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Originally Posted by fatso
good point Cowboy89. I think Canada's historical narrative (not including First Nations people) is such that it's a collection of diverse peoples from elsewhere, as opposed to other nations that have a narrative of a people having always been there. Probably a somewhat artificial distinction...
I define myself as Canadian since I was born here and feel pretty indebted to how great the country is. But in my experience, when people ask you your 'background' they're really asking "you seem different or other, can you define that otherness for me?". Not saying it's always pejorative or even always the case, but 'background', imo, refers to one's presumed ancestral history. Answering in terms of that 'otherness' is usually just giving people what they want to hear, even if you yourself don't ultimately identify with it.
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That's also part and parcel of living in a relatively 'new country.' It's kinda like Calgary in a sense where a lot of people are new but in time future generations will forge a new common identity built upon shared experiences. When I'm an old man I don't expect to get drawn out by Green Riders fans at a Stamps game. Much like I don't expect celebrating in Toronto streets after an Italian World Cup victory in a few generations.