Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!ead From: ead@tmsoft.uucp (Elizabeth Doucette) Newsgroups: can.general Subject: Re: Canada: one or two cultures? Message-ID: <1989Jul24.220904.22318@tmsoft.uucp> Date: 24 Jul 89 22:09:04 GMT References: <615662921.9256@myrias.uucp> <568@UALTAVM.BITNET> <604@philmtl.philips.ca> <89Jul19.104948edt.18727@me.utoronto.ca> <609@philmtl.philips.ca> <1989Jul24.085326.28706@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> Reply-To: ead@tmsoft.UUCP (Elizabeth Doucette) Followup-To: can.general Distribution: can Organization: EAD MoneyHealth Inc, Toronto, Canada Lines: 71 In article <1989Jul24.085326.28706@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> elf@dgp.toronto.edu (Eugene Fiume) writes: >In article <609@philmtl.philips.ca> tremblay@philmtl.philips.ca (Michel J. Tremblay) writes: >> >>I dont know how you can talk about 'our (canadian) culture' without using >>plurial. Canada like many other countries (Swiss, Belgium...) do not have a >>true culture but is composed of a many cultures. ... > >I'm not sure what any of you people mean by "culture", but any way you >slice it, the Swiss and Belgians have distinctive ethno-social traditions >(call them "cultures" if you want). There are lots of them, granted. But a >Swiss-German is not a German, and a Swiss French is not French. Swiss >Italians are a slightly different story, but in any case, it is inaccurate >to think that this thing called "culture" can be grouped by linguistic >equivalence classes. Sometimes language is used to partition different >groups (as in the many dialects spoken in Italy, for example), but I don't >believe it is the first cause. Just look at the different sets of values >that a vanilla "big-city" Canadian has from a vanilla "small-town" >Canadian. Language is an over-rated cultural factor. > >I don't believe distinctive "cultures" are possible in young countries, at >least not like the cultures that have developed elsewhere over many >centuries. I consider this a blessing. There are seedier sides to >maintaining one's "culture", such as xenophobia. A "culture" is just >a big club, which reminds me of the Groucho Marx quip (-: . >-------- >-- >Eugene Fiume >Dynamic Graphics Project >University of Toronto >elf@dgp.toronto.edu I have not been following this discussion very carefully. My father's people are from Gaspe, P.Q., New Brunswick and France. There is also Native Indian in our blood. My mother's people are from New Brunswick, Ireland and England (Ireland - mom's great grandparents, England her mother). I am proud of being an Acadian. I prefer my French, Irish and Indian ancestry. But I am Canadian first. I am sick and tired of all this belly aching about cultures. If someone doesn't want to be a Canadian or they are not proud to be a Canadian, then go back to the country they came from. I realize that it is not that simple. But I am sick and tired of all the complaining. I went to Europe for the first time 2.5 years ago. I came home realizing how lucky we were in Canada. While not perfect, we have cleaner air, a good standard of living, and people who are often quite thoughtful. I reacted the same after being in England (although I really liked Scotland) and Trinidad & Tobago. We are lucky to be Canadians. But do you realize that my neighbour's children know the American national anthem better than the Canadian because of the T.V. they watch? How many people are really proud to be Canadians? Canada is a multi-cultural country. There should be French, English, Ukrainian, etc. schools where there is a need. But we are still Canadian first. I do not think that all government services should be French/English bilingual, and I prefer my French ancestry. There are not French speaking people everywhere. Just because they might visit that place, so what! What do they do in England? I like going to Amsterdam, for example and learning a few words in Dutch. I like going to Western Canada (or some of my friends in Toronto) and learning a few words in other languages. But English is the international language. I am not married to English. I don't care if someone invents a language and the whole world adopts it. But at the moment, English is used most frequently in North America and parts of Europe and other parts of the world. If you don't like Canada, leave. I'm all for trying to make a country better. I always try to be a better person. But it is necessary to appreciate what you have, first.