Canadians, doesn't this bother you?

Question

My fellow canadians, are you bothered by the fact that you can't go anywhere without people think you're from the States? I was in England a couple years ago, and people kept asking me if I was from the US. And my brother just came back from Australia, and things were the same way over there. Does it bother you, or are you alright with it?

Answer 1

It hasn't happened to me before, but it would be annoying if it did.

Answer 2

Do they think that you are from the States or that you are from America? It is different. I once told a girl I knew very well she was CAnadian that being from America it is normal that she doesn't know European geography so well, and she was pissed off because she thought I was confusing that she was from the US. But when I said America, I meant like America the continent, as oppose to Europe or Asia. Canada is in America, right?

Answer 3

It doesn't bother me, it's just that we sound similar so it's not their fault you know.

I mean people think that Canadians have accents, well not really. Like if you go to Toronto or the GTA lets say, the way people talk sounds similar to like the way people talk on the news, or on sports, or anything like that in the States so it only makes sense that people would think we are Americans because of our accents. Then there are others have do have Canadian accents so I guess it would be annoying after a while but It doesnt really bother me

Answer 4

Actually I must confess I asked a pair of young Canadians what

part of America they were from, and they told me politely they were from Canada, but it didn't seem to bother them that I had confused

them for Americans. Given that Canada is 141 years old, has a flag of

her own (Australians take note) and so on, there should be enough confidence for the travelling Canadian citizen to politely tell foreigners where it is they come from. Perhaps sew a Maple leaf flag on your

backpack, unlike us, they won't ask what part of Britain you're from.  

Answer 5

Relax!

Im Australian and i adore Canadians, you have to admit though, whether or not you agree you have an accent, it does sound very similar to the American's accent. That being said i can sort of differentiate between to two (only a bit) because my family are french canadians & i have a Canadian friend.

I wouldn't get so huffy over it though, you just politely correct them. No harm in that is there?  

Answer 6

I got mistaken for an American once - in the Cotswolds. A mention of our long flight from Calgary turned us from what started out as a cool but polite reception to something akin to a homecoming party. (A mention of Calgary in Utah got me a "What state is that in?" question.)

I have done a lot of travelling and often, if only momentarily, get taken for an American. If you don't handle this with a smile, and with tact and diplomacy, you will risk being taken for an American palming themselves off as a Canadian.

It's the Canadian way to be alright with it. It opens the door to talking about our Country. And we get there without coming across as aggressive, or pushy or whatever words are applied to some of our southern neighbours.

Besides, some of us do it too. I have heard some Canadians call South Africans British and call Austrailians British. I travel a lot and usually recognize accents but I have to admit to not recognizing a New Zealand accent and often mistake it as Australian. It is not intended as an insult or a put down. It is a mistake and does not require any reaction over a friendly correction.

When life hands you a lemon (calls you an American) make lemonade (score points diplomatically for Canada). :o)

Answer 7

I hate that!!!

Answer 8

It does not bother me, but I do politely correct their mistake.  For example "What part of the US are you from?"  I luagh and say "The Canadian part".  The asked usually says something to the effect of "Oh I love Canada.  My sister/brother/cousin lives there".  This polite and fun conversation goes on for a little while and usually ends in me making a new friend, or geting invited to a family BBQ.  You probably think I'm kidding, but I'm not.

If I am in a situation where I am at risk for people assuming I am American and treating me poorly because of it, I find some way to weave my Canadian-ism into the conversation as a preventative measure.  It's safe to say that all Canadians who travel extensively know exactly what I'm talking about.

A few years back, an enterprising individual starting selling "Going Canadian" kits for US travellers.  I almost fell off my chair when I read about this in a travel magazine: http://www.washtimes.com/news/2004/dec/0...

I guess imitation IS the sincerest form of flattery :)

Answer 9

mm

no 'cause i'm french Canadian and I have a wierd accent .....

Answer 10

I'm amused. not upset by it.

A gentle correction is the " Canadian way  " to set them straight, right ?

Jim B. Toronto,.

Answer 11

I have a collection of maple leaf pins just for travel.

[OK, so do some Americans but.....]

Answer 12

  Yes, it does bother me.  Our country has a better reputation than the U.S. and it is annoying to be thought american.  American people are ok, just the politicians suck and they treat Canada with little or no respect.

Answer 13

Just politely tell them you're from canada.I'm an american but I was curious to see what the question was about, so sorry for answering it anyways. I can relate to it to some extent because I am from upstate NY, and when I told people overseas that I was from NY they assumed that I was from New York City, not New York State... They even call all people from america Yankees, at least in the part of Ireland I was in. I didn't hold it against them at all, and I certainly don't hold it against New Yorkers. I just think that they sometimes don't realize that other places over here exist other than big citys, they probably only know like Toronto Vancouver and Montreal as far as canada goes. It's not their fault they don't know, I'm sure plenty of people in america and canada both can't tell the difference between russian people and other eastern europeans for example, or might not be able to tell the difference of somebody from Kenya and somebody from Somalia or Ethiopia unless they told you. I guess it's too bad that people don't just simply ask "where are you from?"  

Answer 14

It shouldn't, because you, unlike I, can tell them that no, you're a Canadian, and they will no longer hate you.