Canadian Studies Announcements

In This Issue:

News from Canada

• Trump renames Lake Ontario “Lake America” after collapse of US-Canada trade talks

Campus Events

• Back-to-School Reception for Students

• “Rethinking Linking: Effects of Cap-and-Trade Integration Equilibrium on Emissions and Welfare”

• Canadian Studies Student Research Showcase

NEWS FROM CANADA

Trump Renames Lake Ontario “Lake America” After Collapse of US-Canada Trade Talks

The name of one of North America’s largest lakes has become another flashpoint in the ongoing trade dispute between the United States and Canada. On Thursday, President Trump issued an executive order directing the US government to change its official name for Lake Ontario to “Lake America”.

The move appears to be retaliation for Prime Minister Carney’s decision to walk out of bilateral trade negotiations. But it also seems to reflect the particularly bad relationship between the US president and Ontario premier Doug Ford. Ford has become a particularly harsh critic of Trump, and has been a prominent voice calling for Canada to push back harder against the US administration. This led to the two exchanging insults earlier last week after Ford praised Carney’s decision to end the talks. Trump announced he was renaming the lake shortly afterwards, presenting the justification “that we don’t expect to doing {sic} much business with Ontario any longer.”

The new name has already been implemented by US federal agencies and on Google Maps for American users. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum also revealed that Trump has personally asked Apple to change the name immediately. However, the move was met with ridicule by Canadian officials. Prime Minister Carney noted that the US president has no authority to change what Canadians call the lake, affirming that it will “always” be Lake Ontario.

The move has also faced pushback in the United States, where only 14% of Americans support renaming the lake, according to a recent poll. The governors of New York, Michigan, and Vermont announced that they would not recognize the name change. Even in the largely Republican counties that border the lake on the US side, few people expressed support for the president’s order.

The name of Lake Ontario was first recorded in 1639 and is believed to derive from an Iroquoian word meaning “Lake of Shining Waters”. The Canadian province of Ontario was named for the lake upon Confederation in 1867.

Image of Toronto by Dillan Payne on Wikimedia Commons.

UPCOMING CAMPUS EVENTS

Back-to-School Reception for Students
Th., Sept. 3 | 2:00 pm | 223 Philosophy Hall | RSVP

The Canadian Studies Program invites you to kick off the fall semester with a back-to-school meet-and-greet for students! Learn more about our program and meet other students with Canadian connections while enjoying complimentary tea and pastries. This is your chance to:

• Connect with Canadian students and friends of Canada
• Discover research funding for Canada-related projects
• Learn about upcoming events, like our lunch talks, conferences, and Canadian Thanksgiving celebration!

Please RSVP here if you plan to attend. We look forward to seeing you Thursday!

Rethinking Linking: Effects of Cap-and-Trade Integration on Equilibrium Emissions and Welfare
Friday, Sept. 4 | Noon | 241 Giannini Hall | Learn more

Conventional economic reasoning suggests that linking cap-and-trade programs creates efficiency gains by lowering costs while holding emissions constant. When cap-and-trade programs have price floors or ceilings, however, linking may increase emissions and decrease welfare. Within California and Québec, cap-and-trade linkage increased emissions by 17.5 million tons CO₂e and reduced welfare by $331 million annually – an outcome that was ex-ante foreseeable. A reformed linked market could have remained emissions-neutral while instead increasing welfare by up to $32 million annually. However, political and institutional frictions prevented such reforms from being implemented and propose that policymakers prioritized cutting emissions cheaply over equating marginal damages and benefits.

Thor Larson is a graduate student affiliate of Berkeley’s Energy Institute and the first economist at Berkeley to earn a Designated Emphasis in Energy Science and Technology alongside his PhD. His research focuses on the design of energy markets, with a special emphasis on innovation and the clean energy transition. He holds a BA, magna cum laude, in Applied Mathematics and Chemistry from Harvard.

This event is hosted by the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics.

