1:1 – An Introduction
by VictoriaWoo
Hi everyone! My name is Victoria and I am currently in the midst of completing my third year at UBC while studying English literature. I was born and raised in the city of Surrey— a place many of you are surely familiar with, though probably for its high crime rate rather than for its vibrant multiculturalism. I am of mixed ethnicity (my father is Chinese while my mother is Polish/Irish), so I very much enjoy being able to experience a fusion of cultures, particularly for the food (I’m only half kidding).
Vegetarians/vegans beware. Cantonese styled crab aka mouth-watering goodness.
A personal philosophy I subscribe to is one of admitting and accepting ignorance in order to truly gain critical insights into an issue, and so I will admit that I have only taken one Canadian literature course prior to enrolling in English 407 with all of you. I will also admit that I was unaware of much of Canada’s colonial history throughout high school and even into my first year at UBC, despite being fairly educated by then. Perhaps other Canadian citizens, like myself, have also been plagued by this same kind of ignorance; I have to wonder, then, if some of the widely idealized perceptions of Canada (just listen to the Americans promising to flee here if Donald Trump is elected) exist, at least in part, because atrocities concerning our Indigenous population (both past and contemporary) continue to be swept under the rug or denied altogether.
As outlined by Professor Erika Paterson, English 407 is a course which aims to help students “recognize colonizing narratives and representations.” As a literature major, my main focus in this course is to eventually “be able to discuss, research, and write about the intersections and departures between literature and story,” all while fostering compassionate sensibilities as I delve deeper into our country’s controversial past (Paterson). I am ultimately hopeful for an eye-opening introduction to Indigenous discourse.
I look forward to becoming better acquainted with you all!
Works Cited
D’entremont, Deidre. “Seeking Justice for Canada’s 500 Missing Native Women.” The International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People. Cultural Survival., Fall 2004. Web. 12 May 2016.
O’Keefe, Derrick. “Harper in Denial at G20: Canada has ‘no history of Colonialism.'” Rabble. N.p., 28 Sept. 2009. Web. 12 May 2016.
Paterson, Erika. “Welcome.” ENGL 470A Canadian Studies Canadian Literary Genres May 2016. N.p., 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 12 May 2016.
Hi Victoria 🙂
I never considered before that Canada’s friendly and welcoming reputation is a by-product of sweeping our history under the rug. That’s such a good (and sad) point.
Most of the information I see everyday about Canada comes from my Facebook feed. Sometimes (mostly because of Facebook) I have to wonder if us Canadians are as great as well tell ourselves and each other. Like, why is my 70 year old grandfather allowed to have a Facebook account if all he does is share ridiculous, inaccurate posts that call Syrian refugees “terrorists” and Trump a “hero who tells it like it is”? Never have I wanted to punch an old man more.
I think where I’m going with this is that I’m really looking forward to being responsibly educated about Canada’s history – rather than listening to the opinions of any tool with an internet connection.
Hi Laura 🙂
Thanks for your comment! I definitely agree that media outlets are over-saturated with the notion of Canadian niceness. Like you said, maybe Canadian niceness is a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy— since it’s purported so often, we all feel the need to be extra nice?
Although it’s certainly not a bad stereotype (and I’d much rather be known for niceness than rudeness), I have to wonder if this depiction of Canadian identity somehow takes away from how multifaceted it may actually be. I’m not sure how exactly to define Canadian identity in so many words, but I think that’s a testament to how elusive and and complex it really is.
Hi Victoria!
Great blog post. Like you, I have only taken one other class on Canadian studies. During my semester in the class we learnt about what makes Canadians who we are. After a lively class discussion on a topic it became obvious that most students in the class (Canadian or otherwise), had almost zero knowledge of our countries history – but instead had more knowledge of AMERICAN history. I found this really interesting. It is almost as though the education system is deeming our history as unimportant. The result of that is sending the message that the Aboriginal individuals who helped shape Canada are irrelevant.
Canada likes to be known as multicultural and diverse (as we can see in Vancouver!), but in my previous class, when asked “what are characteristics of Canadian identity?”, responses included hockey, beer and saying “sorry”, not what a culturally and historically diverse country we are. Thank you for your thought provoking post and I look forward to reading your posts in the future!
Alanna
Hi Alanna 🙂
Thanks for your comment! I definitely agree with you that oftentimes the average Canadian (sadly) has more knowledge about American history than they do of their own. I remember being in fourth grade and for social studies we were to reconstruct a First Nations longhouse using wooden boxes. There was no context provided (though maybe any kind of context would be too horrific for elementary school), so I just blindly went about recreating it with no thought of its significance or anything. Although I will remember this experience for time to come, it’s pretty sad to think that I held on to such an idealized and narrow perspective of Indigenous people/culture for so long. In a sense, I think both stereotypes of Canadian identity and of First Nations identity are narrow and ignorant. Canadians are not simply just people who enjoy hockey, and similarly, First Nations are not simply just people who dwell in longhouses… despite what we might otherwise be lead to believe.
Hey Victoria! Thanks for a great introduction. I, too, am a mixed race Canadian. I think this identity has had an effect upon how I navigate my own Canadian experience. My identity as a Canadian is complementary to another nationality: Panamanian. This intersection of cultures can be both exciting and confusing, somewhat a reflection of this young nation’s identity! I wanted to comment on your observation of Surrey’s “vibrant multiculturalism.” Many Canadians preserve connections to another place, while simultaneously committing to a Canadian identity. Within Vancouver, I have loved the opportunity to experience other cultures and customs (especially the food!) of so many peoples and places. I feel as though this dedication to both multiculturalism and nationalistic identity is a quality unique to Canadians. This idea calls upon the mosaic vs. melting pot analogy. Canadians celebrate a ‘mosaic’ of cultures, traditions, and ethnicity, while still retaining, overall, a strong Canadian identity. The melting pot is more reflective of American society, where cultures intersect and assimilate into a common culture.
Hi Sanae 🙂
Thanks for your comment! You’ve articulated my thoughts about Canadian identity better than I’ve ever been able to. I too agree that Canadian identity rests upon a balance between multiculturalism and nationalistic identity; as a former professor of mine once said, Canadian identity encourages each of us to be “uniquely Canadian,” in that we are encouraged to retain our cultural roots (multiculturalism), yet simultaneously embrace cultural practices/beliefs specific to Canada (nationalism). If you haven’t read it already, Neil Bissoondath’s “Selling Illusions: The Cult of Multiculturalism in Canada,” explores your comment on America’s melting pot ideology versus Canada’s system of multiculturalism in greater depth. The author essentially argues that Canada should adopt a melting pot system rather than keep with multiculturalism because the latter segregates minorities even further by “othering” them. Would love to hear your thoughts about this.