You are right that Canada and the U.S. are not the same, and I am sorry for implying that they are interchangeable. I meant to say, in this particular context, the kind of behavior I am complaining about is more likely to come from Americans and Canadians. Other native English speakers also to a lesser degree like to exercise their anglophone privilege, and either ignore the existence of ESL and EFL participants and lurkers, or exhibit more or less aggressive, xenophobic behavior.
It's interesting the way you contrast Canadian and U.S. American ideals regarding the melting pot. I don't think that the melting pot is as much a political ideal in the U.S. as it used to be. People are more able and willing to maintain and celebrate their own ethnic heritage, and respect the ethnic heritage of others, and I think most officials institutions are (at least on paper) committed to the fruit salad ideal.
But let's not discuss that right now (it's a fascinating subject, and I'd really like to get into it some other time). The idea of macro "ethnicities" may be more typical for Americans than for Canadians, but the fact of the matter is, I have witnessed North America-centrism that ignores and dismisses all LJ+clones users from outside North America, and, which is more usual from Canadians, all LJ+clones users who are not native English speakers.
To put it very bluntly: U.S. American xenophobes think the anglophone internet is only for Americans. Canadian xenophobes think the anglophone internet is only for Americans and the Common Wealth.
no subject
You are right that Canada and the U.S. are not the same, and I am sorry for implying that they are interchangeable. I meant to say, in this particular context, the kind of behavior I am complaining about is more likely to come from Americans and Canadians. Other native English speakers also to a lesser degree like to exercise their anglophone privilege, and either ignore the existence of ESL and EFL participants and lurkers, or exhibit more or less aggressive, xenophobic behavior.
It's interesting the way you contrast Canadian and U.S. American ideals regarding the melting pot. I don't think that the melting pot is as much a political ideal in the U.S. as it used to be. People are more able and willing to maintain and celebrate their own ethnic heritage, and respect the ethnic heritage of others, and I think most officials institutions are (at least on paper) committed to the fruit salad ideal.
But let's not discuss that right now (it's a fascinating subject, and I'd really like to get into it some other time). The idea of macro "ethnicities" may be more typical for Americans than for Canadians, but the fact of the matter is, I have witnessed North America-centrism that ignores and dismisses all LJ+clones users from outside North America, and, which is more usual from Canadians, all LJ+clones users who are not native English speakers.
To put it very bluntly: U.S. American xenophobes think the anglophone internet is only for Americans. Canadian xenophobes think the anglophone internet is only for Americans and the Common Wealth.