Tuesday, September 15 | Noon | 223 Philosophy Hall | RSVP

Learn about the research Canadian Studies funds through our Edward E. Hildebrand Graduate Research Fellowships, as recipients present overviews of their projects.

Refusing Bifurcation: Mobility, Kinship and Chinese-Indigenous Families in the Pacific Northwest Borderlands

Jessica Jiang, PhD candidate, Department of Ethnic Studies

In the late 19th-century Pacific Northwest, colonial and transpacific migration routes overlapped and often conflicted with longstanding Indigenous geographies. This talk traces several mixed Chinese-Indigenous families on the Columbia/Interior Plateau across generations, showing how these larger forces shaped their lives and movements. These families found themselves in the crosshairs of both US and Canadian policies that sought to control the movement of Chinese and Indigenous people; however, they also found creative ways to navigate and circumvent these restrictions. Drawing on both Chinese and Indigenous knowledge, practices, and relationships, mixed-descent individuals used their dual heritage to negotiate different kinship traditions, maintain their families, and protect their connections to their homelands.

The Gang Exception: Eroding Propensity Rules in Canadian Criminal Law

Reakash Walters, PhD candidate, UC Berkeley Law

“The Gang Exception” demonstrates how evidence law is applied differently for race and class marginalized accused than for other accused persons. The methodology of the article pairs a systematic content analysis of reported Canadian criminal cases with a content analysis of trial transcripts involving accused with serious charges. Admissibility decisions involving gang-related charges are compared with a separate group of non-gang cases that turn on the admissibility of bad character or propensity evidence arising from a similar set of serious charges. This design helps isolate what might be particular to how courts reason about the admissibility of gang-affiliation evidence. The article argues that the reasoning through which gang affiliation evidence is admitted departs from the principled application of the propensity framework set out in R v Handy: the probative value and prejudicial effect inquiry the rule demands is often thinned or left unstated. Further, courts engage in a unique form of reasoning not present in the comparator cases to justify admission of gang-affiliation evidence. This research further illustrates how the organizational mechanisms that shape criminal legal institutions affect systemic inequality.

Canadian Studies Program

213 Philosophy Hall #2308

Website | LinkedIn | Email | Donate

Canadian Studies Announcements

In This Issue:

Program News

• A welcome message from our director

News from Canada

• US-Canada trade war escalates as Canada walks away from talks

Academic Opportunities

• Edward E. Hildebrand Graduate Research Fellowship
• Rita Ross Undergraduate Prize in Canadian Studies
• Conference Travel Grants

Campus Events

• Back-to-School Reception for Students

• “Rethinking Linking: Effects of Cap-and-Trade Integration Equilibrium on Emissions and Welfare”

• 9th Annual Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner

External Events

• Silicon Valley Terry Fox Run for Cancer Research

PROGRAM NEWS

A Welcome Message from Our Director

Dear friends,

On behalf of the Canadian Studies Program at UC Berkeley, it is my pleasure to welcome our new and returning students back to Berkeley. The start of a new academic year brings fresh opportunities to learn, connect, and discover. Whether you are a Canadian or are just interested in Canada, our community can help you discover fresh perspectives that show the richness of Canada’s histories, politics, and cultures. I look forward to exploring these topics with you, and building an engaged and welcoming intellectual community that connects people not just across campus, but across the US-Canada border.

I encourage you to take advantage of the many opportunities the Canadian Studies Program offers to learn beyond the classroom. Our fellowships and public events offer opportunities to connect with scholars and fellow students, and help build a stronger US-Canada relationship at a critical time.

We wish you an inspiring and rewarding semester, and look forward to seeing you at our events throughout the year!

Sincerely,

Hidetaka Hirota
Director, Canadian Studies Program
Thomas G. Barnes Chair in Canadian Studies

NEWS FROM CANADA

US-Canada Trade War Escalates as Canada Walks Away from Talks

Trade talks between the US and Canada collapsed over the weekend as Prime Minister Mark Carney instructed Canadian negotiators to walk away from what he called an “unfair” proposal. The decision comes only days after Canadian and US officials announced that they were on the verge of reaching a new agreement. It is only the latest step in the highly public breakdown of the close and warm ties that formerly characterised Canada-US relations.

