Some people around me wonder if I feel Canadian or Dutch, after I got the status of permanent resident of Canada.
My Dutch is getting worse with the day, as I notice in the frequent phone calls and conversations with Dutch relatives. My oral (Canadian) English is getting better (or has become better) since 2000, but the accent is still there. In my first months, I remember that the accent was one of the obstacles that kept me away from accepting or returning phone calls. Obnoxious if you think about it: communication is a crucial part of human existance.
Do I feel both Canadian and Dutch then? No, not really and I think it’s offensive to call myself Canadian-Dutch. As I’m employed by a Canadian company, paying Canadian taxes and have become a PR, I might just as well call myself Canadian.
New question: do you think it’s important whether you feel Canadian or Dutch?
do you think it’s important whether you feel Canadian or Dutch?
Being called a foreigner (or immigrant) is pretty denigrating over here.
I agree, but that is answering another question, i.e. do you think it’s important whether others consider you Canadian or Dutch?
That’s not what I meant.
Arthur: Found your site while persuing another. “Do I feel both Canadian and Dutch then? No, not really and I think it’s offensive to call myself Canadian-Dutch. As I’m employed by a Canadian company, paying Canadian taxes and have become a PR, I might just as well call myself Canadian.”
This has to be the highest compliment an immigrant can pay to Canada. We have many Dutch friends here, who like you, work, pay taxes, and are PR, but refuse to acknowledge that Canada is home and prefer to be called Dutch-Canadian. It has always been my belief that if Canada is good enough that they become PR, than it should be good enough to allow yourself to be called Canadian. Because Canada is such a new country, all Canadians have ancestory from other countries, but we don’t single ourselves out as saying we are Irish Canadians or British Canadians.
Because Canada is such a new country, all Canadians have ancestory from other countries, but we don’t single ourselves out as saying we are Irish Canadians or British Canadians.
I agree: and calling yourself ‘Dutch Canadian’ or ‘whatever-region-on-the-world-you-were-born-or-came-from- Canadian’ just sounds plain silly :-).
i.e. do you think it’s important whether others consider you Canadian or Dutch?
No: not really, but I find that (more and more) the difference is that being a foreigner in Canada is (for some kind of reason) different than being a foreigner in the Netherlands: it’s hard to explain, but literally, I’ve only been judged on my merits and skills: I’ve never been judged on my ‘Dutch-ness’.