I know that apparently, some American travelers put Canadian flags on their luggage or carry on then claiming they’re from Canada (the dead giveaway on debunking this is their passport, since how can you be “Canadian” when you have US citizenship unless you’re a dual citizen in possession of both nationalities) since some of them have hatred towards the US or feel ashamed of the country due to its internal affairs.
Yes, I have several friends who did it even 20 years ago
They weren’t fully trying to represent legally that they were Canadian or hate the country. But backpacking / doing hostels across Europe they generally did get treated better and didn’t have to get into arguments about US policy and things. Especially once the Iraq war and stuff got into full swing
People were doing it 50 years ago too.
If someone asks where you’re from, why not just say something witty like, “From the states. But don’t let that fool you; I’m actually a very nice person.” If you really want to be friendly and cordial with the people of a country you’re visiting, maybe don’t start by lying to their faces.
My American wife has been living in Australia for over a decade and since trump’s second term has started telling anyone who asks that she’s from South Canada.
Yes. I did it. Mainly in response to invasive questions from dodgy people. I had a fake name, a back story about where my family lived, etc.
After 9/11 and then the global war of terror, it was a prudent thing to have on dial. Never wrote clothes or put Canadian stuff on my bags.
I’ve always said that I would if I traveled, but I never travel, so…
It absolutely used to be. Whether it still is, I can only assume.
But decades ago, there was a joke: “How can you tell if a tourist is American or Canadian? The Canadian only has ONE Canadian flag on their gear.” US folks did their best job of overdoing everything, and would plaster their stuff with maple leaves.
For many years, another sign of a Canadian was having an item from the Mountain Equipment Co-Op. Almost everyone travelling had a jacket, a backpack, or a container with the beloved MEC logo. Then MEC got turned into a shitty for-profit company held by American vulture capitalists, and now it means nothing.
So…yeah. At least historically, and probably now as well.
Yes, my ex’s family did this.
They were the kind of upper middle class who thinks they’re upper class types and considered it basic awareness when traveling internationally.
I could see it being a popular trope in the circle, just another chance to say, “Oh you didn’t know? You sweet summer child.”
They didn’t seem to have a great grasp on how many people were just too polite to point out how obviously full of it they were
This was definitely a thing back in the early 2000’s, after the US went on its global rampage against brown folks. It wasn’t safe to let people know you were from the US. It also had the unintended consequence of making Canadians look bad, due to the association with rude assholes putting Canadian flags all over their gear.
Only heard about this anecdotally, but it’s plausible that it would work. People who aren’t from North America often have trouble distinguishing at least some American accents (generally the more northern ones) from Canadian accents. Like, you won’t get away with it if you’re from Texas or Louisiana or some such, but if you talk like Dan Rather or David Sedaris you can pass for Canadian in most places that aren’t Canada.
Dan Rather or David Sedaris
That is quite the range.
I think that’s kind of my point - to us Europeans, those accents sound the same.
Oh, point taken! I just thought you did well to show the range.
Now I’m imagining The Santaland Diaries in Dan Rather’s voice.
I’m a New Yorker. Only American on a technicality.
I remember meeting some masquerading Americans during the Iraq war. These were backpackers in SE Asia.
You only show your passport at the border or maybe when you get a car or a hotel room. That leaves a lot of time to pretend being Canadian everywhere else.
That being said, I just saw a comedy bit where this was recommended to Americans. I think it’s more meme than happening IRL today.
american dad did an episode, where they pretended to be canadians just to fit in internaitonally.
There was also a Simpsons scene (from the George W. Bush administration) where Lisa did that.
Immediately followed by Homer making a scene about being an American
The idea is fairly old. I think the first time I heard it was the latter part of the Bush era? Someone told me secondhand about how having a Canadian flag on the backpack makes some airports friendlier. that’s also around when I started traveling internationally for work so it could have been around even earlier than that. I never knew any Americans who actually did it. I did work with a lot of Southerners and we all had distinctively American accents, so I don’t think we could have pulled it off. Maybe a Minnesotan could pass.
I do the opposite and pretend to be an American with a generic accent. Even Americans can’t tell.
Yeah I met an american in austria who told me he’d use the canadian excuse quite often, just to be sure.
I’d be ashamed to be Canadian too.
