There are many factors that go into the creation of a Canadian. All Canadians though do not have to be stereotypical interpretations of our northern neighbor. A non-native citizen of Canada can also be called a Canadian.
Canadians can be described as a mixture of English, French, Scottish, Irish, German, and Inuit decent. Typically they will speak English or French, and belong to one of five political parties including the Liberal Party, the Canadian Alliance, Bloc Quebecois, the Progressive Conservative Party, and the New Democratic Party. They will follow British and French customs, and speak in a Canadian dialect which mixes American English with British English.
Obviously, the first and foremost characteristic of a Canadian is living in Canada. Many Canadians feel a sense of loyalty to Britain, as many of them were Loyalists. Canadians are often bilingual and/or multicultural, given the country's diverse background. They also have a distinct Canadian dialect when they speak English.
There are many stereotypes about Canadians, such as "all Canadians are nice" or "Canadians say 'eh' a lot". These stereotypes are not necessarily true, of course.
@Brandon: While the political parties you mentioned are some of the largest, Canadians can belong to a variety of political parties, like in any country. For example, the Green Party is considerably large and fairly active in Canada.
A Canadian is anyone who was born in Canada, has lived in Canada for a significant amount of time, or is of Canadian descent. Like any country, a Canadian can be almost anyone. However, there are some distinct characteristics that are common among Canadians. The two most common languages are English and French, with a heavy Canadian accent in English. Many Canadians speak both languages or are affected by both languages. They often follow British or French customs, depending on where they live and their family background.
@Ajay: I agree with most of your comments, but I do not think that all Canadians must live in Canada. I'm sure you were generalizing, as one must do to describe the "typical" Canadian. I am simply pointing out that there are many Canadians in other countries, such as the US.
A Canadian is some one who was born in Canada lives in Canada or who's ancestry is Canadian. Like all people Canadian people do have certain stereotypes but that does not necessarily mean they are that way it is just a stereotype. Since Canada has two official languages most people speak either one of those two or both. Their culture can vary depending if they follow french customs, British customs or many others.
A Canadian is somebody who is a legal citizen of Canada. Canadians must also live in Canada to be considered Canadian. A Canadian must either speak English or French. People can also have an ancestry in Canada to be considered Canadian.
Responding to what Tommy said, I disagree with you, to be considered a Canadian, somebody has to live in Canada. If you don't live in that country then technically your not from that country. However, I am Chinese and I don't live in China and am a United States citizen, however I am still considered Chinese simply because of my skin color and other physical traits. I can be considered Chinese because I am different through my physical traits, so people in other countries can recognize me. However, if a Canadian lives in a different country nobody would be able to tell from which country they are from because many countries are predominantly made up of white people. Therefore if you cannot easily distinguish between ethnicities in another country, than a person from Canada would have to be living in Canada to be considered a Canadian.
Very interesting response Ajay. I would have to disagree with your statements though. According to the Canadian Green Party, their registration is approximately 10,000-12,000 voters. Out of Canada’s 23,401,064 registered voters, the Green Party comprises 0.04% of Canada. I would not consider them a major factor in political elections. Saying that they do is like saying the Confederate Party plays a large role in American political elections.
A "Canadian" could either be a native or non-native citizen of Canada, or a person of Canadian descent, as Brandon and Tommy have so aptly put it. Most Canadians (like all sorts of different races, societies, and communities) are influenced by traditional and habitual factors. Accents and customary languages are perfect examples. Does this include all Canadians? No, but these are just some common characteristics.
Responding to Frank. I disagree with you Frank. If what you say is true; that just by judging your physical features determines your ethnicity, then you're wrong. Let me use you as an example. I'm sure most people would consider you Asian by looking at you, but they wouldn't be able to identify what type of Asian you were, which is the key. Like me! Most people think I'm white, but I'm really half Vietnamese and half white. Nobody can really be unambiguous when making mere guesses.
There are many characteristics that make up a canadian. Some are obvious and some are not obvious. A Canadian is someone who is associated with Canada in the sense that they live there or have lived there for some time. Sometimes a canadian can not have him/herself lived there, but instead come from canadian decent.
Some other sterotypes are as follows:
1) a canadian will often call a bathroom a "washroom" 2) Canadians speak french most of the time. 3) All canadians like "Tim Hortons" 4)They use the word "eh" in their dialogue. 5) They play locrosse.
These are just some of the many sterotypes against Canadians.
Responding to Ajay. I agree with your point about canadians saying "eh" and that they must live in canada. But do you really think that all Canadians feel a sense of loyalty to britain? I dont know, some of the younger generations might feel differently. However, I agreee with you point about them speaking lots of languages and having an accent. Most people from around the world have different accents.
