There's virtually no religion or guns in Seattle. And I'm not sure what race you're talking about, but I can only guess Asian (since Canadian isn't a race!) and even growing up in the 80s half my friends were Asian.
>>> but I can only guess Asian (since Canadian isn't a race!)
That's a perfect example. You've assumed that I meant "race" as meaning there where different races in either country. I mean to speak about the concept of race generally. American's are obsessed with race. It is part of nearly every discussion and aspect of life. In Canada it isn't such a big deal. You don't hear Canadian politicians ever speak of wining "the black vote" or caring that someone is "the first jewish person to win a primary." As a canadian I find such phrases impolite, almost difficult to type.
Look at the new defense minister. If he was named to head the US DOD FoxNews would scream 24/7. In Canada, barely anyone noticed. Those that did did so only because the guy looks like the toughest defense minister on the planet atm.
throws up hands Well, you're the one who brought up race, so I'm not sure what you expected.
I think the problem is that you experience US culture via the media, and you experience Canadian culture in real life AND via the media. I don't feel that everything is about race in the US, but obviously it's a pretty damn big deal in the media right now because of globally-known events that have happened really recently. Would you have said the same even 5 years ago?
In a bar in France one time, a group of drunk Canadian women started chatting me up, and the more drunk of the group kept going on and on about how terribly obsessed with celebrities all of us Americans were. She went on and on for 20 minutes about how it's all we care about and all we talk about. Leaving aside the irony of the situation, she refused to listen when I said I simply don't care, it's not a part of my life, and it's not a part of the lives of anyone I know.
But that's what you get when your biggest impression of a place is from its media. That's not to say that it doesn't reflect something real, just that it's not the whole picture.
There's a bit more religion. I haven't been able to walk through Seattle downtown without some angry person with a sign and a megaphone threatening infidels with hellfire, unless they repent, and accept the Lord as their saviour.
Yeah, I walked through Super Bowl city in SF last week and found these megaphone people. You forget they exist until a big event comes up, then they come out of the woodwork.
We're not talking about Oklahoma here.