Racism/cultural prejudice

[aliss]

I'm feeling a bit bummed today and a little hurt.

I live in a former French colony - the official language is French and there are a variety of restrictions on the use of English (including it being illegal to use English as a dominant sign/language/alternative). There was a history of separatism and while it never took off (although by a 51% vote against), it still lingers.

I'm reading my local paper (which is in French) and it's just a bunch of rants against the use of English and how "English" stores (ie. owned by someone who speaks English as they are not allowed to advertise or promote in English unless French is dominant) or anglophone service workers should be boycotted. How mixing English words into the French language is lazy and offensive (English is about 25% French origin btw).

I just feel so... isolated and hurt right now. I knew the history before coming here (with my French OH) but I hate to think that people really thought that way. In person everyone is so kind - but is this really what I'm going to deal with when I go back into the workforce?

I know most girls here live in countries with their native language so it's hard to relate but... anyone???

 

[aliss]

And on top of that my MIL and FIL's girlfriend keep making snide comments about Alexandre only understanding English and very little French because I don't teach him French. I moved here 7 months ago, how tf am I supposed to learn in 7 months? It's not exactly an easy language either. Comments about how he'll have no friends and be behind in his schoolwork.... he's 17 months ffs!!

 

[cherryglitter]

I'm feeling a bit bummed today and a little hurt.

I live in a former French colony - the official language is French and there are a variety of restrictions on the use of English (including it being illegal to use English as a dominant sign/language/alternative). There was a history of separatism and while it never took off (although by a 51% vote against), it still lingers.

I'm reading my local paper (which is in French) and it's just a bunch of rants against the use of English and how "English" stores (ie. owned by someone who speaks English as they are not allowed to advertise or promote in English unless French is dominant) or anglophone service workers should be boycotted. How mixing English words into the French language is lazy and offensive (English is about 25% French origin btw).

I just feel so... isolated and hurt right now. I knew the history before coming here (with my French OH) but I hate to think that people really thought that way. In person everyone is so kind - but is this really what I'm going to deal with when I go back into the workforce?

I know most girls here live in countries with their native language so it's hard to relate but... anyone???

i find that so bad.
i can't relate but it must feel so horrible!

 

[Pink1981]

sounds very unfair x

 

[maryp0ppins]

I can relate, I lived my whole life as an anglo in quebec (born in montreal) moved to the UK in early 2007 and I don't ever see myself going back. My sister once had someone spit on her at a mcdonalds because her and her friends were speaking english to EACH OTHER! I also refuse to live in Canada as I feel the federal gvt should put an end to this, it is completely against the charter of human rights to block access to public funded schools, which the law in Quebec does every single day, refusing people access to a school which is in an official language of the country is wrong!

 

[maryp0ppins]

And on top of that my MIL and FIL's girlfriend keep making snide comments about Alexandre only understanding English and very little French because I don't teach him French. I moved here 7 months ago, how tf am I supposed to learn in 7 months? It's not exactly an easy language either. Comments about how he'll have no friends and be behind in his schoolwork.... he's 17 months ffs!!

Are you a Canadian citizen? did you go to public elementary school in english in Canada? if yes then your son is eligible to go to a public english school in Quebec, personally I would never send my child to a french school as their children would lose the right to go to english school in Quebec.

 

[aliss]

And on top of that my MIL and FIL's girlfriend keep making snide comments about Alexandre only understanding English and very little French because I don't teach him French. I moved here 7 months ago, how tf am I supposed to learn in 7 months? It's not exactly an easy language either. Comments about how he'll have no friends and be behind in his schoolwork.... he's 17 months ffs!!

Are you a Canadian citizen? did you go to public elementary school in english in Canada? if yes then your son is eligible to go to a public english school in Quebec, personally I would never send my child to a french school as their children would lose the right to go to english school in Quebec.

I am, but I live in a very francophone area and the option isn't even here. I heard if I was schooled outside of QC that it doesn't count. Or that bill was declared unconstitutional, I don't know.

Funny, in British Columbia where I'm from, everyone had the choice

 

[maryp0ppins]

And on top of that my MIL and FIL's girlfriend keep making snide comments about Alexandre only understanding English and very little French because I don't teach him French. I moved here 7 months ago, how tf am I supposed to learn in 7 months? It's not exactly an easy language either. Comments about how he'll have no friends and be behind in his schoolwork.... he's 17 months ffs!!

Are you a Canadian citizen? did you go to public elementary school in english in Canada? if yes then your son is eligible to go to a public english school in Quebec, personally I would never send my child to a french school as their children would lose the right to go to english school in Quebec.

I am, but I live in a very francophone area and the option isn't even here. I heard if I was schooled outside of QC that it doesn't count. Or that bill was declared unconstitutional, I don't know.

