More on being Multicultural
I don’t want Finns to take too much offence, but I think you’re a bit snobbish in your world view.
Yes, Finland is a great place to live, great education, social structure, communications, transportation and what ever else I am forgetting. But your mindset towards “foreigners” really gets to me.
I come from Canada, I am a Finnish-Canadian, my parents were born and raised there. I am a mixture of both cultures.
Finns are highly educated, smart, practical people, they frequently go on student exchanges and visit with people from other cultures.
But for some reason a lot of Finns just use a very broad brush stroke and just label and categorize people in a way that has my job dropping to the floor.
It's not with cruel intent, it's not to be malicious or that they really think they are better than people from other countries. It's just how it comes across. This is not just individuals. I've seen this behavior on the News all over the media and about how people I meet talk about foreigners and immigrants.
I have the dubious honor of being both a Finn and also a foreigner. I can see it. I just don't understand the mass blindness.
For people that are so enlightened about most things I just can't understand that they can just be so... stereotyping.
So when I get called a “yank” or an American, I get a little insulted. I am Canadian, you can call me a Canuck but that’s a really outdated term. For people so educated I am astounded at the lack of consideration. Saying Canada should be shoved in with the USA is just… well insulting to me.
It would be like me saying “Oh you Europeans,” or “Scandinavians” and yeah I am aware how Finns can get outraged at the latter. Oh or better yet I will call you a Swede. Because hey you are neighbors, share the same culture and viewpoints right? Oh they might take offence!
I can get being called American, since Canada is in NORTH AMERICA, however when that American is meant to mean the United States of America, I get rather annoyed.
I have lived in the USA, but I have lived far longer in Canada, I was born and raised there.
I am very aware of the differences between the USA and Canada.
It may sound trite but it is exactly as we learned in school. USA = cultural melting pot and Canada = cultural mosaic.
What does that mean? Well if you want to be an AMERICAN (USA) then you need assimilate to the culture and have your own native culture take a back seat. So-called native born Americans dislike immigrants. Generally, though it is a bit broad, after all US is made of immigrants so they are more tolerant than other countries.
Now Canada, lets you keep your culture. It expects you to glory in it and share in it. And just come together as Canadians being from around the world. There are some 3rd generation families or more that don’t call themselves Canadians they call themselves their native ethnicity. However, the second you take them out of Canada? Then they are Canadian.
Canada is pretty much the MOST successful country is realizing cultural diversity. How many countries are you comfortable living in where you feel you can wear your native dress? Speak your language, practice your own religion? (Of course there is hate, and it is not perfect but a large portion of it has been successful)
All Canada asks is that you accept others, tolerate them as well and to maybe, just maybe learn the English language so others can understand you. *You need to know a little to be able to pass the citizenship test!
Here is a quote that at first I thought was ridiculous, but latter on realized the truth of it.
Excuse me but I can’t recall the exact quote, but here is the gist:
“How’d you know she was Canadian?” “She was nice for no reason.”
I am not saying Canada is perfect, but it is a lot more accepting of people from other cultures and ethnicities. More aware. You have to be to live in Canada. Sure you have the stereotypes, biases and bigotry. But in the end most people end up learning about other cultures if not consciously, just by osmosis.
And yeah, Canada has a lot of stuff to work on, health care, education, communication etc etc. But at least we don’t put our noses in the air when we meet a foreigner.
Of course I should add that my sensitivity to all this is probably brought on by having lived in Canada for so long. We become very, very aware of others and about preconceive notions.
Sorry about the semi-rant but I don't like seeing this behavior.
And no, it wasn't directed at me.
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Well Canada does get its rude share of people too, but yeah you rarely see the rudeness towards different cultures.
ReplyDeleteAnd I hate being called American too, though it rarely happens and only happens online for me =P
Though it kind of bugs me that people from USA are called Americans despite the fact everyone in North and South America also live in America.
I kind of see what you mean, but it doesn't really irk me. Not everyone is going to know the difference between Canada and the USA, in the same way that most people don't know the difference between China, Malaysia and Singapore. It's just "Asia" to most people. And as long as it's innocent ignorance as opposed to snobbery or deliberate rudeness, I don't have a problem explaining the differences.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I wanted to add that I like your blog and that I may have borrowed the basic concept for my own (http://prettierthings.wordpress.com/). Heh heh. I really just wanted to get back to writing.
Thats some serious ranting you have going haha...
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure there are going to be their shares of self absorbed and slighty "ignorant" bunch in every country. Being in Canada and Toronto in particular you be less likely to run into that consider it is one of the most multicultural cities you could ever be in.
I dont believe it s much to do with where you are living now, its more to do with your family background as how you were brought up.
Here is a little story I find rather amusing about my aunt. He was born in China lived in Hong Kong and married to my uncle whom was also from Hong Kong. They immigrated to Canada about 8 years ago and every so often I would go visit her. Since I dont drive she would come to the subway station to pick up me everytime, and she would tell me everytime that how it would be better for me to go visit her uptown rather than her coming downtown because she never learnt the way despite being there for 8 years!
So I asked her one day, why dont u just try to follow the road signs, they are very simple instructions, and she would answer me that she didnt know how to read it. Being in Canada for 8 years and never attempted to learn the countries official language makes me turn my head. As most of you would know, some cities in Toronto like Scarbourgh and Markham are filled with Chinese people. You dont feel like you are in Canada anymore, it feels like I am in the new china town whenever I go visit.
There was this one other time when there was problem with the Dairy products in China ( I dont know how well it was advertised outside of China ) but you probably would have heard a bit about it before. My aunt suddenly asked us this question "Isnt the news on the issues with medicines and meat products in the states and Canada worst " ( something on those lines ). The problem with dairy products in China was because people there deliberately add in extra substances to past test and make more money, the problem they had in Canada and US were accidents, and this never seem to have crossed her mind.
The point I am trying to point out is that, how you were raised really influence on how you think and what you believe in, to the extent where logic is only right on what you want to worship. I believe this is one of the reasons why single culture people tend to be more ignorant, because they never learnt to look at things from multiple viewpoints.
I makes sense for people to stick to people within their same culture but from time to times it wouldnt be a bad idea to open yourself up, but its very surprising to see how some people are just so contented to move into someone elses community and take it over instead of fitting in, like some sort of pest with an invasive nature, Chinese people in particular are like that. It funny how I admit I am chinese but when I am asked where I am from or what nationality I am I would alwasy say Canada.
Having only lived in Hong Kong and Toronto for extended periods of my life, I was blessed to be living in 2 rather multicultural cities ( despite it gettin worst in Hong Kong now after the hangover). Even so I could still see plenty of snobbery in these places.
and wow I was only goign to type a few sentences, it became a pretty long post!