Some characteristics of Canadians are they often speak French or English. They are influenced by the Queen of England and are also for the most part loyal to Britain. There are also some stereotypes of Canadians such as they say "eh" a lot. For the most part none of these stereotypes are true though.
@Brandon: I do see your point that the Green Party is small in numbers. However, in the recent federal election, the Green Party came in fifth in the House of Commons elections.
Prior to the 2008 federal election, the Green Party was represented in the House of Commons, with one member. While this is not a large involvement, it still proves that the Green Party is fairly active for a minority party.
My point was that citizens can belong to any number of existing political parties.
I would also like to point out that the Canadian Alliance is no longer in existence. It is now the Conservative Party of Canada, merged with the former Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.
Responding to what Becca said, you can easily tell I'm Chinese. Japanese people have whiter skin than Chinese people. Koreans look more caucasian than Chinese people. These three countries have the predominant amount of people that look like me. And as I just told you you can easily tell which asian person comes from which asian country.
Responding to Frank: You are contradicting yourself. You said that you are Chinese because of your ethnicity and background, even though you live in America. I personally know someone from Canada who is a legal US citizen. I would still consider them to be Canadian even though he lives in the US and is a legal US citizen. Skin color is rather irrelevent. A British citizen would not enjoy being called American or white just because they do not live in England, as would many white Europeans.
Responding to Tommy (responding to Frank). I agree with you that sometimes people who don't live in a country are still from there. For example, my parents and grandparents were born in India, but they all live here now, and even thought they are U.S. citizens they are still more Indian than they are white. So this also could apply to the canadians that live in the U.S. or any other country for that matter. It doesn't matter that they dont live in the country, its almost more important that they have had some dealings with the country in the past.
In my opinion, it is difficult to distinguish some characteristics of a Canadian. For instance, I believe one of the previous responses mentioned the stereotype that Canadians continuously say “eh,” but I am sure that other people from different countries also use the word “eh.” In addition, it is thought that characteristics of Canadians include the endless infatuation with hockey and beer. However, numerous citizens of the U.S. are fond of hockey and people across the globe believe that they would cease to exist without beer. Therefore, true qualities that make Canadians would be that they were born in Canada, have descended from Canadians, or have become a Canadian citizen. Though I only brought attention to these three, I am sure that there are other characteristics.
Responding to Ajay’s first comment. I apologize for saying that I disagree with you when you stated that the “first and foremost characteristic of a Canadian is living in Canada.” I find your statement incorrect due to the fact that U.S. citizens could be living in Canada, but they would not be considered Canadian.
Characteristics that make up a Canadian are anyone who lives in or was born and continues to live in Canada. Canadians have a sense of loyalty to Britain, but come from many places. A lot of Canadians are also from France. They follow French and British customs and speak French and English.
@Rick: I agree with your statement that although we make sterotypes about Canadians many of these are not true. Canadians can say "eh," but they do not have to. When we make generalizations about Canadians they can hut our relationship with Canada and the way we see their country.
@Lauren: I have to disagree with you on your point that a US citizen living in Canada would not be a Canadian. What if they were applying for citizenship? I think that thy would be considered a Canadian by then if they had been living there for a while and applying for citizenship. True if you just moved to Canada you are not considered a "Canadian," but I do think that after a while people would start to see you as a Canadian. That is only if you have lived there a while.
Responding to Frank’s first comment. I am sorry but I have to disagree with your statement which says “Canadians must also live in Canada to be considered Canadian.” For instance, if I was born in Vancouver (making me a legal Canadian citizen) and then I moved to the United States to live, I would still be Canadian though I would not be living in Canada.
some characteristics that make up a canadian is people who were born in or live in Canada for a cirtian number of years. also many canadians have a lot of national pride. there is a large french and english population there. they speak maly english, and some french.
rachel - i completely agree with everything you said. becasue what makes a person be a canadian citizen is if they have lived there or born there (as i said in myu post). i would also like to add that they support great britain becasue they are ruled by the queen.
A canadian is someone who lives in Canada and must be legal citizens of Canada. A canadian usually either speechs French or English, the 2 predominant languages of Canada. The cultures can be very different depending on, for example, where the person is from, ancestry, and many other things.
@Frank: Again I disagree with you. If I saw an Asian for the first time in my life, I wouldn't be able to distinguish whether they were Chinese, Japanese, or Swiss Cheese. Well.. I would be able to determine who wasn't Swiss Cheese... But! -my point is: I wouldn't be able to conclude who was what. And if I guess wrong, I would certainly be critized for being judgemental, and possibly prejudice? As for skin tones; everyone's different.
34 comments:
There are many factors that go into the creation of a Canadian. All Canadians though do not have to be stereotypical interpretations of our northern neighbor. A non-native citizen of Canada can also be called a Canadian.
