Some People Think Canadians Are Considered 'Americans' & Reddit Is 'Very Offended'

Canadians, do you consider yourself American? A recent Reddit thread suggested that some people actually count Canadians as American and it has left Canucks feeling "very offended."

In a subreddit called "Ask A Canadian" on Friday, November 4, an American Redditor asked their Canadian counterparts whether they consider their identity to be American.

They explained that a similar discussion had come up in another subreddit, "Ask An American," with the majority agreeing that Canadians were not considered American, as "it's an entirely different country."

However, when the question was posed back to Canucks, it became clear that the assumption is more common than Canadians may have realized.

In response, one person wrote, "A Russian guy I worked with called me stupid when I told him I wasn’t American, he said yes I am because the continent is North America."

Another added, "I remember having this same discussion with friends from the U.K. They insisted Canadians were Americans because we are on the American Continent."

In fact, many of the individuals who responded in the Reddit thread shared their experiences of being described as an American, even if they are from Canada.

"I’ve had some Americans dismissively tell me 'You’re basically American/Canada is basically America anyway,'" somebody else claimed.

Several people noted that some of the confusion around the identity of "Americans" might be related to the Spanish language, in which the equivalent of the adjective "American" refers to anyone from the Americas, rather than just those from the United States.

As for whether Canadians were offended by the mix-ups, many said it depended on the specific circumstances.

One person explained, "That’s very offensive. I don’t mind people mistaking me for an American because it’s hard to tell us apart. But if they knew I was Canadian and told me that I am the same as an American I would be very offended."

Another added, "Eh don't really care, some people may just be using the term American as an umbrella term for people living in the Americas, which we are."

"I'd probably be a little annoyed if I told someone I was Canadian and they turn around and refer to me as an American, the annoyance would just be due to people asking where in the states I am from, and me needing to say "no I'm from Canada."

Somebody else made this point: "I would be deeply annoyed if someone knew I was Canadian and tried to ‘correct’ me."

While another Reddit user added, "I would not care at all. It would be just a good head start on determining if the person I’m talking to is an idiot haha."

Others took a more strong opinion on the matter though, with one person stating, "I am not American. I am Canadian and proud of it. When traveling abroad and someone assumes that I am American, I correct them. Quickly."

Another added, "Canada's entire identity revolves around NOT being American, so…"

So, how do you feel about it, Canucks?

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.