Players with nationalities you didnt expect based on their name

[Iapyi]

People select “Canadian” who don’t know what else to put or for personal reasons, but the fact is that Canadian itself isn’t actually an ethnicity.

There is nothing incorrect about what I said, yes Luongo is a Canadian but there is no actual Canadian ethnicity..because Canada is a nation of immigrants.

Luongo is Canadian by nationality, but he is Italian by ethnicity. Pretty simple stuff here.

Just like how PK Subban is Canadian but Caribbean-Black by ethnicity.

My original statement that Luongo is Italian is a fact. I don’t know why you’re trying to pick this apart lol

I'm just asking questions and trying to learn. I am not trying to be nasty about things.

It's become a bit of a pet peeve of mine in the last couple years how we don't identify as just being Canadian without some 'fall back' to some other country.

I do have to say though that the info I pasted from google that says :

"“Canadian” is now included as a choice for ethnic origins, because many people who have been here for several generations do not see themselves as linked to any other ethnic group."

supercedes the old concept that you are espousing {and I don't say that in a derogatory fashion}.

To me it's simple, born and raised in Canada = Canadian no matter whether someone has a fondness for where their ancestors originated from.

 

[babylonzoo]

Fred Brathwaite was probably the best player from barbados

 

[Peiskos]

I'm just asking questions and trying to learn. I am not trying to be nasty about things.

It's become a bit of a pet peeve of mine in the last couple years how we don't identify as just being Canadian without some 'fall back' to some other country.

I do have to say though that the info I pasted from google that says :

"“Canadian” is now included as a choice for ethnic origins, because many people who have been here for several generations do not see themselves as linked to any other ethnic group."

supercedes the old concept that you are espousing {and I don't say that in a derogatory fashion}.

To me it's simple, born and raised in Canada = Canadian no matter whether someone has a fondness for where their ancestors originated from.

I understand that and people born and raised in Canada are Canadian, there is no debate about that, but it comes back to the topic of ethnicity. The reason why we "fall back" to some other country is because Canada is what's known as a "New World" country.

If you look at a map of the Western Hemisphere you will notice that all the countries on this side of the world share something in common...all of them lack their own native language...the Brazilians speak Portuguese..there is no Brazilian language, the Mexicans speak Spanish...there is no Mexican language, Canadians speak English/French..there is no Canadian language etc etc.

All of these "New World" countries also have the overwhelmingly majority of their population who descend from Europeans rather than having a majority indigenous population like what you see in Europe where Italians are actually indigenous to Italy, the Germans are actually indigenous to Germany etc...."Canadians" technically aren't indigenous to the land we now call Canada, the Aboriginals are.

This is where the difference lies, countries in the Western Hemisphere are unique and cannot be compared to the rest of the "Old World"

New World - Wikipedia

Old World - Wikipedia

 

[Iapyi]

I understand that and people born and raised in Canada are Canadian, there is no debate about that, but it comes back to the topic of ethnicity. The reason why we "fall back" to some other country is because Canada is what's known as a "New World" country.

If you look at a map of the Western Hemisphere you will notice that all the countries on this side of the world share something in common...all of them lack their own native language...the Brazilians speak Portuguese..there is no Brazilian language, the Mexicans speak Spanish...there is no Mexican language, Canadians speak English/French..there is no Canadian language etc etc.

All of these "New World" countries also have the overwhelmingly majority of their population who descend from Europeans rather than having a majority indigenous population like what you see in Europe where Italians are actually indigenous to Italy, the Germans are actually indigenous to Germany etc...."Canadians" technically aren't indigenous to the land we now call Canada, the Aboriginals are.

This is where the difference lies, countries in the Western Hemisphere are unique and cannot be compared to the rest of the "Old World"

New World - Wikipedia

Old World - Wikipedia

Well I was born and raised in Canada. Both of my parents were as well. Statistics Canada says Canadian is an ethnicity. I am Canadian by nationality and ethnicity. Damn proud of it too.

 

[Your old Jofa helmet]

Well I was born and raised in Canada. Both of my parents were as well. Statistics Canada says Canadian is an ethnicity. I am Canadian by nationality and ethnicity. Damn proud of it too.

Of course Statistics Canada says that, otherwise they would not have a job. I live in Toronto where over 50% of people are not even from Canada. A lot of their kids are born (and raised) in Canada but still raised as immigrants from their original countries. It should not be a shock for anyone that a huge chunk of people who live in Canada do not identify them as Canadians and neither do their kids.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

I am a proud Canadian born and raised but don't identify as Canadian ethnicity sue me!

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Johnny Oduya - nothing about that sounds Swedish to me as a Canadian.
Also, I thought Roberto Luongo and Milan Lucic were Italian for the longest time.

