Same, but different: My observations from living in the US, UK and Canada
At first glance, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom (England specifically) may appear to have far more in common than other countries around the world. And they do, certainly with complicated linked histories…but in that old phrase: They are same, but different. Being both a Canadian and American, with ancestors from England, Ireland, Spain, and also Native American, I have had the privilege to really observe the many (many) subtleties of living and working in each of these countries that I know and have explored extensively. It’s amazing how some things can stay stubbornly the same, other rapid change goes off the rails. I have love (and frustrations) for all, and my experience is mine alone so don’t think any of my observations as judgements or certainties (ie. Don’t be offended).
QUICK HISTORY CHECK: Canada (officially founded July 1, 1867) and the USA (officially founded July 4, 1776) are two great countries that enjoy a friendly and cooperative spirit with some crossover history (that even they don’t necessarily agree on. See the war of 1812, which is taught differently on each side of the border), a peacefully shared border and common interests, yet both fiercely independent and are strongly nationalistic. Both countries began as colonies of European powers. One broke its ties with Britain through war, the other retained its ties, prideful of its British (and/or French) heritage (to a point, along with other commonwealth countries like Australia, New Zealand, etc). Of course, the colonization of North America equally destroyed indigenous communities on both sides of the border as well, but I digress…
*For Canada, European exploration began in earnest in 1497, then between 1534 and 1542, Jacques Cartier made three voyages across the Atlantic, claiming the land for King Francis I of France (“New France”), eventually leading to the French to form strong alliances with First Nations in their dominance over the fur trade (ie. Hudson Bay company). English colonies along the Atlantic seaboard, dating from the early 1600s, eventually became richer and more populous than New France. In the 1700s France and Great Britain battled for control of North America. In 1759, the British defeated the French in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham at Québec City — marking the end of France’s empire in America. Following their great war, Great Britain renamed the colony the “Province of Quebec.” The French speaking Catholic people, known as habitants or Canadiens, strove to preserve their way of life in the English-speaking, Protestant-ruled British Empire.
*Both: In 1776, the 13 British colonies to the south of Quebec declared independence and formed the United States. North America was again divided by war. More than 40,000 people loyal to the Crown, called “Loyalists,” fled the oppression of the American Revolution to settle in Nova Scotia and Quebec. Joseph Brant led thousands of Loyalist Mohawk Indians into Canada. The Loyalists came from Dutch, German, British, Scandinavian, Aboriginal and other origins and from Presbyterian, Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, Jewish, Quaker, and Catholic religious backgrounds. About 3,000 black Loyalists, freedmen and slaves, came north seeking a better life. In turn, in 1792, some black Nova Scotians, who were given poor land, moved on to establish Freetown, Sierra Leone (West Africa), a new British colony for freed slaves.
*For the USA: In U.S. history, document that was approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, and that announced the separation of 13 North American British colonies from Great Britain. First U.S. constitution (1781–89), which served as a bridge between the initial government by the Continental Congress of the Revolutionary period and the federal government provided under the U.S. Constitution of 1787.
So throw in recent history, two world wars and shared security council seats, a shared passion for democracy (with different results and interpretations), governments forming partnerships and economic dominance, sharing cultural and environmental struggles, and here were are. Where is Lin Manual Miranda when you need him to condense and sing about the whole story? And how have the proverbial forks in the world made for abundant cultural differences in these three countries?
CANADA: In a random twist of fate, I was born and primarily raised here by one American parent and one Canadian parent, though my summers were still spent on Colorado around extended family. I always had two passports, so knowing I wanted a lot of opportunity and move beyond the ‘in the box’ style business thinking that both Canada and UK have in common (“sorry”), I made the move early to NYC after University in BC. But I have come to appreciate Canada more than ever, and my Dad’s British & Irish ancestors have been in the country around four generations.
Attitude: Friendly, tall-poppy syndrome (no getting too big for your britches), more laid back, polite to the point they avoid directness (ie. When I start chatting with a stranger in a line like I would in NY, I get startled looks when I am back in Vancouver - it’s just a little too forward)
Culture: Takes a ‘mosiac’ approach to culture where all is acknowledged/celebrated (in theory anyway), more culturally & globally aware (though oddly very unaware of the many US states differences/history given the proximity), better news sources, better accessible education & healthcare, better food regulations than America, shares similarities with the UK from sensibilities to chocolate to spelling (“ou”) but boasts a lot of things distinctly Canadian from sports to food to accents (the latter is NOT the same everywhere, and in Americanized cities like Vancouver, there really isn’t one to speak of), huge film & tv industry pumping our stars from such a low population country, stable banking & economy, abundance of natural resources
Society: Friendly (people love Canadians), polite (sorry), more secular
Business: Successful centers like Toronto and Vancouver are crushing it, but overall Canada is more traditional or ‘in the box’ than it’s neighbors to the south where anything is possible and big dreams & multiple businesses are the norm. People stay in jobs longer, or at least they used to.
