The Cultural National Divide

[leahbobet]

Today I am writing my paper on why we should support Canadian Aboriginal languages. It is due Tuesday. This is why I'm not talking to anybody really today.

However, I did talk to a few people about said paper, and, because there's no faster way to get a Canadian to do something, one of my sideswipe supporting points is "if Canadians don't support that then they're not supporting multiculturalism and then we're *gasp!* acting like Americans with their Melting Pot."*

It is amazing how all the Canadians find this ruefully hilarious (and reminiscent of fifth grade history!) and all the Americans are getting pissed off. *g*


*Because no shit, this is how multiculturalism is taught in grade school to us. It is contrasted with the evil that is Americans. And if they're going to install a national-psychological button that's big and red and shiny, when I am writing persuasive papers meant to garner awareness and funding, I will use the hell out of it.**

**Yes, I am an evil propagandist.***

***I got to call people racists too.

Comments

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

No shit! The Melting Pot is *bad*?

But... but... we had a little song about it that used to be on TV when I was growing up!

[dsgood.livejournal.com]

What I find amusing is that so far as I can tell, Canada is as much a melting pot as the US in practice and the US is as multicultural as Canada in practice.

[shiroiko.livejournal.com]

Yes, the Americans and their "melting pot" take on other cultures does provoke knee-jerk responses by Canadians... but having lived in the US I'd say that it is the predominant take on how newcomers should be brought into American society.

This isn't to say that Canadians are completely innocent of this and should be self-righteous wankers towards all that is American (nor that all Americans believe this), but I can't pretend that the general want to have all new immigrants ditch their original culture and act just like every other American didn't bug me a hell of a lot when I was living in Florida.

[allochthon.livejournal.com]

...want to have all new immigrants ditch their original culture and act just like every other American...

Is this how most people define melting pot?

I was a bit lost in the discussion last night because my definition is not quite so ... white. But then, I've often found the definitions my education gave me vary *greatly* from the rest of the world/continent/country.