Canadian Expatriates, its contributors, and readers have been invited by Foreign Affairs Canada to participate in a series of eDiscussions. The current topic is “Showcasing Canadian Culture and Know-How Abroad”.

We are asked to consider the following questions:

What role does Canadian culture and know-how play in our foreign policy?

How might the government best promote Canadian talent and expertise in the world?

The eDiscussion runs from April 4 to May 6, 2005. At its conclusion, a summary of the discussion will be sent to senior policy planners.

The Expat admin team encourages its readers to join in the eDiscussion at the Canadian International Policy website.

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The administration team is currently searching for Canadian expatriates who would be interested in contributing to the Expat Blog. The subject matter is wide open, but must remain family friendly.

If you are interested in joining our blogging team, please send an email our way!

Thank you!

The Halifax Herald is reporting that Julia Ebell, a Washington D.C. native who is studying in Halifax at the University of King's College, is facing plenty of "anti-American prejudice" from fellow students. This prejudice includes her peers saying "ohhhhh" when she tells them where she is from, followed by "What are you doing here?" and "Why are you here?". She has also been called that "American girl" and told that she should meet the other "American girl" on campus.

If that is considered to be anti-American prejudice, then this Canuck has been facing her own obstacles on this side of the border. I could not count the number of times that someone has asked me where I am from or what brought me to this area. For awhile, I was even nicknamed "that immigrant girl" at my workplace and I frequently hear all of the stereotypical Canadian jokes. Does it bother me? No. When I moved here, I realized that there were cultural differences that would give away my heritage and that people would notice that, and perhaps even question me about it. Does it mean that the people that I interact with are "anti-Canadian" because they notice that I spell things differently, speak differently, or hold different views? Absolutely not. It simply means that I am Canadian and my heritage sets me apart from Americans.

Of course, it has not all been a positive experience. There have been plenty of times where curiousity or good natured humour have not been the motivation behind the questions and jokes. I have encountered everything from long monologues against immigration (some filled with hate), anger towards Canadians for their government's stance on the war in Iraq, and just general ignorance when it comes to Canada. Although such attitudes can be hurtful, it is necessary to disregard those statements and not let them affect who I am. Once I came to terms with that, life in a new country became much easier. I suggest that Julia Ebell do likewise.