| Culture |
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Canada, like southern neighbor, a true cultural mosaic, created by numerous groups of immigrants living next to many indigenous peoples. However, while U.S. citizens are expected to consider themselves primarily as Americans, Canadians insist on the preservation of traditions of each ethnic group (hence the association with a mosaic as opposed to the American "melting pot" culture). In addition to prevailing in a society of citizens with roots of British and French minorities live retaining the traditions of their ancestors - the largest are the Chinese, Ukrainian, Portuguese, Indians, Dutch, Poles, Greeks and Spaniards. Tolerance promotes conservation of cultural diversity, so that tourist can learn a very different environment - from large Chinatown in Vancouver, after strict religious settlement in Manitoba. The Canadians suffers from a lack of a clear national identity, which is trying to determine (in a negative way), pointing to the differences separating them from the Americans. "What it means to be Canadian?" Is gaining in importance with the intensification of the debate on the issue of possible secession of Quebec and that part of the country. It is difficult to characterize the society created not by one nation, a kind of confederation covering half the continent. Pierre Berton, one of the greatest writers of Canada, summed up the short and pointedly: Canadians are people who can cultivate love in a canoe. |