In response to the failure of the talks, the US administration implemented a 50% tariff on $20-$28 billion worth of Canadian goods, or about 5% of Canada’s US-bound exports. Furthermore, Trump announced that starting January 1, 2027, 50% tariffs would be applied to all Canadian vehicles, automobile parts, and steel.

In remarks Saturday, Prime Minister Carney announced that he considered Canada to be in a trade war. The Prime Minister promised dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs against US goods, which will likely be targeted at politically sensitive industries.

Both sides blamed the other for the breakdown of negotiations, including trading accusations that the other nation’s negotiators had introduced unreasonable last-minute demands. Canadian officials complained about contradictory demands coming from different US officials, while US officials argued that Canada took advantage of the US and did not negotiate in good faith.

The primary point of contention remains different tariff rates for different products of the Canadian auto sector. However, PM Carney expressed an underlying frustration that the US was treating Canada like a “subsidiary” and intentionally trying to weaken Canada’s industrial sector, to the benefit of the US. The Prime Minister announced that Canada wouldn’t return to the negotiating table until the US had the “right attitude” of partnership.

Another major issue was reports that US officials were seeking that Canada weaken Quebec’s French-language laws. These laws require products sold in Quebec to include French labelling and instruction manuals, as well as requiring digital media services to prioritize French-language content. US representatives argue that they impose unfair burdens on American companies. But Quebec premier Christine Fréchette praised Carney’s defense of her province’s French-language protections, calling them a “red line”. “Our language is central to our identity,” said Fréchette, “and it won’t change even though we are threatened with different tariffs.”

Carney’s decision to walk away from the talks seems to have been broadly popular among Canada’s political leaders, receiving support from figures as diverse as NDP leader Avi Lewis, Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet, and Ontario premier Doug Ford. However, while Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre expressed disappointment over Trump’s new tariffs, he demanded a full account from Carney of why the trade talks had broken down. He asked the Prime Minister to recall Parliament for a full debate on the merits of the deal that Carney had rejected.

Image of Mark Carney by Policy Exchange on Wikimedia Commons.

ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES

The Canadian Studies Program’s signature Hildebrand Fellowship provides support for Berkeley graduate students of any citizenship whose work focuses primarily, or comparatively, on Canada. The Fellowship provides up to $5,000 per semester to fund direct travel and research expenses.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Applications should be submitted at least one month before the start of any proposed travel.

Rita Ross Undergraduate Prize in Canadian Studies

The Rita Ross Prize recognizes an outstanding undergraduate research project related to Canada, produced for a UC Berkeley class or independent study project. The competition is open to any UC Berkeley undergraduate student in good academic standing, in any college or discipline.

One $300 cash prize is awarded to a student who has produced a superior undergraduate research paper or other original project that engages with topics, people, or events related to Canada. The prize is awarded at the end of the spring semester.

Conference Travel Grants

The Canadian Studies Program provides travel grants of up to $1,000 to students presenting at or attending conferences where their presence will advance research on Canada or Canada-US relations. Awards are made at the director’s discretion.

UPCOMING CAMPUS EVENTS

Back-to-School Reception for Students
Th., Sept. 3 | 2:00 pm | 223 Philosophy Hall | RSVP

The Canadian Studies Program invites you to kick off the fall semester with a back-to-school meet-and-greet for students! Learn more about our program and meet other students with Canadian connections while enjoying complimentary tea and pastries. This is your chance to:

• Connect with Canadian students and friends of Canada
• Discover research funding for Canada-related projects
• Learn about upcoming events, like our lunch talks, conferences, and Canadian Thanksgiving celebration!

Please RSVP here if you plan to attend. We look forward to seeing you next week!

