This post won't be very characteristic of me, and may not even get published but I feel like typing it out anyway. The important thing to remember is that I am pmsing and in the middle of midterms and this is not aimed AT anyone, it's just an observation. PMS always makes me a bit homesick because my horomones are out of whack and it makes me less tolerant of things that wouldn't normally bug me. Today I've hit a wall on American Nationalism. I am tired of the narrow view that no one else (namely Canada) had any impact on world events. This approach doesn't surprise me and in a lot of ways I understand it. The US has a lot of history to cover without getting into what other countries were doing but I guess I'm feeling a bit homesick and I'm missing the broad inclusive approach that my courses at Laurier usually take. At home I do "North American Studies" which incorporates BOTH Canada and the US (and Mexico when applicable). Here it's ONLY about the US. And Britain, Russia, France and China but no reference is made to Canada at all. Even the Quebec Conference during World War 2. If you listen to my prof or read the text book Prime Minister WLM King wasn't even there. No wonder Americans don't have any awareness of Canadian involvement on the world stage. They aren't TAUGHT it.
The other thing I'm getting sick of hearing about is "states rights". Canada has this too but it's not fought as bitterly as it is down here. Half the cases we are studying in the Supreme Court (for my Constitutional History course) are about who has the most power, the individual states or the federal government, and it's exhausting...and we're only JUST hitting the Civil War. I don't know if it will get better!
Anyway, I'm looking forward to my trip to Europe because I will be visiting monuments and sites dedicated to remembering the CANADIAN contribution to the wars. I'm looking forward to that if only because I feel like my Canadian pride is being battered here in the face of so much American patriotism. I need to get past these midterms and start writing my essay on the burning of Washington. That should bring it back :D
2 comments:
LOL - you have every right to fuss. Americans are often greedy and self centered. Not as a whole, but the closer you move into politics, the worse it gets. I tend to surround myself with the generous, lovely sort of Americans. :)And you are correct, we are not taught anything about Canada. Side note: I was born in Europe, but I was educated here. Thankfully, I became a lifetime learner and history is one of my favorite subjects. It's amazing what we are NOT taught in school.
Oh Miss Heidi....and you're studying in the heart of it all. It is indeed a beautiful thing that once you've reached your near breaking point (because I'm thinking there is more to come?), you'll head off to Europe and indeed get more of that Global perspective. Hang in there...and don't hesitate to reach for the chocolate! (it won't help with the ethnocentric aspect of your courses, but it might help ease the PMS woes).
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