The Myth of Canadian Superiority

Canadians like to tell themselves they are better than Americans. Is this historically accurate?

As a Canadian born long after America’s supposed “Golden Age,” I have grown up with the celebrated notion of Canadian superiority. In school, well-meaning teachers bragged about the inherent multiculturalism of Canada, referencing famous Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s famous Multiculturalism Act when discussing the legacy of racism in the United States. Canada was designated as some sort of shining beacon for anti-racism and inclusion, while the US was its wayward, bigoted neighbour.

Outside the classroom, Canadians unwittingly and sometimes knowingly perpetuate the widespread belief in Canada’s moral superiority, often after interacting with Americans either in real life or through consuming popular culture. Perhaps because Canadians are almost indistinguishable from the vast majority of Americans in terms of accents (contrary to what is espoused on American comedy sketch shows, where characters speak in dialects I’ve never even heard before), we feel the need to identify ourselves as not American so as not to be associated with the negative stereotypes that come with being from the US. Whenever we do meet Americans who fulfill those classic stereotypes attributed to American tourists, we internally applaud ourselves for being so much more self-aware, more racially…