INSIDE DOUGLAS COLLEGE / August 20, 1991

 

WW... the eternal wrangling

over Quebec’s place within Canada
and the Constitution continued, 62
young Quebecois visited Douglas Col-
lege earlier this summer to learn more
about the English language and English
Canada.

 

“T agree with
separation because I like
everything about
Quebec. I am proud of
our culture. Really, I
feel myself to be more
French than American
or English. I want to
raise my children in a
French culture. I want
to keep my language
and my culture.”

 

 

 

The students stayed with host
families during the six-week English Lan-
guage and Cultural Program for
French-Canadian and Japanese stu-
dents. For most of them it was their first
visit to the western-most reaches of an
Anglo-phone Canada often portrayed
as a place populated by intransigent
politicians and flag-stomping reac-
tionaries.

 

Quebec students speak out

Five young Quebecois visiting Douglas College talk
with a Japanese exchange student about separation,
sovereignty and name-calling in Canada.

The visitors were intrigued by B.C.’s
natural beauty, the hospitality of their
hosts, and our ethnic diversity. But they
also encountered the reality of bigotry,
particularly when a group of young
women were spat upon after leaving a
bus. Fortunately they had the emotional
strength to discuss the incident with
their instructors and place it in perspec-
tive. The majority of the 62 reported
they felt they had a greater under-
standing of British Columbians and the
scope of Canada. All reported they
would continue their study of English.

During their stay, five of the
Quebecois students were interviewed
by Seiichiro Iwa, one of the Japanese
students who wanted to know their
grassroots views about separatism and
Quebec nationalism. Here are some of
their comments:

Q. Do you agree with separation?

“| don’t care about politics. | hate
politics.”

“| agree with separation because |
like everything about Quebec. | am
proud of our culture. Really, | fee! myself
to be more French than American or
English. | want to raise my children in a
French culture. | want to keep my lan-
guage and my culture.”

“| agree with separation. It makes
Quebec stronger in both the cultural
and economic side. This means we can
make our own laws. We don’t have to
pay taxes to the Canadian government.
We are proud of Quebec. We aren’t
satisfied with the current Canadian sys-

 

tem. Quebec can be more inde-
pendent.”

“It is possible to separate from
Canada; however, we shouldn’t make a
hasty decision.”

Q. Is it necessary for Quebec to
separate from Canada?

“I am sitting on the fence.”

“Now is the time for us to make a
decision.”

Three students answered: “It is not
necessary.”

Q. Do you think Canadians outside
of Quebec are prejudiced against
Quebecois?

“I feel prejudice. In Ontario,
everybody calls Quebec people frogs,
and laugh at us.”

“| rarely feel prejudice. The media ex-
aggerates that people are against

Quebec.”

“| feel prejudice. A lot of people are
looking down on Quebec.”

“| haven’t had such an experience.”

Q. Do you see yourself as a
Canadian or a citizen of Quebec?

All five students interviewed
answered “a citizen of Quebec.”