American Assimilation Threatens French Culture in Quebec and Canada
In terms of people who make regular use of French, it would probably be reasonable to describe Quebec as the second-largest French-speaking population in the world, next to France. A French language instructor once told me about the history of Francophones in Canada, "We were abandoned by our King." One wonders whether the people of France would be willing to repeat history, in a manner of speaking, by allowing Canada to be assimilated by the United States.
In Canada, there is bilingualism and a cultural mosaic; there is a Charter of Rights and Freedoms and a provincial notwithstanding clause; and there is French-Canadian history. There is a real possibility of French-Canadian culture and heritage disappearing if Canada becomes part of the republic.
I was born in the Philippines—a country that has had a long relationship with the US. I have some relatives in the US. A few have served in the US Navy. So the idea of becoming American is not entirely alien to me. I am one of those people who don't even bother maintaining my passport. I hardly leave my own province, let alone the country. I can deal with having US flags everywhere. However, I am happy with the current arrangement. I believe Canada has more in common with the Nordic countries than the US.
During my undergraduate years, I had a co-op work term in Hull—a city in Quebec near Ottawa. I am certainly exposed to lots of products from Quebec all the time. Even in Toronto, while growing up, I routinely encountered people with French-Canadian ancestry—like my best friend for years. I interact with coworkers operating in Quebec many times a day. If I cannot read French social media posts directly, these days it is easy enough to get a translation. I have developed this sense—over a lifetime of exposure—that French-Canadian culture needs to be protected. It is something precious that is a part of who we are as Canadians. I find the idea of letting this slip away shocking, regardless of the exact rationale offered by the US.
Canadians have asked themselves many unusual questions over the years in response to our challenging relationship with the US. One idea, for example, is winding down NORAD, which monitors the north to respond to threats posed by Russia. Of course, when one is being threatened with annexation, suddenly the dimensions of such a military facility change ever so slightly.
Another idea that has been discussed is for Canada to try joining the EU. The benefit of EU membership, apart from gaining stronger economic ties, is the ability for Canada to maintain its current legal system and bilingualism. There is no threat to culture or heritage—although I understand that the British found the presence of non-British workers problematic. It is well worth asking how a non-European country can possibly join the EU. I have been led to believe that the term "European country" has not been formally defined. However, I do accept that the probability of gaining membership is remote at best. At the same time, Canada has lots of space and vast resources. Perhaps, we can make good use of these unfortunate circumstances to realign both Canada and the EU.
On the other hand, if Canada were to become a US state, this would really be more about assimilation than membership. If the EU is having difficulty competing globally, it will likely experience more challenges if Canada and the US combine. It is something to think about as resources become scarcer.
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Content by Don. Image and editing by Copilot.