Comparing Canada and the U.S.?

Question

I have to do a paper for my Canadian studies class. The paper's pretty straightforward, compare an aspect of life or something between Canada and the US. I'm interested in people, so I'm thinking maybe comparing minority relations, or immigration or treatment of native americans/first nations? It can even be more detailed that that, are there any immigrant or minority groups that have histories in both countries? I really just want a lot of ideas so I can write the best paper I can.

Answer 1

Beyond the general melting pot vs. fruitcake model, best place to start is the Bill/Charter of rights of each country. In a modern analysis, you'll find that Americans value liberty above equality -- maximizing freedom of the individual. Canada will generally favour equality rights over liberty -- free speech can be limited a little more if it means that minorities discriminated against so much less. This is especially enshrined in s.15 of the Cdn Charter that allows specific groups to be treated differently in consideration of how to best enfanchise them and promote equality in the country. So the US really wants to respect the rights of every individual, Canada looks a little more towards respecting the rights of every community.
More historically, consider policies toward the first nations. Can't say Canada was a whole lot better than the US, but remember that where the US had a specifically stated policy essentially to commit genocide, Canada created the Northwest Mounted Police to patrol the Northwest territory and manitoba... to protect the first nations people from rotgut smugglers and such.

Answer 2

I think a great topic would be to look at the Irish in both countries, in particular the tug of loyalties between Ireland and the US or Canada. You could start with the question of why the Irish American Fenians found so little support amongst the Irish in Canada during the 1860s.
Good luck

Answer 3

How about a paper about the Black Loyalists who left the States to settle in Nova Scotia Canada.

Just google "Black Loyalists" and you'll get a ton of info. They were escapsed slaves, loyal to the British cause, who fled to Canada for protection under the British. They helped build the town of Shelburne in Nova Scotia but were not given everything ( anything) they were promised for their labor. For more info, get on google!

You could also do a paper on the Acadians who were expelled from Nova Scotia in the 1700's I think. At lot of them ended up in and around New Orleans.

Answer 4

it sounds like you already have some good ideas. there are lots of similar immigrant groups - pick one, and you'll probably find similar groups in both (although there do seem to be less Latinos up north).

Answer 5

get some Indians(from India) and some Latinos.