Originally posted by kobayashi:
no, not at all. it's a compliment, imo, to canada's international reputation.
i was just wondering.
Yeah, I think you can take it as a compliment. Canadians are well-liked and if there are people that want to pretend to be one of you, then it speaks well of your reputation.
But to return to your original question, kobayashi. What does the typical American think of Canadians? Here's what I have found to be usual responses...
1. Cold (Ice, snow, north, etc)
2. Hockey
3. Beer
4. "Eh"
5. Quebec
Like you said, a lack of exposure to all things Canadian probably contributes to that. But it's no different for Americans. When I go overseas and talk to people about their perceptions of what life in the States is like, often I find that their ideas are based on what they've seen on movies or TV. And as we all know, that's not always (if ever) an accurate representation of "real life America" just as the impressions we receive of Canadians through the mass media are lacking. Wouldn't you agree?
Finally, I think that Canadians could go a long way by not constantly comparing themselves to Americans. Last night I was thinking about what I said earlier in this thread about an "inferiority complex." And I came to the conclusion that the reason it looks like Canadians have one is because sometimes they seem to measure their national identity by how they are UNLIKE Americans. Wouldn't it be much better to just forget about the U.S. and be proud Canadians on the basis of "this is what Canada stands for and is all about" rather than "Thank God I am Canadian, because we are so not like Americans"? Nine times out of ten, when I get into this discussion with my Canadian counterparts, the "good stuff" about being Canadian sounds more like "this is why Canada is BETTER THAN the States." Like there is something to be proved. I don't quite understand why Canadians have to prove their superiority by downing the States because imho Canada has a lot going for it solely on the basis of its merit alone. I like Canadians. I have found them to be kind and generous people, intelligent and knowledgeable about the world around them, and generally fun to be around. I like Canada. I have found it to be a beautiful country with its own character and quirks and sense of community.
So, I dunno. Be proud of your Canadian-ness. And we'll be proud of our American-ness. I see nothing wrong with celebrating both the similarities and the differences. It's not a crime if there are aspects of our cultures that intermesh. It doesn't mean we're taking over your country any more than it means you're taking over ours. We can share, right? After all, we can share a big continent like North America and not invade each other.
That's my $.02 (CAD)
-sula
As far as my schooling goes, I recall doing only one unit on Canada in school - and that was in the 5th grade. 
