i am canadian?

at least once a day scenario:

me: 'scuza, ei non parle italian'
Local: So where you from.
Me: well i am from Canada, I am Canadian.
local: no, no. You no understand me bella, where you from?
me: ah, well ok. I was born and partially raised in El Salvador. But have lived in Canada almost my entire life. So I am canadian.

I am Canadian. Not America. Not from Mexico, not from South America. I was born Salvadorian, raised in a Canadian environment with some Salvadorean flavour. I have now started to say: i am latina-canadianense. All of my students will now know this new terminology. I have started my very own language. Yes! I love it. I love it all. I love explaining the difference between being American and being Canadian. I love telling people how I am still able to speak Spanish at home with my family, yet switch over to English and French. So becoming a local is creating an identity for yourself in a new environment, an unfamiliar environment. It teaching and learning all at the same time, pretty cool if you ask me.