Québécois or Quebeckers?

Clearly, in French usage in Quebec, Québécois means "pertaining to those people living in Quebec, speaking French, who constitute--and feel themselves part of--a Québécois nation". Hence the Parti and Bloc Québécois. Québécois obviously does not mean just an habitant of the province. The word is exclusionary in effect.

Whereas, in English usage, "Quebecker" simply means one who lives in, or is from, Quebec. Same as a "Manitoban".

So, if one recognizes the Québécois as a nation, one is excluding from inherent membership in that nation all those inhabitants of Quebec--and there are many--who just consider themselves "Quebeckers". A recipe for (continuing) discrimination and oppression.

Sort of like what has happened to the Serbs of Croatia (to be provocative). And, one might ask, where are the anglophone returnees to Quebec?

Another way of looking at it: are Mordecai Richler's books considered part of Québécois culture? Case closed.

Mark C.

Update: Chuckercanuck, in a comment at Andrew Coyne.com, makes a point I should have:

Quebec the province and Quebecois the nation aren't the same thing and if the latter separates, it cannot take the former with it.

Unless we--RoC--let them.

Posted by markc at November 23, 2006 09:30 PM