<strong>Written By:</strong> Justme
<strong>Date:</strong> 2005-12-21 11:12:00
<a href="/article/191238461-before-you-flee-to-canada-can-we-talk">Article Link</a>

Although I enjoy my work and have made good friends here, I've found life as an American expatriate in Canada difficult, frustrating and even painful in ways that have surprised me. As attractive as living here may be in theory, the reality's something else. For me, it's been one of almost daily confrontation with a powerful anti-Americanism that pervades many aspects of life. When I've mentioned this phenomenon to Canadian friends, they've furrowed their brows sympathetically and said, "Yes, Canadian anti-Americanism can be very subtle." My response is, there's nothing subtle about it.

The anti-Americanism I experience generally takes this form: Canadians bring up "the States" or "Americans" to make comparisons or evaluations that mix a kind of smug contempt with a wariness that alternates between the paranoid and the absurd.

Thus, Canadian media discussion of President Bush's upcoming official visit on Tuesday focuses on the snub implied by his not having visited earlier. It's reported that when he does come, he will not speak to a Parliament that's so hostile it can't be trusted to receive him politely. Coverage of a Canadian athlete caught doping devolves into complaints about how Americans always get away with cheating. The "Blame Canada" song from the "South Park" movie is taken as documentary evidence of Americans' real attitudes toward this country. The ongoing U.S. ban on importing Canadian cattle (after a case of mad cow disease was traced to Alberta) is interpreted as a form of political persecution. A six o'clock news show introduces a group of parents and children who are convinced that the reason Canadian textbooks give short shrift to America's failed attempts to invade the Canadian territories in the War of 1812 is to avoid antagonizing the Americans -- who are just waiting for an excuse to give it another try.

My noisy neighbors revel in Canada's two hockey golds at the 2002 Olympics because "We beat the Americans in America!" The first gay couple to wed in Ontario tells the press, before they say anything else, that they are glad they don't live in the United States. A PR person at the hospital where I work, who has been eager to talk to me about a book I've published, puts down her pen when she learns that I'm American and that the book is nearly devoid of "Canadian content."

More seriously, in the wake of 9/11, after the initial shock wore off, it was common to hear some Canadians voice the opinion that Americans had finally gotten what they deserved. The attacks were just deserts for years of interventionist U.S. foreign policy, the increasing inequality between the world's poorest nations and the wealthiest one on earth, and a generalized arrogance. I heard similar views expressed after Nov. 2, when Americans were perceived to have revealed their true selves and thus to "deserve" a second Bush term.

<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15638-2004Nov26.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15638-2004Nov26.html</a>

   

I guess this was an eye-opener for this woman. I'm surprised that she was surprised. Guess she'd never been a "Vive" visitor prior to her departure.

   

I certainly can empathize with a recent American ex-pat. This is intended as an article to emphathize the negatives that one might experience as An American in Canada.

Is Canada perfect when it comes to how we treat all who come to live here? No, definitely not. We are certainly bad when it comes to Americans, primarily white educated ones too. They are subjected to our fears and our prejudices as well as being fodder for anyone who can form an opinion if not support an opinion.

This is a problem that is the same on either side of the border. Everyone is willing to tell you their opinion, and in Canada this is often closely linked to the USA. This author was subjected to it where she had previously been sheltered from it. If she had been a muslim male of about 15-45 she might have felt no different on either side of the border. If she had been a German woman of 17 she never would have experienced that side of Canada to the degree she did.

Her move to Canada put her in a new role in her life: The Feared Outsider.

Is she right to council Americans in this way about Canada? Yes, but only those of her background. I have yet to see someone who is American subjected to this unless they are white and are educated. Whether that is racism in some form is a matter for debate.

   

judging by her educational background and profession,yeah, she was probably surrounded by a certain personality type common in the united states and canada.

two guys, one american, one canadian, talking about the really important things in life like sports and getting laid,would present a very different picture.

   

yeah, i follow you i think. you're right, the typical politically correct leftie in the us or canada is shit scared of "offending" anyone remotely considered a oppressed minority. but the more you look, think and talk like them, the more likely they'll trash talk.i've always noticed many lefties will automatically pre-judge you by the color of your skin until you correct them. nice.

   

I intended to imply that:

1.) Racism that is about someone being inferior is generally silent towards the person being prejudged, at least on a one-on-one basis, and
2.) Racism towards a person you see as having power (be it ed-ju-mu-cated white from American or an educated black from Zimbabwe) is not silent in a one-on-one situation.

