Forgive the poor Latin of my title, but I could not think of a better way to label what I call an unpleasant but also rather interesting trend that has existed for over thirty years.
According to Wikipedia, flag-jacking is...
the act of travelers displaying a foreign flag on their clothing or backpack in an attempt to disguise their country of origin; media reports have described this most often in the context of American tourists using Canadian flags in an attempt to be perceived as Canadians.
Now, as a Canadian, I can understand why there might be more than a few of my southern neighbours who are not too happy to travel with Uncle Sam’s finest colours (sorry, colors) on their luggage or clothes. As I mentioned in another article, the former Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau (father of Justin; you know, the one you like and remember), once said that the relationship between the US and Canada was similar to the one between a man and an elephant sharing the same bed (you have to pay attention to those shifts and turns in the night). I have also stated that I think our relationship is closer to the one you would have with a noise in the basement. Now, you can explore and find out what happened, or you can mind your own business and double check the locks on the door heading down into the cellar. Most Canadians have opted to stay out of it with boycotts at liquor stores, supermarkets and with our leisure time spent above the border. Most Americans did not know that we existed until the current president made the boast that we could become his 51st state and realized that we were not that happy with the plan.
And yet, you still use our flag.
There was an interesting list posted of how to detect the behaviour (sorry, behavior) of Americans as opposed to their northern neighbours. Body language and, well, language, give away the game, but I think that anyone with any sense knows that it is much easier to detect where someone comes from without a peek at their passport. Canadians have a reputation for being laid back, open-minded and relaxed (certain marijuana laws have had their effect). We are not the ones invading countries in the name of our particular form of democracy, or to liberate people who never wanted us there in the first place. I can understand why we would be the default position for a country that can often seem two-faced to the rest of the world.
But, I digress…and I have to admit that this is not a situation that actually bothers me...that much. Our relationship, like any other out there, is always going to be up and down. We will get back to something like normal when the current boss in D.C. is gone and we learn to help and not hurt each other.
But I have one request: please don’t ruin our reputation! It is going to be a challenge for some of you to realize that we are not all happy with the flag-waving that comes with your travels. We worked long and hard to be quaint and nice. And the rest of the world does not always know this.
Enjoy the trip.
Just remember why you were able to enjoy it.
*
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Kendall Defoe
Teacher, reader, writer, dreamer... I am a college instructor who cannot stop letting his thoughts end up on the page. No AI. No Fake Work. It's all me...
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Comments (8)
Unfortunately, the ugly American is alive and well. Never heard of flag jacking, but sadly, I’m not at all surprised. Thanks for the clue in about hope to behave when we visit our neighbor to the north.
I had no idea this happened!! Thank you for shining a light on it!
No matter what flag you sport, your true nationality always shows. What's funny is when I've traveled in other countries and had an American tell an Italian he's Italian because his great grandfather came from there. The look he gets is hilarious. Same with an American calming to be French or German or English. Ancestry stops at the country you were born in.
I get it. Similarly, after 9/11, particularly on the East Coast, but it happened all over the U.S., people of Middle Eastern descent kept claiming they were Italians, and went so far as to put Italian flags on their cars or shops, or wear Italian t-shirts so as not to be subjected to verbal or physical attacks. On the "51st state" thing, yeah it's a lame, boastful statement, one of many. But Canadians aren't uniformly objecting to the idea. There have been plenty of comments online from Canadians in some provinces saying, "yes, please!", usually on the threads in which Americans are hoping we could make parts of Canada, Oregon, and Washington state part of Canada, and give parts of the Southwest to Mexico.
Nice work. I wasn't aware of the "flag-jacking", but I can definitely understand it. I'm not happy with the current state of affairs, but I don't regret being born in the USA or living by the values we're supposed to believe in. We've survived plenty and we'll survive this - hopefully intact. I also won't place the blame for allowing this mess we're in to happen, but I will say that common sense has become a thing of the past. As for Canadians, the few dealings I've had with them, in our home country and yours, as well as at the border, have been nothing but pleasant. In fact, this has reminded me of a story I need to write, about my first visit to Alberta. Great piece, Kendall!
I had no idea this was a thing, but I get it. I’m ashamed to be a US American and almost weekly I wish I lived in a different country. Still I wouldn’t flag Jack another country. I don’t have the money or free time to travel, but even if I did I wouldn’t wear my country’s flag either. My nationality isn’t something I’d advertise, but if someone asked I’d just be honest: I’m from the ass backwards and deeply corrupt United States.
Convenient camouflage cum cultural appropriation? Scandalous!
I completely understand the request, and it is entirely valid. Americans are not the best behaved in our own country, let alone when we go abroad. I would hope that people would be able to tell the difference between a Canadian and a flag-jacking American, but there’s no guarantee for that, so we can only hope that flag-jacking Americans will behave. As an American, though, I cannot guarantee that that will happen.