They are

 

[Islay1989]

They are

Milan Lucic most definitely has nothing to do with Italia. Neither his name and especially his surname don't originate from there. Milan is a Slavic name that has the origin from the proto-Slavic word mil, which can be translated to kind. Lucic is a Croato-Serbian surname and Milan Lucic is an ethnic Serb.

 

[Hanji]

Well I was born and raised in Canada. Both of my parents were as well. Statistics Canada says Canadian is an ethnicity. I am Canadian by nationality and ethnicity. Damn proud of it too.

These statistics likely come from white Canadians who view themselves as espousing ‘true’ Canadian cultural traits. The same phenomenon is occurring here in the States.

However, the fact remains that, as young nations of immigrants, both the US and Canada are still far too diverse to have an all-encompassing national ethnicity.
Perhaps this will come to fruition in a thousand years or so, but right now we are too diverse tribally, racially, religiously, linguistically and culturally for Canadian or American to be considered ethnic groups.

 

[Iapyi]

Of course Statistics Canada says that, otherwise they would not have a job. I live in Toronto where over 50% of people are not even from Canada. A lot of their kids are born (and raised) in Canada but still raised as immigrants from their original countries. It should not be a shock for anyone that a huge chunk of people who live in Canada do not identify them as Canadians and neither do their kids.

I know and that is what I am presenting to people.

We need to strengthen our Canadian identity and not accepting the current mindset is a start.

As far as I'm concerned I am Canadian by nationality and ethnicity and no one is going to tell me I can't be just "because".

 

[Iapyi]

I am a proud Canadian born and raised but don't identify as Canadian ethnicity sue me!

That would be more of an American stance.

 

[Iapyi]

These statistics likely come from white Canadians who view themselves as espousing ‘true’ Canadian cultural traits. The same phenomenon is occurring here in the States.

However, the fact remains that, as young nations of immigrants, both the US and Canada are still far too diverse to have an all-encompassing national ethnicity.
Perhaps this will come to fruition in a thousand years or so, but right now we are too diverse tribally, racially, religiously, linguistically and culturally for Canadian or American to be considered ethnic groups.

Well I don't have to accept the status quo. It's got to start somewhere doesn't it?

 

[Zenos]

These statistics likely come from white Canadians who view themselves as espousing ‘true’ Canadian cultural traits. The same phenomenon is occurring here in the States.

Just to add: those who most frequently check off "Canadian" ethnic origin on the census form are French-Canadians in Quebec. Over 60% of Quebec residents consider themselves ethnically Canadian/Canadien (28% say French for instance, less than 2% Quebecois). Of course, some people will invariably argue that they're wrong, but after 400 years of settlement and a culture, history, and (yes even) language unique and distinct from that of France, who's to say?

 

[End on a Hinote]

I assumed David Rittich was North American, especially when I initially though his surname was pronounced "Rid-itch".

 

[FMichael]

Why did you post a picture of Peter Worrell?

lol

ah the memories

 

[gdsmack267]

Craig Adams Brunei

 

[Gobben]

Gudbranson has Norwegian roots, same with Byfuglien (mom), Bjugstad, Skjei....

I have always read Byfuglien as if it was a French name So I thought he was a Canadian from Montreal or something.

Funny thing is that the meaning of the name is now easier to understand for me, as well as how it should be pronounced, at least when in Norway.

 

[abo9]

Just to add: those who most frequently check off "Canadian" ethnic origin on the census form are French-Canadians in Quebec. Over 60% of Quebec residents consider themselves ethnically Canadian/Canadien (28% say French for instance, less than 2% Quebecois). Of course, some people will invariably argue that they're wrong, but after 400 years of settlement and a culture, history, and (yes even) language unique and distinct from that of France, who's to say?

This whole discussion is kinda disturbing to me because I've had it live and it's unsettling when people don't really want to acknowledge that you're from... well... Canada. A discussion I had in school (in Ontario after moving from Quebec).

Other person: "Oh, so I'm from China where are you from?"
Me: "Well, from Canada, Quebec actually"
Other person: "No, I mean WHERE from?"
Me: "Oh, it's a small suburb close to Montreal, you probably would not have heard of it haha"
Other person: "No no I mean WHERE from? Like, where were your parents born?"
Me: "Well... different town but still Quebec"
Other person (getting annoyed): "No, I mean, where does your FAMILY comes from? Like, from which country? We're all immigrants here"

My family has been here since 400 years ago, why is it so tough to understand that any ties I have with France right now are purely symbolical or artifacts from that time? And since France loss control of New-France, it's not like Quebecois had a lot of cultural influence passed down FROM France. Lots of it was borrowed, some of it was new due to the environment, some of it I'm sure comes from the Natives who the first French settlers made pacts with.