Lifestyle: A bit more traditional next to the US, but it’s good, safe and stable for the most part, so people are healthier and happier overall
The Neighbors: Canadians generally like Americans - even when they baffle them - and travel south of the border often. While there were plenty of jokes over the past few years of putting up a wall with American to keep them out (lol), it was all in good fun and out of concern, wondering what the heck was happening across the border from politics, to covid, to guns, to healthcare failures to…well, you get the point. However we are all still friends, and Canadians love to travel to America, with many in finance & entertainment working in NY & LA, and Canadian snowbirds have taken over parts of Florida, Palm Springs and Scottsdale.
UNITED STATES: I first hot-tailed it to NYC for an internship at Seventeen Magazine and never left. I mostly lived in New York and Los Angeles, but spent time in Palm Springs and Denver (near family), and have solo roadtripped all over the country to better understand it and its many, many cultural, historical and geographical differences. (Ironically a lot of northern border states have more in common with Canada than their southern state counterparts - a lot of this is based on historical and migration reasons). My Mom’s American ancestors have actually been in the US since they first came from Spain into “New Spain” aka New Mexico, and obviously the Native American lineage significantly longer. My American family also participated in the revolutionary war and civil war, so while things are wild & wooly in the US, I still feel very connected to it and want it to improve for everyone - I am also incredibly grateful for the opportunities it gave me, that could not have been had anywhere else.
Attitude: Blindly confident & optimistic (I actually love this), living out loud (literally), hyper-individualistic (don’t like to be told what to do - hello pandemic)
Culture: Divided as ever but if you really understand the various histories around the huge landscape & the context around the big democracy experiment it sta. rts to make sense - the highly polarizing news doesn’t help matters, serious inequality when it comes to wealth/jobs/education/ housing/healthcare - mainly given its priority to money making & big corporations, contains a highly diverse population like Canada BUT approaches it like a “melting pot”, its many many cities offer a wide variety of experiences-look-feel-taste which makes for fantastic domestic travel, the ‘American Dream’ is both steeped in falsehoods AND possibility - you can make things happen here in one generation that you just can’t anywhere else (or you can go regularly bankrupt over things like healthcare or lawsuits more than anywhere) - the creativity is off the charts and you really can give most things a try (depending on circumstance, obviously - I am aware of the privilege), currently politics, healthcare, public education, women’s reproductive freedom rights and gun violence are a mess depending on where you live
Society: These days I would say equally friendly & suspicious but overall incredibly warm for the most part but can be oddly conservative or religious depending where you are. There also seems to be a wide divide in global education and understanding what ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’ mean. And let’s be clear, there are very different experiences based on race and sexual orientation, especially depending on what state you are in
Business: It’s hard to beat the sheer economic might and entrepreneurial spirt of the US. People wouldn’t look at you twice if you left jobs, changed careers or started a side hustle or two - we are scrappy pioneers. That’s the norm here and NYC raised me well in this business spirt - I just try to balance my choices. The flip side is that the almighty dollar seems to control most systems and is prioritized over lifestyle by a long shot.
Lifestyle: Rollercoaster - high highs, low lows. If you are rich, you are good. But everyone else regularly struggles with things that would just be part of a healthy lifestyle in Europe, Canada, and many others places. Depending on the state of course, some are pushing for a better balance but this is still a ways away.
The neighbors: Americans love Canadians, and most people I know have at least been once to either Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver. In recent years, and some for political reasons, a lot of Americans have actually moved to Canada as well.
UNITED KINGDOM: Let’s talk England specifically, since I lived in London, but have also travelled all around the UK - especially during the pandemic when that was really the only option (but I enjoyed it thoroughly). I already knew the UK very well and have been coming to London for decades - I always say for me, London was always familiar as it blends the Canadian/UK sensibilities I grew up with, with a more civilized cosmopolitan NYC. I loved it from the start, and love mixing with people around the words here. The joking between European dinner guests alone is fantastic.
Attitude: Polite (if not a little passive-aggressive at times), excellent dry humor, classist (still), I would say friendly too but it is very different - not particularly warm but familial in it’s phrases, greetings and everyday interactions, definitely tall poppy syndrome (people like to keep everyone on the same level, even if its Royalty or Eton-Oxford/Cambridge-politician differ but still get ribbed in the press which is ruthless)
Culture: Arts-theater-history lovers rejoice, Pub culture is community culture in some parts or excess in others, Football is indeed a national obsession, English countryside living is dreamy to me but I was an English Lit major, excellent education and NHS healthcare system, it’s important to understand the distinction & history for all of its parts as that pride runs deep (Scotland, Wales, England, N. Ireland), a lot of fellow commonwealth folks in London
Society: Brexit really blew up the goodwill. There is a split there, as it is in America. Old world vs new generation so let’s see what happens but the insular nature of Brexit isn’t helping anyone
Business: Yes, the UK is/was (boo Brexit) very economically strong and stable, but like Canada it is also more traditional ‘in the box’ in terms of longterm jobs and less forward thinking or big, experimental creativity. It’s much more controlled. I wouldn’t necessarily be an entrepreneur here, but it would depend on the field. Entertainment industry continues to grow rapidly here too and it is an international financial hub.
Lifestyle: It really depends where you live, city or neighborhood, but I felt safe and comfortable there, knowing all of my needs were automatically met (ie. healthcare) and that people (and news) were far more rational than America. It’s great hopping a train or plane to just about anywhere too. It’s pricey in London, and the salaries are lower than America, but there is a lot to makeup for that.