>>I was watching my favourite intellectual quiz show last week: "QI", and one of the questions was "What is the nationality of a person from the USA?". I kinda missed the answers. Now a lot of them would say "American" but that essentially refers to the continent; a Canadian could equally call himself "American" (as indeed could a Mexican, Bolivian or Chilean - "North" or "South" aren't included).
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>>So what is the nationality?
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>I can not answer that anymore.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6174986.stm>
>"Nation" is becoming blurry here in Canada to me at least. Now the people from the province of Quebec are calling themselves a Nation. Oddly enough, even if you're a Canadian Aboriginal, I suppose Native American would still apply?
I too have a problem with the "nation within (a nation) Canada" business and am still thinking it through.
But I want to point out that the people of the province of Quebec have been calling themselves "a nation" for a very long time now. I remember to this day, when I was on a golf trip with buddies from my former Quebec employer, turning the TV Radio Canada) on an a rain-out day and hearing the interviewee say (in French of course) "Well, I think it was very successful. We did, after all, have 3 different nations represented." to which the interviewer asked "Oh, very interesting. And what nations were those?". The interviewee promptly answered "US, Canada and Quebec."!!!!!
It has also been pointed out to me by my son that we have had, basically since Canada was formed, lots and lots of "nations within Canada", those being the nations of Native Americans. Our Constitution recognizes them as "nations" too.
I guess I was luckier than you when I lived in Quebec. I earned French when I was 2-3 years old and kids hat age aren't yet "informed" as regards prejudices. Back then I spoke like a native. In fact that's what got me successfully through high school < s >.
On the Other hand, when I came to Toronto all of my co-workers were sure that I was French. I gave up telling them otherwise.
cheers
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SNIP