So for sure in the optic of this thread there's gonna be a lot of recent immigrants that will have names that "look like" they'd be from other countries. And we should not be surprised by the amount of Canadians and Americans that have names that sound like they're from other countries. But it's great to see that people from different ethnicities are enjoying the sport. Heck, it might even help grow the sport around the globe if italians, arabs, japanese immigrants take a liking to the sport.

 

[Hanji]

Just to add: those who most frequently check off "Canadian" ethnic origin on the census form are French-Canadians in Quebec. Over 60% of Quebec residents consider themselves ethnically Canadian/Canadien (28% say French for instance, less than 2% Quebecois). Of course, some people will invariably argue that they're wrong, but after 400 years of settlement and a culture, history, and (yes even) language unique and distinct from that of France, who's to say?

400 years is minuscule. It’s certainly not enough time to develop our own ethnicity.
Basically, we’re piggy-backing off another cultures, slightly altering them, and calling it our own. This is not akin to having our own unique ethnicity.

Furthermore, as young nations of immigrants, the American and Canadian experience can differ wildly depending on region. The cultural experiences of an inner city black kid can be worlds apart from some kid brought up on the prairies, or Quebec.
Same for here in the US. Someone’s cultural life in rural Alabama will differ immensely from that of inner-city Chicago, or Brainard, MN, or Las Cruces, NM. So which one these is the real American (or Canadian) ethnicity?

Fact is, as young countries of immigrants, we have yet to build up shared commonality traits that define ‘ethnicity’.

 

[Kleefeld]

I assumed David Rittich was North American, especially when I initially though his surname was pronounced "Rid-itch".

Dito. Until your post I thought he was Canadian. His last name doesn't "feel" Czech for me at all.

 

[Gobben]

This whole discussion is kinda disturbing to me because I've had it live and it's unsettling when people don't really want to acknowledge that you're from... well... Canada. A discussion I had in school (in Ontario after moving from Quebec).
...

The opposite can happen in Sweden.

Immigrants speak the local dialect and if you ask them where they come from, they might answer things like, Peru, and you have to tell them, no no.

Most of them immediately then understand, and the next answer might well be Lule, or Mjölby, or anything.

Sweden is some 1600 kms from the south to the north and there is room for a great number of dialects. It is sometimes therefore difficult for us to hear where another person comes from.

Here, it is more important how you speak, than what you look like.

 

[Hanji]

Well I don't have to accept the status quo. It's got to start somewhere doesn't it?

It's already started. But it can take a thousand years of coalescing to end.

I guess it's just a pet peeve of mine when people claim that their experiences represent the 'real Canadian or American' culture when other Americans/Canadians have vastly different cultural experiences - aka different language, foods, religion, culture, backgrounds, etc. This does not occur with unified ethnicities.

 

[swiftwin]

I always found it interesting how some of the most recognizable North American players don't have North American / Western European names.

Gretzky (Belarusian)
Sakic (Croatian)
Hawerchuk (Ukranian?)
Tkachuk (Ukranian)
Mahovlich (Croatian)

But with Russian or Scandinavian names, nobody ever thinks they can be North American.

 

[swiftwin]

400 years is minuscule. It’s certainly not enough time to develop our own ethnicity.
Basically, we’re piggy-backing off another cultures, slightly altering them, and calling it our own. This is not akin to having our own unique ethnicity.

Furthermore, as young nations of immigrants, the American and Canadian experience can differ wildly depending on region. The cultural experiences of an inner city black kid can be worlds apart from some kid brought up on the prairies, or Quebec.
Same for here in the US. Someone’s cultural life in rural Alabama will differ immensely from that of inner-city Chicago, or Brainard, MN, or Las Cruces, NM. So which one these is the real American (or Canadian) ethnicity?

Fact is, as young countries of immigrants, we have yet to build up shared commonality traits that define ‘ethnicity’.

I think Quebec is distinct enough. 400 years is enough. Otherwise, where do you draw the line? Should the Swedes, Danes and Norweigans still refer to themselves as the Norse? Those three only branched off form each other a hundred years or two before New-France was colonized. What about the Brits vs the Anglo-Saxons, Normans, Norse? What about the Scots? Aren't they just the Picts? All these changes happened not too long before New-France was colonized.

Europe was ethnically very very different in 1600. Lots of ethnicities appeared and disappeared since then.

 

[Zenos]

I always found it interesting how some of the most recognizable North American players don't have North American / Western European names.

Gretzky (Belarusian)
Sakic (Croatian)
Hawerchuk (Ukranian?)
Tkachuk (Ukranian)
Mahovlich (Croatian)

But with Russian or Scandinavian names, nobody ever thinks they can be North American.

I'd be interested in seeing a list of all these Russian and/or Scandinavian named players who nobody thinks can be North American. I mean, I'll give you Alex Galchenyuk. But who else??