Funny, in British Columbia where I'm from, everyone had the choice

if you went to school in Canada that does count and your son has a right to english education in Quebec. where abouts are you? They have to have an english school somewhere!

 

[tina3747]

Sounds a little like aparthied .... Not a good thing to have feelings of isolation living within a country. I'm sure this should be illegal in this day and age!!

 

[aliss]

I live in the outskirts of Haut-Richelieu but I don't mind him going to French school, I'm actually the only English person in my family out here and I have a degree in teaching English as a second language so I plan to teach him. I guess I'm just frustrated because my OH was transferred here in the first place after our son was born and I try so hard to learn French yet there's still assholes who think I need to get out.

I just didn't realize how openly offensive people could be (in the town paper!), being from Vancouver, everyone had a different language at home (my family is Hungarian) so the idea of outlawing one's language is just strange.

I'm starting to see why the anglophone minority ran away in the 70-80's....

 

[shellie]

Wow, I really didn't know all this went on in Canada. It's opened my eyes. xxx

 

[Baby France]

You must feel so isolated

I agree its ridiculous that they are allowed to get away with it! Could you imagine if we tried to enforce a similar sort of thing here!?!? They'd be outrage!

 

[aliss]

I understand the need for cultural preservation (French is the official language here, it's not bilingual) and I fully support that but boycotting shops owned by anglophones? I mean come on, clearly that is racist. I know racists exists everywhere but I"m shocked that the public city paper publishes this. I am thinking of sending a letter but I'm sure I'll get no response.

 

[maryp0ppins]

I grew up in the Montérégie so I know with the area well, I was lucky and grew up in a town that was 50% english mother tongue. To be honest I can't see bill 101 lasting forever, it goes against the canadian charter of human rights (most of it), totally agree something needs to be done and I have loads of sympathy for you as I have been in your exact situation!
I think the rest of Canada is totally oblivious as to how hard life is in Quebec for english speaking people.

 

[Baby France]

I would send a letter.

As you say you respect their wishes in regards to culture but they are definately being racist if they are instructing others to boycott shops

 

[aliss]

I grew up in the Montérégie so I know with the area well, I was lucky and grew up in a town that was 50% english mother tongue. To be honest I can't see bill 101 lasting forever, it goes against the canadian charter of human rights (most of it), totally agree something needs to be done and I have loads of sympathy for you as I have been in your exact situation!
I think the rest of Canada is totally oblivious as to how hard life is in Quebec for english speaking people.

They are totally oblivious. I honestly had no idea until I moved here. In BC, the right to your own language/culture is well respected and we were so far removed from central/eastern politics that you don't even know. We feel very isolated in the west.

I know the majority is not like this but I just find it outrageous to be so publically supported by media. Like on Radio-Canada's TV special about how 10% of clerks in Montreal could not speak French... none of them were even anglophone, they were all allophones (ie. not French or English), and I'm sure recent ones too, just trying to learn too. Don't we have the right to be given time to LEARN without being shit upon?

Really 50% in Montérégie? Is that like La Prairie or something? I live in the outskirts of St Jean sur Richelieu

 

[Lauren25]

Sending big hugs
Sounds very racist to me and it must be so hard for you to sit around all that when your the only English one!!
I hope you get things sorted!!

 

[NuKe]

I lived in New Brunswick for a while and tbh some of the ppl are just bloody rude. Bilingual people. I'm sorry, but when there's a group of people, some speak french and english and some just speak english... YOU SPEAK ENGLISH. It's just bloody rude otherwise.

 

[leahsbabybump]

hats terrible i couldnt actually believe my eyes as i was reeding :-/
you must feel so isolated hun i know i would

 

[Eala]

I hear you! I lived in QC for a while, and it was a real eye-opener. I didn't find Montreal so bad, but we lived right bang smack in the centre of the city, which I think tends to be more cosmopolitan than some of the more suburban areas. But I taught English briefly up in Gaspé (waaay up on the coast)... Oh boy oh boy, that was something else I was like some kind of pariah for daring to be employed to teach children English. I left after a few months, for various reasons, but one of them was that I couldn't live with the hostility.

We are seriously considering emigrating back to Canada once I finish my training (if all goes well), but although we loved living in Montreal, there's no way we'd live in QC again Even though DH and I are both anglophone (he's English, I'm Scottish), we wouldn't have any right to send our kids to an English-speaking public school. So either, all of a sudden, they'd be getting educated in French, and Quebecois French at that, which is very different to the language as it's taught over here. Or we'd have to pay for private school. Either way, it just isn't going to work.

I guess we can always take holidays to Montreal

Big hugs for you, it really isn't a comfortable situation at all