Canadians can be described as a mixture of English, French, Scottish, Irish, German, and Inuit decent. Typically they will speak English or French, and belong to one of five political parties including the Liberal Party, the Canadian Alliance, Bloc Quebecois, the Progressive Conservative Party, and the New Democratic Party. They will follow British and French customs, and speak in a Canadian dialect which mixes American English with British English.
Obviously, the first and foremost characteristic of a Canadian is living in Canada. Many Canadians feel a sense of loyalty to Britain, as many of them were Loyalists. Canadians are often bilingual and/or multicultural, given the country's diverse background. They also have a distinct Canadian dialect when they speak English.
There are many stereotypes about Canadians, such as "all Canadians are nice" or "Canadians say 'eh' a lot". These stereotypes are not necessarily true, of course.
@Brandon: While the political parties you mentioned are some of the largest, Canadians can belong to a variety of political parties, like in any country. For example, the Green Party is considerably large and fairly active in Canada.
A Canadian is anyone who was born in Canada, has lived in Canada for a significant amount of time, or is of Canadian descent. Like any country, a Canadian can be almost anyone. However, there are some distinct characteristics that are common among Canadians. The two most common languages are English and French, with a heavy Canadian accent in English. Many Canadians speak both languages or are affected by both languages. They often follow British or French customs, depending on where they live and their family background.
@Ajay: I agree with most of your comments, but I do not think that all Canadians must live in Canada. I'm sure you were generalizing, as one must do to describe the "typical" Canadian. I am simply pointing out that there are many Canadians in other countries, such as the US.
A Canadian is some one who was born in Canada lives in Canada or who's ancestry is Canadian. Like all people Canadian people do have certain stereotypes but that does not necessarily mean they are that way it is just a stereotype. Since Canada has two official languages most people speak either one of those two or both. Their culture can vary depending if they follow french customs, British customs or many others.
A Canadian is somebody who is a legal citizen of Canada. Canadians must also live in Canada to be considered Canadian. A Canadian must either speak English or French. People can also have an ancestry in Canada to be considered Canadian.
Responding to what Tommy said, I disagree with you, to be considered a Canadian, somebody has to live in Canada. If you don't live in that country then technically your not from that country. However, I am Chinese and I don't live in China and am a United States citizen, however I am still considered Chinese simply because of my skin color and other physical traits. I can be considered Chinese because I am different through my physical traits, so people in other countries can recognize me. However, if a Canadian lives in a different country nobody would be able to tell from which country they are from because many countries are predominantly made up of white people. Therefore if you cannot easily distinguish between ethnicities in another country, than a person from Canada would have to be living in Canada to be considered a Canadian.
Very interesting response Ajay. I would have to disagree with your statements though. According to the Canadian Green Party, their registration is approximately 10,000-12,000 voters. Out of Canada’s 23,401,064 registered voters, the Green Party comprises 0.04% of Canada. I would not consider them a major factor in political elections. Saying that they do is like saying the Confederate Party plays a large role in American political elections.
A "Canadian" could either be a native or non-native citizen of Canada, or a person of Canadian descent, as Brandon and Tommy have so aptly put it. Most Canadians (like all sorts of different races, societies, and communities) are influenced by traditional and habitual factors. Accents and customary languages are perfect examples. Does this include all Canadians? No, but these are just some common characteristics.
Responding to Frank. I disagree with you Frank. If what you say is true; that just by judging your physical features determines your ethnicity, then you're wrong. Let me use you as an example. I'm sure most people would consider you Asian by looking at you, but they wouldn't be able to identify what type of Asian you were, which is the key. Like me! Most people think I'm white, but I'm really half Vietnamese and half white. Nobody can really be unambiguous when making mere guesses.
There are many characteristics that make up a canadian. Some are obvious and some are not obvious. A Canadian is someone who is associated with Canada in the sense that they live there or have lived there for some time. Sometimes a canadian can not have him/herself lived there, but instead come from canadian decent.
Some other sterotypes are as follows:
1) a canadian will often call a bathroom a "washroom"
2) Canadians speak french most of the time.
3) All canadians like "Tim Hortons"
4)They use the word "eh" in their dialogue.
5) They play locrosse.
These are just some of the many sterotypes against Canadians.
Responding to Ajay. I agree with your point about canadians saying "eh" and that they must live in canada. But do you really think that all Canadians feel a sense of loyalty to britain? I dont know, some of the younger generations might feel differently. However, I agreee with you point about them speaking lots of languages and having an accent. Most people from around the world have different accents.
Some characteristics of Canadians are they often speak French or English. They are influenced by the Queen of England and are also for the most part loyal to Britain. There are also some stereotypes of Canadians such as they say "eh" a lot. For the most part none of these stereotypes are true though.
