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I am an American who lived in Quebec for 5 years (relocated for my future wife prior to moving away). Talk about racism? Once a week we would go to the old port and walk the historic streets (St. Paul, etc.) One particular evening a Quebecois man in his 50's passed by us and as he stared me down, he mustered in French. "Americans, I hate them today!", and he spat in my face. So, just by my face he could tell I was American, walking with my Canadian wife, and he hated me for it.
This is just one example of hundreds of experiences that I have; absurdities that I would correlate with racism against non-Quebecois. I know some uni-lingual Anglos in Montreal, and they are all limited to minimum waged jobs like scrubbing toilets because they are basically useless in any real work place there. Hell, if you don't speak French, you are pretty much living in the dark ages in a third world country!
Oh my... so ridiculous.
What is it with troll-types and saliva - they seem to have a weird thing for that: "I was in city X and we were *spat* on for being X"...
What is it with troll-types and saliva - they seem to have a weird thing for that: "I was in city X and we were *spat* on for being X"...
Because I have two posts I am automatically a troll? The fact is, this is exactly what happened, and you are first on the bandwagon to bash me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Plantweed
• Let's put it this way: Quebecois are probably a hell of a lot nicer to Americans than vice versa.
• Quebecois not caring for Americans (or French) wouldn't technically be racism, more accurately it would xenophobia.
"Xeno": Greek root for "outsider", I know all about this as my wife is Greek. Let me say that I think I have experienced both sides and I'll give you an example.
Xenophobic non assimilated Greek mother of my wife: When we first met, she did not like me very much and had a typical predisposition to thinking Americans are all bonafide door knobs. Accepted me and attempted to learn about me although it took years to gain her trust, approval and acceptance.
That strage Quebecois man made a clear and racist comment against me, and was in no way afraid of me mentally nor physically. I saw the fury in his eyes.
I suppose that, as an extremely isolated incident, something like this is possible. Anything is possible of course.
But you referred to "hundreds" of experiences like this. This is why I and others won't take you seriously.
I think when you look at the situation, it becomes evident and believable that I have been discriminated hundreds of times. In 5 years, working at home most of that time, using public transit to meet my wife for lunch each day, constantly asking people to rephrase their comments to me in English in every scenario (because I don't know any French at all), placed me in a position to exploit every single person I ever dealt with that was Quebecois. Immigration was another issue, where they only accepted official documents in French. I was even detained at the border once, by a Quebecois who believed I was trying to sneak back in for illegal work.
So did I deserve it because I was not assimilating? Regardless, I always took the stance that I had a right to be served in English. Loved the city, food and ethnic diversity, but ultimately left because of core values I felt were being torn away.
Regardless, I always took the stance that I had a right to be served in English.
There's your problem. For services offered by the federal government, it is true that you have a right to be served in English. But everywhere else, in buses, stores, restaurants, provincial and municipal administrations, you have no more rights to be served in English than I have to be served in French in Ottawa, Calgary or Vancouver. You were lucky that most people are nice enough (and able to) to switch to English. I would not be able to get the equivalent services in French is most places outside of Quebec, and yet I don't consider ROCers to be racist or intolerant. They are just unilingual - which is sad, but understandable due to the lack of opportunities to practice, really.
Honestly, I don't understand why someone would move to Montreal and expect everyone, everywhere to talk English to them. I certainly would not expect people in Toronto to learn French and use it with me just because I decide to move there.
Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary aren't the equivalent to Montreal. Montreal is a bilingual city. Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary aren't. I agree with you that in Montreal, you shouldn't expect to be served in English, but you shouldn't expect to be served in French, either.
Toronto or Calgary aren't the equivalent to Montreal. Montreal is a bilingual city. Toronto and Calgary are not.
Montreal's (the region, not the city) population is about 16% English-speaking (according to Stats Can) - while it is indeed the most bilingual city in the country, it doesn't mean that in the other 84% of the population everyone speaks English to a functional level or even needs it in their every day life.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pdw
I agree with you that you shouldn't expect to be served in English, but you shouldn't expect to be served in French, either.
Well, I don't, that was my point. It's nice when it happens (and it does), but I don't demand it or even expect it.
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