What is Your Cultural and National Heritage?

[Cock Throppled]

Wondering what kind of a UN we have among PERB members? I'm sure we have a very diverse cultural closs-section of society.

Me? I'm Caucasian of Italian/Russian and Dutch background.

 

[storm rider]

My parents immigrated from Great Britain(now not so great) in the late 1960's.I am the only child of my family born in Canada.

 

[sybian]

I am of Nordic genetics....which probably explains a few things to some around here.

 

[johnnydepth]

Well many people aren't willing to accept Canadian as a cultural or national heritage, so I guess I don't have one. If you say Canadian people say ok, but where was your family from? If I call myself native or aboriginal I offend people because I'm "Caucasian". I never really understood people that say they are Polish, or Italian, or whatever when they are 3rd or 4th generation Canadian. Why is it many people don't see Canadian as being a legitimate heritage? Is it because the land was stolen from the Aboriginals and we really shouldn't be here?

 

[Ms Erica Phoenix]

Well many people aren't willing to accept Canadian as a cultural or national heritage, so I guess I don't have one. If you say Canadian people say ok, but where was your family from? If I call myself native or aboriginal I offend people because I'm "Caucasian". I never really understood people that say they are Polish, or Italian, or whatever when they are 3rd or 4th generation Canadian. Why is it many people don't see Canadian as being a legitimate heritage? Is it because the land was stolen from the Aboriginals and we really shouldn't be here?

I would say that I'm Caucasian: my ethnic background is Irish/Scots/Scandinavian, but my cultural identity would be western Canadian. I was raised on CBC: not just Sesame Street & Mr Rogers, but Both of my parents were born here. Three of my four grandparents were born in Canada, and at least 3 of my great grandparents were too, in Ontario & Saskatchewan. I sing the anthem in English, but I can sing it in both where appropriate. I like fireworks on Halloween, I can name all the teams in the CFL, & I have a favourite flavor! ;D I think saying Canadian as your cultural heritage is perfectly acceptable: claiming "white" as your cultural heritage or identity is something else entirely. Saying you're proud to be Canadian is not the same as saying you're proud to be white.

 

[MissingOne]

Nordic genetics - culturally Canadian.

 

[Lo-ki]

****PERIOD****

 

[grizzly]

Well many people aren't willing to accept Canadian as a cultural or national heritage, so I guess I don't have one. If you say Canadian people say ok, but where was your family from? If I call myself native or aboriginal I offend people because I'm "Caucasian". I never really understood people that say they are Polish, or Italian, or whatever when they are 3rd or 4th generation Canadian. Why is it many people don't see Canadian as being a legitimate heritage? Is it because the land was stolen from the Aboriginals and we really shouldn't be here?

I figured this thread was going to go the way of political correctness (the buzzwords of today's society). I think the keyword in the title of this thread is "heritage". Being a 3rd generation Canadian, that is my culture. My heritage is western european but do observe some of the cultures of my ancestors.

 

[jgg]

Canadian. Since 1840, before then Ireland and Scotland.

 

[johnnydepth]

Canadian. Always been Canadian. Parents born on the run somewhere in Europe during WWII. Grandparents all gypsies. No family history before that.

 

[apl16]

I'm a white dude with a progressive Norse heritage...... having a bit of knowledge of my family's past...... I'm really a Western European mongrel.
There are bits of Spanish, French, English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Icelandic and who knows what else as the history of Europe is full of fighting and raping.......a big mixture!
Ancestors have been in Canada for about 300 years.

Yup. I'm a mongrel and proud of it ...lol

 

[Oldfart]

Grandparents on one side and great-great grandparents on the other side were all Northern European.

 

[ddcanz]

Canadian born with Caucasian features of paternally mostly Irish decent- with a little Cree mixed in after the emigration, and maternally English/Scot and more Blarney. My father was born in Alberta of an Irish father and 50% Cree mother- later to settle in the Kootenays and raised a cowboy. I was born in Vic while the Old Man was stationed at Naden. I consider myself a West Coaster all the way.
Lucky actually to be here at all.
Seems that when the "brothers" were collecting in Queenstown (now Cobh) in County Cork in 1912 to take the boat over, one was late and the others decided to wait. The Titanic sailed without them.

 

[nightswhisper]

Well many people aren't willing to accept Canadian as a cultural or national heritage, so I guess I don't have one. If you say Canadian people say ok, but where was your family from? If I call myself native or aboriginal I offend people because I'm "Caucasian". I never really understood people that say they are Polish, or Italian, or whatever when they are 3rd or 4th generation Canadian. Why is it many people don't see Canadian as being a legitimate heritage? Is it because the land was stolen from the Aboriginals and we really shouldn't be here?

