Yahoo Lifestyle These Black Celebrities Are Tired Of These Wild Misconceptions Americans Have About Canada, And They Had A Lot To Say About It
When you live in a different country, it's easy to make assumptions about other places and people in the world. Well, in an attempt to clear things up about life in Canada, a few of its famous residents have something to say.
On Sunday, Toronto held its third annual Legacy Awards, celebrating Black Canadian talent and accomplishments. The show was founded by actor-brother duo Stephan James and Shamier Anderson to honor Black excellence in the land of maple syrup.
I had the opportunity to cover the black carpet and the beautiful ceremony. Because it was my first time in Canada, I asked these amazing Canadian stars, "What's the biggest misconception Americans have about Canadians," and their answers did not disappoint!
Kardinal Offishall: "There's only a handful of Black people in Canada."
"There's a lot of basic ones like: There's only a handful of Black people in Canada. That's probably the biggest one. I think the difference that I know from going back and forth over the border for years and living part time in America is that the cultural mosaic versus the melting pot, meaning where we're here, we celebrate everybody's culture together.
Whether we go to [Toronto's historically Greek neighborhood] Danforth to celebrate Greek food and culture, Little Italy, [the historically Jamaican neighborhood] Eglinton West, or any of the other cities within the different metropolises around the country, they are lively and vibrant with many different types of people.
People say, 'I don't see color,' and I say, you need to see color. I need to see who you are. You need to see who I am. And we learn, we educate, we learn from that, and we exchange culture. So here, we definitely see color, and we definitely see culture as well. I think that's probably the biggest difference that I see: We grew up in it, and we're immersed in it."
Kardinal Offishall has a ton of hits under his belt, including the chart-topping single "Dangerous."
Adrian Holmes: "Canadians are so nice."
"That Canadians are so nice. It's true, but we've got a little edge to us as well. Then, obviously, the dialect and the way we speak, the 'oots' and the 'boots' and the 'aye,' and stuff like that."
You might recognize Adrian from his role as Philip "Uncle Phil" Banks in Peacock's hit series Bel-Air.
Shamier Anderson and Stephan James: "We all say aye."
Stephan: "Well, for one, that we all say aye. I mean, most of us do, but not all of us. Two: that it's always cold. It's beautiful outside."
Shamier: "There's no snow, no igloos."
Stephan: "Look at you, you don't have a jacket on."
Shamier: "And we have Black Canadians doing great stuff and that's why we started this award show."
Shamier, who happens to be Stephan's older brother, is known for his starring roles in Wynonna Earp, Invasion, Bruised, and John Wick: Chapter 4.
You've probably seen Stephen in popular projects like If Beale Street Could Talk, Homecoming, Race, 21 Bridges, and Degrassi.
Amanda Brugel: "We aren't just a country of open land and seals."
"There's so many misconceptions Americans have about Canadians. One is that we're nice. We are, but not all of us are nice. Oh and that it's always cold. It's not, look at us now. We also aren't just a country of open land and seals. No, there are buildings, there are cars, we have a couple of skyscrapers."
If you've seen The Handmaid's Tale, Dark Matter, and Kim's Convenience, then you probably recognize Amanda.
Karen Robinson: "That we're polite."
"That we're polite. Because God knows I'm the impolite Canadian. I can be an impolite Canadian quite frankly, a lot of the time. We're not always polite and we're not always meek and mild."
Karen is widely known for her roles on Schitt's Creek, Mary Kills People, A Million Little Things, and Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent.
Jerome Blake and Brendon Rodney: "That we all live in igloos."
Jerome Blake: "That we all live in igloos."
Brendon Rodney: "They also think we have accents when we feel like they have accents."
Andre De Grasse and Aaron Brown: "That we're soft."
Andre De Grasse: "That we say 'aye' a lot."
Aaron Brown: "That we're soft. Don't get it twisted."
Andre De Grasse: "Yeah, and that we're too polite."
Aaron Brown: "I mean, we're nice, but don't cross us."
Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney, and Andre De Grasse won the gold medal in the 4x100-meter relay with a winning time of 37.50 seconds at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Are you from a country other than America? Tell us where you're from and some misconceptions you have about Americans OR misconceptions Americans have about your home country!
