The desire to leave America seems to be stronger in younger women than men, for some reason(s).
After living here in Canada for the last 25yrs my wife, an American, made the decision out of the blue back in April that she wanted to become a CDN citizen. It was something that I had never brought up with her over the years as I felt that it was something that was her decision alone to make, (my Mother, an American as well, moved to Canada in 1968 when she married my father and never felt the need to become a Canadian up to when she died in 2020). Two weeks ago she finally had her swearing in ceremony and is now a Canadian citizen, as well as an American, just like me, a dual citizen.
When I asked her why she decided to do this, her answer was, 'the US has changed so much over the last 25yrs that I no longer feel that its a part of me, of who I am. Trump has only accelerated this feeling for me.' I thought that was interesting because over the last 25yrs we have always been constantly visiting with her family in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. We go to that area 3-4 times a year and she routinely would spend 2-3 weeks during the summers there with our kids when they were small. I've not really noticed any sort of changes locally in those states, the people, attitude, beliefs haven't changed, the feeling towards Canada and Canadians haven't changed there at all over the last 25yrs. I've always felt 'at home' when in Massachusetts/Connecticut/Rhode Island, never concerned about my safety, not feeling like I stood out or didn't fit in. My core beliefs overwhelmingly fit right in on the majority of things.
BUT, where I have felt, seen, experienced changes, for the worst, is when I'd go and spend time with my Mom's side of the family in Michigan. Attitudes have changed, have harden, in Michigan. They have less of a 'love' for Canadians now. I've wondered why this would be the case and my conclusion is that that states that my wife's family live in are 'outward facing' states, states facing the ocean/Europe, states who's economy has adapted positively to the new world and have thrived as a result. States that traditionally have been more 'aligned' with Canada/Europe in terms of societal well being, social services, education, mass transit and all the rest of it. Michigan is in the 'heartland', in the Rust Belt, currently its 'better days' are behind it (when I say that, I don't necessarily believe that 'better days' can't occur again), its still struggling with high poverty, high crime, lack of 'fresh blood, ideas, perspective' being pumped into it. Neither Michigan nor Massachusetts/Connecticut/Rhode Island are dealing with high number of illegal immigrants but their attitudes towards them are completely divergent. Michigan is struggling and as a result I feel that it has turned inwards, circled the wagons, it doesn't have a path forward.
That's my rant on this. Sorry, but as a person who has lived/worked on both sides of the border, now has greater than 70% of his family in the US, I find these times to be disheartening. Change can be good but what's happening now may not be for the good overall.
news.gallup.com
