Drimonis: So who gets to celebrate la Fête nationale? (Hint: You do)
With St-Jean celebrations around the corner, I want to set the record straight about who gets to celebrate. Answer: Everyone.
Every year I inevitably see a few English-speaking and allophone Quebecers express a mix of trepidation, frustration and uncertainty about whether they should even partake in the June 24 festivities.
I'm here to tell you that you should.
But I also understand where that confusion stems from.
All Quebecers get to celebrate the Fête nationale. The problem is that the word 'Quebecer' doesn't mean the same thing to everyone.
To some, it's simply someone who resides in Quebec. If you live, work and pay taxes here, you're a Quebecer. Grab that Fleur-de-lis and prepare to dance a rigodon.
Not so fast!
To others, the term 'Québécois' encompasses more than just where you live; it's a cultural and linguistic identity, designating the majority French-speaking population. To them, a 'real' Quebecer is someone with French-Canadian ancestry. To others still, it's someone who only speaks and prioritizes French above all. Since my first language (and frankly, not even my second) isn't French, am I one?
By those definitions, English-speaking Quebecers, here since the second half of the 18th century, wouldn't qualify as 'real' Quebecers. Quebec's Greek community, which first arrived here in the late 19th century, with some members settling in Montreal as early as 1843, wouldn't be the real deal either. Even if — like all other immigrant groups — we've helped shape Montreal and Quebec.
Others say self-identification is key. If you identify as a Quebecer, you are one — even if you 'dial 9 for English' or fast during Ramadan.
Any attempt to define the 'right' kind of Quebecer is unhelpful to say the least. The Coalition Avenir Québec's divisive policies, such as Bills 21 and 96, have made many of us question our identity and place here. No matter how deep our roots and contributions, we're left wondering whether we're genuinely considered part of the 'nous' the government says it fights for.
Over the years, many nationalists have pointed to my Greek name and my use of English as incriminating evidence against my Québécois credentials. Some even claim federalist Quebecers can't possibly be Québécois. They're wrong. When René Lévesque addressed the English-speaking community in a speech on sovereignty-association in 1980, he couldn't have been clearer:
''Quebecer' is a name that, to us, unites all those who were born or who live in Quebec and it links together their many language, ethnic, cultural, religious, geographic and other differences,' Lévesque said in his address at the Sheraton Mt-Royal Hotel in Montreal.
'It is the mark of belonging to a people and to a land, and the use of the word or its French equivalent 'Québécois' is in no way the exclusive property of one group and much less of one party.'
Louder for the people in the back!
Of course French is a key element of Quebec's identity, but when I celebrate Quebec culture, I celebrate all of it — all the languages, cultures and religions that find a home here.
Despite legislation, policies and rhetoric that risks alienating some of us, there's a commonality we all share that deserves to be celebrated. We, too, have a deep love for this place — and pride in being part of a unique slice of the world that can't be replicated elsewhere.
If St-Jean celebrates French-Canadian culture, heritage and identity, then this day is ours too. Because French culture and language are profoundly embedded in our Quebec and Canadian identities. They're non-negotiable elements of who we are as Quebecers and Canadians, regardless of first language or place of birth.
I see no contradiction in celebrating both la St-Jean and Canada Day, and no government's exclusionary policies should stop us from embracing — and cheering — a Quebec that belongs to us all.
Bonne Fête nationale, everyone!
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