Canadians Count As Internationals

One-hundred-and-ninety-four years after the U.S. invasion of Canada failed, Harvard is finally recognizing that students from the North Country are not Americans.

Starting next fall, Canadian students will be allowed to participate in the Freshmen International Program (FIP). Dean of Freshmen Thomas A. Dingman ’67 approved the change after members of the Harvard Canadian Club complained about the fact that they had been excluded from the program.

“We are international, we are from a sovereign nation,” said Lauren P.S. Epstein ’07, prime minister of the Canadian Club.

FIP, sponsored by the Freshman Dean’s Office and the Harvard International Office, is an orientation program for “students who have not attended school in either the U.S. or Canada.”

According to Erinn M.M. Wattie ’06, the Canadian Club decided to try to get the policy changed after one member overheard a representative of the Woodbridge Society, an international students’ group, say, “Why would we invite Canadian students to FIP? We don’t invite Americans.”

Wattie, who is a member of the Canadian Club and spearheaded the drive to change the policy, said that it’s “ignorant and unfortunate that we’re perceived by Americans as just like them and we’re perceived by the international community as being just like Americans.”

“It’s harmful to the identity of Canadian students studying in the U.S.,” Wattie added.

Members of the club first contacted the International Office, which was enthusiastic about the change.

They were “sick and tired of Canadians thinking they didn’t have to read the e-mails from the International Office,” said Wattie.

As a result, many Canadian students ran into problems with taxes and visas.

“I didn’t know how to do my taxes in the States until two days before,” said Bo Meng ’06, minister of fisheries and oceans of the Canadian Club.

The students then brought the issue to the attention of the Freshman Dean’s Office.

Dingman said that the students’ argument was persuasive.

“I don’t think it was a case of serious discrimination,” Wattie said. “It was just an oversight.”

—Staff writer Stephanie S. Garlow can be reached at sgarlow@fas.harvard.edu.