If you like to travel, you invariably learn all sorts of words and phrases having to do with traveling. Gate lice. Snowbirds. Pink eye flights. In the beginning, they were just terms someone made up to describe certain niche groups or situations. But word spread and they eventually went mainstream, to the point where they’ve made it into urban dictionaries, real dictionaries, and everyday conversation.
Anyway, there’s another phrase that’s been making the rounds recently. Flag jacking.
What is flag jacking?
“Flag jacking” is defined as “the act of displaying the flag of a more favorable country on your garments/backpack (instead of your home country’s flag), in the hope of receiving friendlier treatment.”
There have been several recent write-ups (in CNN, NY Post, The Mirror, etc.) that suggest Americans are (once again) flag jacking and posing as Canadians.
Where did the term come from?
Unlike most terms that have mystery origins, we can trace “flag jacking” to a 2013 article in Huffington Post, called “How to Spot Flag-Jacking Frauds Abroad.” The author, Allison Eberle, coined the phrase to identify Americans who put Canadian flags on their backpacks in an attempt to “pass” as Canadians and possibly get better treatment.
In subsequent days, similar articles were then posted by Business Insider and CNN, among others.
OK, but that was 2013. Why is “flag jacking” making the rounds now?
Most likely because of the world situation right now.
More countries than ever have warnings about traveling to the United States. And, let’s face it, Americans have been on the radar as among “the world’s worst tourists,” at least in some circles, for years.
So between the two, some people from the U.S. miiiiiight think they’re persona non grata when they visit foreign lands. SOOO…they’re cosplaying as Canadians (which is making Canadians really mad but what can ya do?).
Does it actually work?
It kind of depends on who you ask LOL. I mean, there have been no studies that suggest Canadian tourists are treated better than American ones. Overall, it seems to be anecdotal or situational, more than actual fact.
How do you spot a flag jacker?
Oh, that’s simple. Someone may be wearing a Canadian flag on their backpack, but that doesn’t mean they’re ACTING like a Canadian. I mean really, with all the innate behaviors that separate us, you can spot an American from a mile away.
Flag jacking might be a decent attempt, but it won’t work for most savvy people.
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5 comments
Seems like fake news to me. Many people collect T-shirts, stickers, and flag patches of places they visit. Having them on clothes or backpacks, etc., doesn’t mean they are trying to act like they are from another country. When I wear my Jamaica T-shirt, it doesn’t mean I’m trying to act like I’m from Jamaica, for example. More likely, they are trying to show off that they travel ‘so much’ to be cool.
Of course, if your political bias is to be ashamed of being an American, I guess you could dream this up to either make a political statement or construct.
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I suggest you also look at Business Insider, CNN, NY Post, et al., for their thoughts when they wrote about flag jacking.
I don’t go overboard, but I do use Canadian flag luggage tags.
Pathetic – be proud to be an American but also be a good tourist/traveler. For example, I go out of my way to learn local culture and adapt to it. I also try to learn enough of the local language to get by (or at least show I don’t assume everyone speaks English) Granted that will be harder on my upcoming trip to Japan and Korea than it was on my recent trip to France (I actually minored in French many years ago and a good bit has been retained). Also, don’t worry about how Americans are received. I have been warmly received on the 3 international trips I took this year (all after the inauguration BTW) to Taiwan/Hong Kong/Vietnam, Greenland and London/France. It is all about adapting to the local customs. I also am not a loud/obnoxious American and try to dress and act so I fit in wherever I go.
I know many Americans who are not particularly proud of what their country is doing nowadays. If they’re concerned they might be treated like crap because of the crappy things their government is doing, I could see trying to go incognito.