Why I Am Canadian Essay

What does it mean to be Canadian? Many people, from our politicians to our greatest literary masters have pondered this question. The answer will likely vary from person to person, however in my opinion, being a Canadian means having the freedom to be who you are without fear. We are not a country torn by war, we have freedom of religion and a diversity rate that equals no other with one out of every five Canadians being foreign born. In the past, being Canadian merely referred to living in Canada or having been born in Canada. Over time this definition has changed. We are a highly inclusive, peaceful nation and therefore have little to no strife with other countries. Being a Canadian also means being open minded and respectful. I am proud

Identity is a complex topic for Canadians. How can we define ourselves as a nation if individually we are all different? The country of Canada became united under one flag and one anthem in 1867. Today, separatists like Douglas Christie and Tom Best have a hard time connected with the anthem, our countries means of unity. In the documentary ‘Disunited Sates of Canada’ Douglas Christie speaks to the comparison of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ to ‘O Canada.’ He says that when he hears American’s sing there anthem he feels passion behind it and it leaves goosebumps under his skin. Yet, when he sings or hears the Canadian anthem he does not feel confident in his nation. This statement touches on an emotion felt by many Canadian citizens today, including myself.

Canada is a nation built on immigration, and as the world becomes an ever increasingly hostile place more and more have chosen to try and make Canada their home. This melting pot of different cultures has created an overall atmosphere of acceptance, and is teaching younger generations a sense of community, empathy, and togetherness. Sharing our space and learning to grow with different ethnicities has perpetuated our status as a friendly, caring, and loyal nation, that many are willing to risk everything for in exchange for becoming a part of it.

Canadian identity wasn’t always stereotypically related to polar bears, maple syrup and beavers. Various movements in the 20th century began the development of Canadian identity. Aspects of Canadian society such as technology, peacekeeping and immigration gave Canada a distinct identity. Technology distinguished Canada as a developed nation amongst others with advanced transportation, communication and electricity. Peacekeeping is also an essential part in Canada's identity as it displays effort and desire for world peace, which is something many individuals embrace. Lastly, diversity in Canada is recognized worldwide and plays a major role in Canadian identity. Through technology, peacekeeping and immigration during the 20th century, Canadian

Today marks an important day for all Canadians. British Canada has finally been united by the "Fathers of Confederation" and is now officially known as Canada. After almost a century, it is still hard to believe that Canada was once merely called the “British Colonies.” United, Canada has a sense of identification and much more vigor.

Second there is English Canadians who are the descendants of English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish settlers, soldiers and immigrants who came to Canada from the 17th to the 20th century. Generations of these pioneers helped to bring British political institutions and traditions to Canada” ("The government of Canada," n.d., para. 1). However there is a ton of diversity and different religions that has expanded across their region. In the last 200 years many travelled and arrived there (The government of Canada," n.d.).

It wouldn't matter if I was the in the richest part of the city or the poorest part, vagrants filled the streets. As I walked I thought to myself about the privileges that I had back in Canada. Being Canadian is a lot of things and is unique to each and every one. The moment that I felt truly Canadian is when I went to my home country, Sri Lanka. Being in a different country can show you a lot of the cultural differences.

Hockey is seen as a unifying strength that urges Canadian identity. For Canadians, hockey is not an ordinary sport but has now become a national winter sport of Canada (National Sports of Canada Act, 1994). In the commercial, hockey was used at multiple occasions such as parents dropping their children to hockey practice or everyone gathering together to watch the game. Hockey leaves an impact on Canadians to extent where it defines them. The game has a significant affiliation with the country that the logo of the maple leaf is stamped on many of the jerseys. All in all, hockey is sport that brings many Canadians together on many occasions whether it’s the Olympics, NHL games or World Cup of

Undoubtedly, one major component that represents Canada is the Canadian identity. Today, many would use certain words such as “diverse” and “bilingual.” However, before WWI, there wasn't much of a Canadian

The metro would be filled with a dozen different languages being spoken by members of a dozen different nationalities. My courses were with students of a dozen religions and hundreds of personal stories to tell.

What is Canada? What is a Canadian? Canada, to employ Voltaire's analogy, is nothing but “a few acres of snow.”. Of course, the philosopher spoke of New France, when he made that analogy. More recently, a former Prime Minister, Joe Clark, said that the country was nothing but a “community of communities”. Both these images have helped us, in one way or another, try to interpret what could define this country. On the other hand, a Canadian could be a beer, a hockey-playing beaver or even a canoe floating in a summer day's sunset. A Canadian could also be a “sovereigntyphobe”, refusing to see the liquefaction, albeit political, of the second largest country in the world.

Canadian and American cultural views were different which was proved because one is multicultural and the other is not. Canada was known as “mosaic” which means immigrants from any ethnic group were accepted here and were allowed to practice their religion. Therefore, they have a double identity ,meaning they are their ethnic group before a Canadian citizen as in Japanese-Canadian, Asian Canadian and so on . Whereas ,American culture was known as the “melting pot “, where they accept other cultures however they encouraged their citizens to give up their original culture ( Wells ,10 and 11 ). Canadian’s usually describe themselves as “NOT AMERICAN“(Wells,35) . Many Americans view Canada as a positive nation and as a better environment to live in then the United States . A legal sectary from Gastonia ,North Carolina said “Canada’s such a terrific place, I’d move there tomorrow if I could” (Wells, 35). This proves that Americans want to come to Canada since it is a safer environment due to it’s unique culture. Canadians are recognized as more modest, less aggressive and more down to earth then their southern neighbors (Wells,35).

There is a vast variety of characteristics that make up what “being Canadian” means. Due to Canada being quite diverse with our culture(post colonization days). We are more than just the stereotypes that other countries perceive us as, as well as how we see ourselves. In my instance of what it means to be canadian comes on a certain winter night, last year on the outdoor rink to play a friendly game of shinny.

Final Thoughts on Canadianness The videos and written pieces I watched and read, all offered their own idea of what it means to be Canadian. The perspectives range from of a First Nations Cheif, a Canada-born, white woman, an immigrant man from Barbados, as well a more humorous perspective from T.V. personalities and artists. I think the variety of perspectives speaks to the diversity of the people in Canada, and the different feeling toward Canada that accompany them. I Am a Native of North America, and, A Lament for Confederation, were an interesting look at the cultural conflicts between the First Nations and the European settlers.

Canada is one of two countries located in North America and is the second largest country in the world. It is situated just north of the United States and constitutes the northern part of the country, excluding Alaska. Over the years Canada's culture has been influenced by European culture and traditions, mainly that of the French and British. Canadian culture has also been influenced by the countries' first people, the Aboriginals, as well as the newer immigrated population (Wikipedia, 2007). Canada consists of ten provinces and three northern territories, almost all of which are "rich in land and natural resources" (Bailey, par. 2). Canada is often referred to as a mosaic community because there is such a wide variety