In the second case you imply that they have control over what their society does, while in the first you imply that the society is a singular mass with a group conciousness.

Racism doesn't have to be logical, or even go by the name racism; it just exists due to ignorance.

   

Anti-Americanism is the only form of Canadian nationalism that's left these days, it's too bad the lady had to find that out the hard way.

'Health care' was the last thing promoted as a uniquely Canadian 'value' and the people believed that for some strange reason, but now that the Canadian health care system is the 30th best health care system in the world - there's not much left that's uniquely Canadian and politically correct enough to be promoted as a Canadian value.

So our limousine-liberals have to set up a straw man for an enemy and those 'damn yankees' will be the straw man. It's a boorish low-brow tactic that appeals to the red neck types in Canada, keeps their minds focused on something other than our own bad government. Scapegoating is an excellent way to never have to take responsibility for failure - and our Liberal government is expert at it.

   

This is not a problem that can be traced to support of any one political party.

Plus, when you are founding an arguement on political rhetoric and heresay, remember this one rule: rednecks and liberals are oil and water; you should only talk about where they meet, because they do not mix.

You are right in that health care is not strictly a Canadian value.

According to 25.1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control."

   

Nora Jacobsen hit the nail on the head perfectly....lived it..been there...over and over and over...there's NO ONE more prejudiced/racist/bigoted than a self-righteous Canadian (eh)...too bad it's too late for them to do anything to reverse the harm they've caused..now it's permanent . Oh, well. It's obvious neither side needs the other for *anything* at all (eh) ...bye, bye birdies...

   

i'm a kinda dry sarcastic smart-ass you know. ed-ju-mu-cated? that explains it, my ed-ju-mu-cation never went beyond a bachelors, so i guess i qualify as being un- ed-ju-mu-cated by many people on this site.

you're saying those canadians who gave this american woman a hard time did so because they respected her intelligence and thought she could take it (and deserved it?) oh boy, that's a bit of a stretch boss.

i believe "limousine liberals" however are just as smug and biased towards groups and people they (secretly) deem inferior as right-wing reactionaries, but are silent about it (except of course those nasty working-class white rednecks and americans.)

do you prefer someone hate you to your face or more subtly?

   

why should i or anyone else pay or subsidize aomeone's healthcare, if they are perfectly capable of working and paying for their own health insurance? the vast majority of americans manage to do this (a number far larger than the entire population of canada.)I pay around $100./month for full health coverage. i can go to any doctor or hospital i want. i pay office co-pay of $10. ditto drug prescription co-pay. i pay an additional $25./month for dental coverage that covers 80-100% for most services. i am typical not atypical.

the claim that america doesn't offer healthcare to the alleged poor is a lie. in my state if you can prove you're poor(on paper at least) or completely indigent you'll get free, complete %100 health and dental benefits. everyone knows of people who have no problem buying large screen tv's, multiple dvd players, expensive clothes, etc., but claim they can't afford health insurance. much of it is bullshit.

   

if you're unemployed you can either continue your coverage through your former employer (you're responsible for the full premium, very high since your employer heavily subsidized your premiums) or if your finances qualify you, you can get excellent coverage through the state at nominal costs (usually the drugs are free.)

   

gdp and gdp growth is higher(considerably) than canada. the united states poverty level and unemployment rate is lower(considerably) than canada. which country does a better job of offering the most for the most?

*canada poverty rate = 15.9%, unemployment rate = 7%, real gdp growth 2.4%, gdp per capital = 31,500(2004)

*usa poverty rate = 12%, unemployment rate = 5.5%,real gdp growth = 4.4%, gdp per capital = 40,100.(2004)

*cia factbook 2005.

   

Why should anyone else pay taxes to send your kids(or you) to school? If you are perfectly capable of working and paying for your own education?

Funnily enough, I do pay for my own health care insurance, above a certain minimum level. The government won't pay to get me glasses, but they will pay for glasses for a child under 12, whether their parents earn $10/month or $10,000/month. I think you should do some research into Canada's health care system before you decry it as a waste of time; it is not a simple "everyone gets everything for free" system, so please do not act as if it were, as that is also a lie.


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"Beer Garden'? You mean, a real garden of beer? I thought they only had those in Canada!" --Largo