@Brandon: I do see your point that the Green Party is small in numbers. However, in the recent federal election, the Green Party came in fifth in the House of Commons elections.
Prior to the 2008 federal election, the Green Party was represented in the House of Commons, with one member. While this is not a large involvement, it still proves that the Green Party is fairly active for a minority party.
My point was that citizens can belong to any number of existing political parties.
I would also like to point out that the Canadian Alliance is no longer in existence. It is now the Conservative Party of Canada, merged with the former Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.
Responding to what Becca said, you can easily tell I'm Chinese. Japanese people have whiter skin than Chinese people. Koreans look more caucasian than Chinese people. These three countries have the predominant amount of people that look like me. And as I just told you you can easily tell which asian person comes from which asian country.
Responding to Frank: You are contradicting yourself. You said that you are Chinese because of your ethnicity and background, even though you live in America. I personally know someone from Canada who is a legal US citizen. I would still consider them to be Canadian even though he lives in the US and is a legal US citizen. Skin color is rather irrelevent. A British citizen would not enjoy being called American or white just because they do not live in England, as would many white Europeans.
Responding to Tommy (responding to Frank). I agree with you that sometimes people who don't live in a country are still from there. For example, my parents and grandparents were born in India, but they all live here now, and even thought they are U.S. citizens they are still more Indian than they are white. So this also could apply to the canadians that live in the U.S. or any other country for that matter. It doesn't matter that they dont live in the country, its almost more important that they have had some dealings with the country in the past.
In my opinion, it is difficult to distinguish some characteristics of a Canadian. For instance, I believe one of the previous responses mentioned the stereotype that Canadians continuously say “eh,” but I am sure that other people from different countries also use the word “eh.” In addition, it is thought that characteristics of Canadians include the endless infatuation with hockey and beer. However, numerous citizens of the U.S. are fond of hockey and people across the globe believe that they would cease to exist without beer. Therefore, true qualities that make Canadians would be that they were born in Canada, have descended from Canadians, or have become a Canadian citizen. Though I only brought attention to these three, I am sure that there are other characteristics.
Responding to Ajay’s first comment. I apologize for saying that I disagree with you when you stated that the “first and foremost characteristic of a Canadian is living in Canada.” I find your statement incorrect due to the fact that U.S. citizens could be living in Canada, but they would not be considered Canadian.
Characteristics that make up a Canadian are anyone who lives in or was born and continues to live in Canada. Canadians have a sense of loyalty to Britain, but come from many places. A lot of Canadians are also from France. They follow French and British customs and speak French and English.
@Rick: I agree with your statement that although we make sterotypes about Canadians many of these are not true. Canadians can say "eh," but they do not have to. When we make generalizations about Canadians they can hut our relationship with Canada and the way we see their country.
@Lauren: I have to disagree with you on your point that a US citizen living in Canada would not be a Canadian. What if they were applying for citizenship? I think that thy would be considered a Canadian by then if they had been living there for a while and applying for citizenship. True if you just moved to Canada you are not considered a "Canadian," but I do think that after a while people would start to see you as a Canadian. That is only if you have lived there a while.
Responding to Frank’s first comment. I am sorry but I have to disagree with your statement which says “Canadians must also live in Canada to be considered Canadian.” For instance, if I was born in Vancouver (making me a legal Canadian citizen) and then I moved to the United States to live, I would still be Canadian though I would not be living in Canada.
some characteristics that make up a canadian is people who were born in or live in Canada for a cirtian number of years. also many canadians have a lot of national pride. there is a large french and english population there. they speak maly english, and some french.
rachel -
i completely agree with everything you said. becasue what makes a person be a canadian citizen is if they have lived there or born there (as i said in myu post). i would also like to add that they support great britain becasue they are ruled by the queen.
In response to Brandon, I agree with you about the origins an the language of the native canadian
A canadian is someone who lives in Canada and must be legal citizens of Canada. A canadian usually either speechs French or English, the 2 predominant languages of Canada. The cultures can be very different depending on, for example, where the person is from, ancestry, and many other things.
@ Frank:
A canadian doesn't have to speech English or French but it probably helps considering those 2 languses are what most of the canadians speech.
@ Priya:
Nice stereotypes there pretty good/funny!!
@Frank: Again I disagree with you. If I saw an Asian for the first time in my life, I wouldn't be able to distinguish whether they were Chinese, Japanese, or Swiss Cheese. Well.. I would be able to determine who wasn't Swiss Cheese... But! -my point is: I wouldn't be able to conclude who was what. And if I guess wrong, I would certainly be critized for being judgemental, and possibly prejudice? As for skin tones; everyone's different.
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