposes U.S. views on Canada
Jack Aubry
Ottawa Citizen; CanWest News Service
Monday, December 08, 2003
OTTAWA - Canadians should be careful not to appear "boastful" to Americans, who are insecure because of the war in Iraq and admit they are annoyed by northerners showing off the red maple leaf on their luggage when they travel, a recent federal report warns.
In focus groups held this fall in four U.S. cities where the federal government is opening consulates, Americans acknowledged they don't know much about Canadians and have low awareness that the country had not supported the U.S. in the war in Iraq.
"Some participants expressed a certain amount of annoyance at what is perceived as a systematic attempt by Canadians to make the statement that they are not Americans by sporting the maple leaf," said the recently released report.
"This underscores the American sensitivity at feeling rejected by the rest of the world ..."
A front-page story in the New York Times this week, which declared that Canada's stance on social issues is opening rifts with the U.S., is unwittingly confirmed in the earlier findings of the report.
Canadian comedian Rick Mercer said at a recent Toronto show that being attached to America is like "being in a pen with a wounded bull," joking that between gay marriage and pot smoking, "it's a wonder there is not a giant deck of cards out there with all our faces on it."
The report says even Americans who blame the Bush administration to some extent for the country's poor relations with the world do not seem to understand why friendly countries and neighbours such as Canada would want to distance themselves from Americans.
For instance, an American from San Diego is quoted saying: "What bugs me about Canadians, if I may, is that they wear that damn patch on their bags, the Canadian flag patch. That way, they differentiate themselves from us."
The report is based on eight focus groups conducted in September by Millward Brown Goldfarb in San Diego, Raleigh, Denver and Houston where Canadian consulates are in the process of opening. Pierre Bechard, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, said Millward Brown Goldfarb was paid $49,543 for the October report and focus groups.
He said the findings will act as a baseline for the consulates to work to understand how much Americans understand about Canada and how they feel about their relationship with their northern neighbours.
From the findings, federal employees opening the consulates will have their work cut out for them. Most participants said they were "shocked" by a fact sheet about Canada that they were presented during the focus groups.
"A few expressed some concern over the U.S.'s implied dependence on Canada for energy ... However, Canada should be careful not to appear 'boastful,' which could backfire, as Americans do not like to be reminded of any kind of dependence on another country," the report warned. The report also comments that Americans have the same view of Canada as some English Canadians have of Quebecers.
Canadians tend to be viewed as more laid back, more similar to Europeans, live-and-let-live types than Americans.
http://www.canada.com/edmonton/story.asp?id=EE25B4CA-E08A-47D7-A0A9-CE892A65BB0A
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no subject
on 2003-12-08 09:33 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2003-12-09 05:52 am (UTC)no subject
on 2003-12-09 12:45 pm (UTC)I believe I shouted "TOO FUCKING BAD!" after hearing:
Sheesh. It's not like Canadians are wearing US flags with big a big red NO sign through it.
no subject
on 2003-12-09 03:52 pm (UTC)a) Canadians abroad *always* stick little maple leafs or Canadian flags on their luggage.
b) Europeans notice this and tease and laugh at said Canadians for it.
c) This has been going on for at least 50 years.
So why are the Americans just suddenly noticing *now* that Canadians put maple leafs on things? And given what they've said recently about our military, our foreign policy and other things Canadian, you'd think they'd be jumping with glee that Americans wouldn't be mistaken for Canadians....
no subject
on 2003-12-10 11:37 am (UTC)Unfortunately this does go to show how clueless most Americans are - the thing they fear. They are not aware that Canadians have their own national patriotism, and are generally proud to NOT be Americans. We are not seen as egocentric and ethnocentric...we aren't perceived by the rest of the world as the self-proclaimed protectors of the world. Because we aren't seen as arrogant, we're better-liked by much of the world. Hopefully the US doesn't see pride in our country as being a thumb in their eye.
Late in seeing this...
on 2003-12-17 02:16 pm (UTC)Personally, I believe the United States should teach it's people about having better understanding of it's neighbors. Honestly, when I went through school, it was like Canada, what's that?
Anyway, I was surprised to see that they might be opening a consulate in Raleigh, wow!
I should make a patch like my icon :) showing proud to be both!