During a recent trip to Mexico with my boys, I was often asked by people from Europe and Australia if I was “American”. To which I informed them that to ask if a Canadian was American is the insult of all insults.

It was better to ask the person if they are Canadian first. That way they wouldn’t insult any Canadians, and they would actually be complementing any Americans they might ask.

It was at this point when it was explained to me that from a European’s or Australian’s point of view, anyone from North America is considered American – Canadians included – which, quite honestly, felt even more insulting.

It was easy to explain my position to a lad I met from Scotland and a couple of guys from Ireland.

“How would you feel,” I queried, “if asked if you were British?”

“We get that all the time,” they all responded.

“But that’s not the point,” I said. “Wouldn’t you rather be identified as Scottish or Irish?”

“It’s not a big deal,” they replied.

“Obviously you’re not Canadian,” I concluded.

I got the same type of response from the Australians when I asked how they felt when people assume they’re from England.

“Everyone confuses our accents,” they tried to explain.

“Well at least no one thinks you’re American,” I said.

“But you are American. You’re from (North) America,” they said, neglecting to put the adjective “North” in front of “America”.

It was at this point that I just shook my head and ordered another beer.

After going through the same back and forth with a number of folks from Europe and Down Under, I had a brainstorm – create a bunch of buttons that say "I'm Canadian". Maybe then they’ll get the point.

It’s bad enough being called “American” at the best of times. But in these times, when they re-elected a deranged lunatic for president whose bent on destroying everything around him starting with their own country.

I wouldn’t even want to be an American being called an American, especially while I’m traveling.

The few Americans I met in Puerto Escondido followed, “I’m from the States.” immediately with, “But I don’t support Trump”, or “I’m not with MAGA”. Of course, they were all backpackers staying at the hostel in their early 30s or 20s, so more than likely leaning Democrat or apolitical.

I advised them they should just say they’re from Canada and make their lives a lot easier. Which is fairly easy to do if you’re from the northeast, or the west coast, but not so easy to do if you’re from Boston, New York City, or down south.

Anyway, if I plan to keep traveling I will need to do something to make it a lot more obvious that I am indeed Canadian. I do have a pair of sandals with the Canadian flag on them. And I have a bunch of Team Canada Little League World Series jerseys in my closet.

But maybe these drastic times deserve more drastic measures like a small maple leaf tattooed on the back of my neck, or better yet the middle of my forehead.
Like most Canadians I was pleasantly pleased when Trump recently reeled in his previous musings about making Canada the 51st state.

Apparently, he recently said in a British interview, “I suppose the Canadians have got 200 years of history and all that ‘Oh, Canada’ thing. You can’t deal with that in three and a half years. I guess it’s not going to happen!”

But let’s face it, he’s Donald Trump. A man capable of changing his mind on a whim and often time at four o’clock in the morning when he’s at his most chaotic.

So we’ll take Trump’s quips with a block of salt, and in the meantime stick to our Canadian-ness wherever we may go. and whenever we are asked, “Oh, you’re American."

(If you wish to comment on this or any other View Point column please write to Fred Sherwin at fsherwin@orleansstar.ca)