Americans Pretending to Be Canadian While Traveling
One Canadian radio host described the phenomenon:
“It’s like clockwork. The world gets mad at America, and Americans go, ‘Oh no, quick! To the maple leaves!’”
Known as flag-jacking, this practice has existed for decades. When the global opinion of America sours due to political events, some US travelers try to avoid negative attention by displaying Canadian flags on their backpacks, suitcases, or luggage tags. This tactic aims to present themselves as Canadians to minimize scorn or mistreatment abroad.
The trend dates back to the Vietnam War era, when backpackers sewed Canadian flag patches onto their gear and clothes while traveling through Europe. It resurged during the Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War in the 1990s and 2000s.
Pop Culture Reference
In a 2005 episode of The Simpsons, Lisa Simpson explains flag-jacking to her brother Bart while arriving in Italy:
“Well, some people in Europe have the impression that America has made some stupid choices in the past, oh, five years. So, for the next week, I’m from Canada.”
Current Context
With the Trump administration still unpopular internationally, many Americans planning travel are again purchasing red maple leaf patches and stickers online to disguise their nationality.
Summary
This longstanding practice shows how Americans sometimes adopt Canadian symbols abroad to escape negative perceptions tied to US politics and protect themselves from unfavorable treatment.