Canada was largely colonial and therefore imported most of its culture from Europe. We don't really have any "Canadian traditions" that strongly originate in Canada, and therefore can't really ground a patriotic standing upon anything.

Americans are gaining their own genetic identity (Certain people really look -American-), while it will take us a little longer. Canadians don't really yet have a distinctive "Canadian look", facially speaking yet. But it will come soon.

 

[Horndog14]

Personally 3rd generation Vancouverite on my dad's side,
Mom was an 1930's Saskatchewan orphan whose roots are
unknown.
They doled out orphans like sacks of potatoes back
then when they rolled up to your house farm etc how many you
want? No records required. When she came out here with my father
it was a leap of faith on her behalf all communication with Sask when
she left at the age of 21 in 53 ceased to exist.

Makes me about as Canadian as one can get imho.

 

[sybian]

Canada was largely colonial and therefore imported most of its culture from Europe. We don't really have any "Canadian traditions" that strongly originate in Canada, and therefore can't really ground a patriotic standing upon anything.

Americans are gaining their own genetic identity (Certain people really look -American-), while it will take us a little longer. Canadians don't really yet have a distinctive "Canadian look", facially speaking yet. But it will come soon.

I agree with you somewhat...but we do have that hockey player look going on.
You know that hockey hair Dude, that straps on razor sharp blades to his feet, picks up a stick, and hopes he can keep all his front teeth to a flying half pound rubber projectile....or gets in a fight with his best friend or brother on the opposing team, then they go have beer afterwards.
You know, that toothless , mullet wearing dickhead, with a black eye, and just looking to be thrown in the drunk tank...There happens to be another look that happens in the battlefield that is strictly Canadian...they have a Farm kid look..both males and females.They have a reputation for adaptability under fire because unlike the Americans, they aren't wearing 30 thousand in equipment, ..I've met some US combat personnel that have said..."you can always tell a Canuck by the look in his eye, they know their reputation from the past, and everyone of them is steadfast in upholding it, and nobody wants to piss them off".....or something along those lines.
They say they can pick us out of a crowd....of course that might have something to do with our outdated equipment.

 

[carvesg]

Canada was largely colonial and therefore imported most of its culture from Europe. We don't really have any "Canadian traditions" that strongly originate in Canada, and therefore can't really ground a patriotic standing upon anything.

Americans are gaining their own genetic identity (Certain people really look -American-), while it will take us a little longer. Canadians don't really yet have a distinctive "Canadian look", facially speaking yet. But it will come soon.

I beg to differ . Being french canadian an outsider of sort out west I see more and more the difference between Canadians and Americans and or their European counter part in terms of taste , cultural views or political inclination or views . As for food that is where I see just a start in differentiating their taste from old Europe and America.

As for my ancestry I am from French decent from a young fellow who did the crossing from La Rochelle on the ship Le Passemoy which arrived in Quebec city in 1652 afterwards a mix of native ancestry and a bit of German from a mercenary arrived in 1776 hired by the British Crown to defend against or fight the American colonies. More native ancestry in the late 1800 was added in the family tree . So I look and feel Canadian even if I have been mistaken for Mediterranean looking at times or south american .

 

[masterblaster]

My ancestors were Irish/Scots and English. I saw an old picture of my maternal Grandfather at an Orange Lodge meeting. Back in his day it was a borderline racist organization, non-whites and non-Protestants need not apply.

 

[nightswhisper]

I beg to differ . Being french canadian an outsider of sort out west I see more and more the difference between Canadians and Americans and or their European counter part in terms of taste , cultural views or political inclination or views . As for food that is where I see just a start in differentiating their taste from old Europe and America.

As for my ancestry I am from French decent from a young fellow who did the crossing from La Rochelle on the ship Le Passemoy which arrived in Quebec city in 1652 afterwards a mix of native ancestry and a bit of German from a mercenary arrived in 1776 hired by the British Crown to defend against or fight the American colonies. More native ancestry in the late 1800 was added in the family tree . So I look and feel Canadian even if I have been mistaken for Mediterranean looking at times or south american .

Unless you can look at a majority of a population and can tell their genetic lineage, they do not yet have their own genetic identity.

Look at Scots - Longer faces, rounder head. One can with reasonable accuracy tell French people from Russians just by facial features.

If someone looks at you and guess you are Middle Eastern, then you are not yet genetically Canadian (nor am I. I'm an immigrant).

Note - You can still be culturally and nationally Canadian. We just don't have that unique look that says "Oh, he's Canadian for sure!" in our genetics yet.

 

[masterblaster]

Americans are gaining their own genetic identity (Certain people really look -American-)

Maybe the hillbillies in Deliverance but that's about it.