Some American travellers are reportedly pretending to be Canadian while overseas, hoping to avoid negative reactions from locals. The practice, known as “flag jacking,” involves attaching Canadian flags to backpacks or clothing to disguise their nationality. Reports of this trend date back to the 1960s during the Vietnam War and resurfaced in the 2000s amid opposition to US foreign policy.
More recently, Canadians angered by the Trump administration’s policies and rhetoric have criticised the act, with some online comparing it to cultural appropriation, according to CNN. However, the disguise often fails, as locals can spot differences in accents, use of measurement systems, customs, and geographical knowledge.
European tour guides told CNN that stereotypes help them identify Americans. Denisa Podhrazska, founder of Let Me Show You London, noted that Americans are often louder than Canadians. “Stereotypes exist for a reason… Every nation has its own little quirks, that’s how we recognise each other,” she said.
Other guides observed that Canadians tend to identify themselves immediately, while Americans may assume their culture is the norm, such as trying to pay in US dollars or insisting that Britons have an accent. Parisian tour guide Bertrand d’Aleman said, “Canadians will identify themselves as Canadian right away.”
Canadian cultural commentator Stewart Reynolds acknowledged that his countrymen are not flawless, saying, “Canada’s got jerks. We’ve got loads of jerks.” Robert Schertzer, a professor at the University of Toronto, explained that some Canadians react emotionally to “flag jacking” because their national pride includes an element of anti-Americanism.
