Canada
5
Living in Canada is hard to describe because we are often misunderstood. With experience living in both the USA and Canada, I can only say Americans especially are too quick to assume we are simply 'Not American' or 'America minus' this qualification or that qualification. Us, Canadians, spend alot of time differentiating ourselves from Americans, not because we necessarily hate Americans or we are 'jealous' but becuase we are often assumed to be the same when we are not - we are actually quite different, especially in our way of thinking and mentality.
Any American / Canadian who actually immigrates and lives rather than visits either country, would learn that there are key cultural distinctions. These are some US/CANADA distinctions I've noticed:
(1) Canadians tend to enjoy diverse cultural differences and encourage them. They tend to celebrate differing ethnicities and regard assimilation for immigrants as negative, especially in cities like Toronto/Montreal.
(2) Canadian culture is more European. French-Canadian culture makes us very different. Britian was also very influential. To complicate matters, cities like Toronto are rammed with Eastern-Europeans. Canada is generally much more European than American, especially in terms of taste. I have found it peculiar how I find it much easier to befriend Europeans over Americans.
(3) Americans like to discuss race alot. America has a bad history of slavery associated with African-Americans. The underground railway destination in Halifax is where you will find the largest group of African-Americans in Canada. Otherwise, most Canadians who would be defined by America as 'black' are often from the Caribbean. Whether Canadians/Americans are more racist than the other is up for debate, but in Canada, race is not a hot topic like in the USA. In fact, right or wrong, interethnic relations are not a big point of contention/discussion - they are treated as 'no big deal'.
(4) Canadians are not 'as capitalist' in their mentality. Canadians are more 'socialist' in their mentality. I think Canadians have more interest in experience over material goods and buying 'stuff'. Quality of life and helping out the poor are higher priorities, not necessarily just becuase of 'goodwill' but quality of life.
(5) Canadians are laid-back in their dealing with others. Canadians tend to be easy-going, to mind their own business, do their own thing and do not feel the need to get haughty about relations with other. I find Americans tend to view confrontation/aggression as 'tough' whereas many Canadians view 'acting un-phazed' by others makes you seem tougher. As a Canadian, in my perception, I have met many Americans who take very 'minor' incidents and make them into what would be percieved in Canada as a 'too big a deal'. A Canadian might say Americans seem to act 'too intense about everything'.
(6) Canadians are very 'laissez-faire' and care-free. I find Americans are very inclusive and open but only with certain people whether they are 'political-correct' leftists or conservative republicans or this group or that group - they hang with their own kind. Depending on the group, they can ostracize someone for making an ignorant, maybe racist comment or for an inappropriate joke. Canadians are more indifferent. They could care alot less if you have green-hair or are a 50-years old, listening to loud rap music everyday. Not becuase they are 'tolerant' as an American might say, but because people are really not conceptualized so simply as 'good guys' and 'bad guys'.
(6) In my opinion, Canadians tend to be more what might be viewed in the USA as counter-cultural. I only noticed this after spending time in the USA. While in America, Greenwich Village is a wild and crazy place with wackos everywhere. Growing up in Canada, I find that the place just seems pretty normal, maybe even conservative. In fact, mainstream American culture appears pretty traditional, conformist and conservative.
(7) Americans have no clue how many people/things they assume are American are actually Canadian. It was funny to watch the 2006 Oscars from New York becuase when Paul Haggis won Best Picture, no American could ever know that he was a Canadian who made the film under a Canadian production company (Lion's Gates Film). Or that Canadian David Cronenberg's History Of Violence, another high-rated movie, was very Canadian in it's origins and points of reflection. From Neil Young to American Apparel to Canadian Comedy (Tom Green, Jim Carrey, Dan Ackroyd) to Club Monaco to Four Seasons Hotels to writers like Malcolm Gladwell (Tipping Point, Blink!), Canada is in many places but rarely credited, but assumed to be American.
(8) Canada is a small country, population-wise, while American is extremely large. Americans sort of think Canadians are invisible, but the reality is with 30 Million people - Canada is smaller than one US state - California.
