This is a bit of an odd question, but it's stuck in my mind since last night. I was at the emergency room(another story all-together), and my nurse was Canadian. I got to talking to her a little bit, and she was shocked that I had actually been to Canada, and knew of cities other then Ottawa and Montreal.
My question would be - is this common? Is the general consensus that Americans don't know anything about Canada?
This is a bit of an odd question, but it's stuck in my mind since last night. I was at the emergency room(another story all-together), and my nurse was Canadian. I got to talking to her a little bit, and she was shocked that I had actually been to Canada, and knew of cities other then Ottawa and Montreal.
My question would be - is this common? Is the general consensus that Americans don't know anything about Canada?
I spent the entire summer in the States this year and yeah that's pretty accurate. They know the basics but that's about it (and that's even stretching it....this is the majority, not everybody). The ones I talked to in California never heard of places like Vancouver, etc.
There will always be times when you tell people you live in an igloo and they'll believe you. But I find 50% of Americans I meet aren't that bad. Actually, I'd go with 50% of non-Canadians. I've met a lot of people from around the world who are pretty danged confused, so I won't just say Americans.
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I suppose I'm not surprised. It's disappointing, though. I mean I know people who say they actually hate Canada, and when I ask why, there is no answer. It's not hard to see why the people of the US are looked down on.
Yeah, but there are a lot of people from Canada that don't know much about the US, except for the stuff they see on TV.
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I recall once when I lived in Winnipeg visiting Grand Forks, ND. My sister was going to UND so I would use her apartment during the summer. I was at the laudromat cleaning the linens we had used so I had a chance to have a nice long chat with the girl working there. She did not believe me that we did not live in igloos- year round. I tried to explain that Winnipeg was only 150 miles north, but she figured once you hit the border, the snow would fly year round.
So I really don't expect Americans to know much about us. Having said that, I do like to have fun with it. My personal favourite thing is to convince them that we are on Metric time up here; based on an April Fool's joke I saw in a newspaper years ago when Metric was still pretty new here.
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My sister is a special education teacher in Denver and has often commented how little Americans know of Canada. She blames it on the education system there.
I know quite a few Americans, and most of them, by and large, are knowledgeable enough about Canada and Canadians in general. They may not be able to recite every province, our national anthem, or know much about our history, but they also know that Canada isn't a frozen wasteland full of igloos, dogsleds and polar bears. Sure there's a few idiots out there, but they exist on this side of the border, too.
Unfortunately, too much of what we gather about each other comes from what we see on the news or in the movies.
To answer you quesiton though, I'd say yes. There's a lot about Canada that the US doesn't know about, or take into account about this country when they talk about it. As said by Dion, though, I think that can be blamed on your educational system.
Again, its always hit and miss. When I was in Queenston, ON several years ago I visit the Brock monument and I spoke with a couple from Texas who believed that the monument was erected in honour of the American General who conquered Canada in 1812.
This summer I spent a week in Sandpoint Idaho, my friend's dad went to get his hair cut and the Barber didnt even know what Canada was. She was born and raised in Sandpoint Idaho about 60-100Km south of Cranbrook BC and down the street from her work is a big sign that says CANADA. She had no clue.
Then again, I run into people around Calgary all the time who are from all over the States and they are the Polar Opposite, they are very knowledgeable, mostly because they travel for work.
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Yeah, but there are a lot of people from Canada that don't know much about the US, except for the stuff they see on TV.
I was thinking that mainstream TV had quite a bit to do with it. It seems that whenever there's a Canadian character(or an Asian character, or an Australian, etc etc) on a program, it's the stereotypes that are played up.
There are people, all the time, that are surprised when I say I love it up there, and am thinking of moving. They look at me like I'm either a traitor or an idiot.
I suppose I'm not surprised. It's disappointing, though. I mean I know people who say they actually hate Canada, and when I ask why, there is no answer. It's not hard to see why the people of the US are looked down on.
And likewise there are people up here that hate the US...for no reason at all. Hated them before Bush came into office, and will hate the US after he leaves.
I was at a poker night here in Sydney recently with some Minnesotan coworkers, and they spent a good amount of time complaining about other Americans, such as Californians, who have asked them such questions as 'Is Minnesota in the US' and 'do you use dog sleds'?
This surprised me because I was under the impression that Americans only asked these things about Canada.
Hmm.. Don't know if I should say this, but the truth is the truth...
I spent the year 2006 living in Rome, Italy, running a hostel and B&B. I met so many awesome people (aussies & irish are the shizz), but I was extremely disappointed with the yanks. Of the many, many that I met, the only one that knew that Montreal was a city and not our capital, I hired.
We ended up having many convos on his homeland ('The OC') and my homeland (the Great White North). After having met (literally) hundreds of americans, I was soooo surprised that not only could he place Toronto and Montreal on a map, he could name the other major cities.
Too bad I caught him nailing a broad in one of my vacant rooms. Had to fire him for that.
Again, its always hit and miss. When I was in Queenston, ON several years ago I visit the Brock monument and I spoke with a couple from Texas who believed that the monument was erected in honour of the American General who conquered Canada in 1812.
I hope you told them it was actually Canada which successfully invaded Washington D.C. and burned down the White House that year.
Yup, there are idiots everywhere. I've run into my share of Americans who think we travel on dog sleds, or if we're rich, snow mobiles. On the other hand, I know of a guy from Toronto who was supposed to show up for work in Calgary on a Monday morning. On Tuesday morning he phoned and said he be another day or two ... he thought Calgary was about a half hour west of Mississauga. I've also encountered a born and raised Calgarian who thought Strathmore was in Ontario. We all have idiots ... they're a given part of the human race.
I hope you told them it was actually Canada which successfully invaded Washington D.C. and burned down the White House that year.
Well it was actually 1814 when British forces (including Canadians) burned Washington, after the Americans burned Toronto (York). The year before British/Canadians also burned Buffalo, but in retaliation for the Americans burning Niagara Falls. Oh yeah, we also captured Detroit (for a little while at least).
A random question for my Canadian friends ...
