Not French enough

[Re: “Anglos out of work,” Letters, Feb. 28] Ms. Matsui’s letter reads like the script to any one of the many conversations I’ve had with my bilingual but non-Quebec born friends (and that, generally a few months before they leave Montreal/Quebec for good).

I too am bilingual, and the French teachers I had in Ontario were from France or Switzerland, so my accent is a mix of Toronto-anglo and undesignated EuroFrench. 

Let me assure you that even that is not “French enough” for many people here. After people are done guessing where I am from, their faces contort in horror when I unleash my Torontonian roots (insert screams of terror!!!). Luckily, I am a translator and my skills in English and French are valuable and appreciated by my employer. 

However, my employ does not exempt me from being harassed by random strangers when overheard speaking English on the street and on the STM—which has happened at least twice in the past year. Add to this the increasingly common alarmist media coverage of “the anglos are taking over!! (insert screams of terror!!!)” when it’s generally given that we constitute a meagre 18 per cent of the population.   

I find it hard to believe this city considers itself “non-racist” or even vaguely “multicultural” when even the accent with which you speak marks you as potentially “unemployable” despite displaying an obvious mastery of the language. 

>> Maudite Anglophone

Anglos get
dose of reality

[Re: “Anglos out of work,” Letters, Feb. 28] I was quite puzzled by David Ravensbergen’s article, “Bright lights, French city,” about ROC young adults settling in Montreal and discovering the peculiarities of its job market.

On the one hand, I was happy to realize that Montreal attracts new blood—unlike the derelict doughnut hole I came to know in the late ’80s. On the other hand, I was less than impressed with the whining about being stuck in the lower end of the wage scale.

After all, many young unilingual French speakers who leave their Quebec regions, settle in Montreal and cannot engage in the “casual bilingualism” of this city know exactly the same fate. And never will you hear the ones heading towards B.C. or Alberta complain that they are relegated to being fruit pickers, tree planters or dishwashers. They’re actually quite happy to see the country and learn some English in the process.

What do you expect, Mr. Ravensbergen? Ninety per cent of the Earth’s passengers do NOT speak English, and a billion or so are deprived of the most basic necessities such as clean water. The world is not a piece of cake, and what better city than Montreal to start seeing it as it is?

Testing times and French lessons can only do good to your egotistical iPod Generation ambassadors. Unless they prefer to teach English in sunny Thailand for 25 grand a year, and discover a decade later they are still “farang” and going nowhere.

>> Pierre-E. Paradis

Facebook vs.
journalism

[Re: “Angel,” Feb. 28] Attention journalists: A Facebook group supporting a cause or advocating a change is NOT an accurate measure of a movement’s real popularity or potential.

In this week’s Mirror alone, there are at least two examples of journalists backing up their claims regarding the popularity of a local project with references to Facebook groups.

An example, from the “Angel” of the week, regarding changing the name of the Lionel-Groulx metro station to Oscar Peterson: “Citrome recently set up a Facebook group urging the city to rename Lionel-Groulx metro station after Peterson, and so far has 170 or so members, and is inviting others to join.” Other local print and broadcast media are as guilty of this as the Mirror.

Joining a Facebook group involves nothing more than the click of a mouse, and is not a real, active manifestation of support for a cause. Conferences, marches, meetings, publications, campaigns, events—these are some examples of active support for a movement that involves people getting off their asses.

Facebook can definitely be a tool for community organization, but group membership alone is not proof of the real strength of any movement.

So please, journalists, when reporting on a local project or call for change, please give us something a little more credible than Facebook stats to show us what the movement’s really accomplishing.

>> Jennifer MacDonald

Save AK petition

[Re; “Malaysian malaise,” Feb. 28] I recently read the Mirror article about the “AK” who wishes to obtain Canadian refugee status.

As I found the issue quite serious and alarming, I created an online petition, www.ipetitions.com/petition/akrefugee/.

Although I doubt it will prevent “AK” from returning to Malaysia, I hope it will create some awareness as to gay, lesbians and transgendered refugees and the too many flaws of the Canadian justice system.

>> Anonymous

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