Rethinking Linking: Effects of Cap-and-Trade Integration on Equilibrium Emissions and Welfare
Friday, Sept. 4 | Noon | 241 Giannini Hall | Learn more

Conventional economic reasoning suggests that linking cap-and-trade programs creates efficiency gains by lowering costs while holding emissions constant. When cap-and-trade programs have price floors or ceilings, however, linking may increase emissions and decrease welfare. Within California and Québec, cap-and-trade linkage increased emissions by 17.5 million tons CO₂e and reduced welfare by $331 million annually – an outcome that was ex-ante foreseeable. A reformed linked market could have remained emissions-neutral while instead increasing welfare by up to $32 million annually. However, political and institutional frictions prevented such reforms from being implemented and propose that policymakers prioritized cutting emissions cheaply over equating marginal damages and benefits.

Thor Larson is a graduate student affiliate of Berkeley’s Energy Institute and the first economist at Berkeley to earn a Designated Emphasis in Energy Science and Technology alongside his PhD. His research focuses on the design of energy markets, with a special emphasis on innovation and the clean energy transition. He holds a BA, magna cum laude, in Applied Mathematics and Chemistry from Harvard.

This event is hosted by the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics.

SAVE THE DATE!

9th Annual Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner

Sunday, Oct. 4 | 5:00 pm | Alumni House | Buy tickets

Canadian Studies is proud to partner with our friends at the Digital Moose Lounge to bring you a cherished Canadian tradition! Join us in celebrating the Bay Area’s Canadian community with a delicious, family-friendly turkey dinner on the UC Berkeley campus. Tickets include a classic Thanksgiving turkey dinner; a raffle with fabulous prizes; and a chance to meet fellow Canadians and friends of Canada from around the Bay!

Special Offer for UC Berkeley Students! Canadian Studies is able to subsidize a limited number of tickets for UC Berkeley students. Please email canada@berkeley.edu to learn more.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Silicon Valley Terry Fox Run for Cancer Research
Sun., Sept. 27 | 9:30 am | Menlo Park, CA | Learn more

The Digital Moose Lounge and the Consulate General of Canada in San Francisco invite you to join the “Eh Team” as you follow in the footsteps of Terry Fox to raise money for cancer research. Now in its fourth year, this annual event brings Bay Area Canadians together to run, walk, and bike to continue Terry’s efforts to find a cure for cancer. This year’s run will take place at Bedwell Bayfront Park in Menlo Park, and will feature a special appearance by Terry’s brother, Darrell Fox, as guest of honor!

Canadian Studies Program

213 Philosophy Hall #2308

Website | LinkedIn | Email | Donate

Canadian Studies Announcements

In This Issue:

Program News

• The Globe and Mail quotes Director Hidetaka Hirota on how Trump’s immigration crackdown is impacting US economy

Academic Opportunities

• Call for Papers: Journal of Canadian Studies special edition: “My Canada Includes an Extra Chromosome”

External Events

• Berkeley Club of Canada Annual Summer Mixer

• Berkeley Club of Canada Summer Party in Vancouver

PROGRAM NEWS

The Globe and Mail Quotes Director Hidetaka Hirota on How Trump Immigration Crackdown is Impacting US Economy

Canadian Studies Program Director Hidetaka Hirota was quoted in an article in The Globe and Mail last week discussing how the Trump administration’s immigration restrictions are affecting the US economy.

The article argues that tighter limits on both legal and undocumented immigration are contributing to labour shortages, slowing business growth, and prompting some companies to move jobs overseas. Labor disruptions are affecting everything from the tech sector, which heavility utilizes H1-B visas, to construction, with its reliance on undocumented labor.

Professor Hirota explains that the Trump administration’s agenda is a significant reversal of the last six decades of US immigration policy. While undocumented migration has long been a political target, the administration has gone further by also constraining legal pathways to enter the US. He also argues that these measures reflect a longer historical pattern of exclusion. Professor Hirota points out that restrictions on some visa categories disproportionately affect Asian immigrants, such as Indians, who form 70% of the people granted H1-B visas.

ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES

Deadline: 1 November, 2026

This special issue is about reflecting on Canada’s “excessive demand” laws, policies and professional and administrative practices that converge to exclude would-be migrant persons based on certain medical conditions, and the implications of these relations in everyday lives. The title is the name of an episode of political satirist Rick Mercer’s television program, referring to the exclusion of a child with Down Syndrome from Canada.

A central part of a Canadian immigration application process is the medical examination. The stakes of negative medical assessment are high: people can be screened out of being eligible for immigrating to Canada. Informed by 19th-century health reasoning, Canadian federal immigration law is organized to exclude people with certain chronic illness, disability, and genetic otherness from permanently settling, deeming them a burden and risk to Canadian society.

Ultimately, the medical logic of immigration exclusion in the Canadian context is not self-evident, making it ripe terrain for social inquiry. In this thematic issue, we seek submissions from scholars and practitioners whose contributions advance knowledge in the humanities, social sciences and creative disciplines.

For more information, please find the full call for papers here.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Berkeley Club of Canada Annual Summer Mixer

Wed., July 15 | 6:30 pm | Toronto, ON | RSVP

The Berkeley Club of Canada invites Canadian Bears to join them for their annual summer mixer in Toronto. Join other UC Berkeley alumni, students, and friends for an evening of connection and community! Whether you’re looking to network with fellow alumni, share advice with current students, or warmly welcome the newest Bears to the Cal family, this is the perfect opportunity to celebrate our shared Berkeley journey.

​Join UC Berkeley students, alumni, families, and friends for an evening of BBQ, drinks, connection, and Cal community in beautiful Kerrisdale. ​Whether you’ve been part of the Cal community for decades or are just beginning your Berkeley adventure, this is a chance to connect with fellow Bears over great food, drinks, and conversation.

We’ll have alumni sharing stories and advice, returning students reconnecting after the school year, and incoming students meeting people before arriving on campus this fall. It’s a fun way to build connections across the Cal community before another exciting year begins. ​Families are warmly welcome, and we especially hope current and incoming students will come and bring their Berkeley spirit. ​Expect good food, great conversations, and plenty of blue-and-gold energy. Please RSVP by July 17.

Canadian Studies Program

213 Philosophy Hall #2308

Website | LinkedIn | Email | Donate

Canadian Studies Announcements

In This Issue:

Program News

• US Supreme Court cites program director Hidetaka Hirota in landmark citizenship decision

• Grad student Thor Larson presents at Toronto Meeting on the Economics of Climate Change

US Supreme Court Cites Program Director Hidetaka Hirota in Landmark Citizenship Decision

When the US Supreme Court released its much-anticipated decision upholding birthright citizenship last week, it referenced research by Canadian Studies Program Director Hidetaka Hirota to show the concept’s deep roots in US history.

As reported by the College of Letters & Science, the opinion of the court cited Professor Hirota’s 2017 book, Expelling the Poor: Atlantic Seaboard States and the Nineteenth-Century Origins of American Immigration Policy. The book traces the origins of US federal immigration policy to the mid-19th century influx of impoverished Irish immigrants.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts quoted Hirota as “describing outcry in 1855 when Massachusetts deported a pauper Irish mother with her American-born infant, who was acknowledged to be a ‘native-born citizen'”. As the court noted, the case demonstrates that even before the passing of the 14th Amendment, and in a time of heightened anti-immigrant sentiment, children of immigrants born on US soil were considered native-born citizens.

“It’s an honor to be cited in the US Supreme Court ruling on an issue of critical importance for our society,” Hirota told L&S News. “The decision demonstrates how historians’ work continues to matter in our society today… The case reminds us that birthright citizenship is something that must be actively protected rather than something that can be taken for granted.”

Grad Student Thor Larson Presents at Toronto Meeting on the Economics of Climate Change

The Canadian Studies Program was pleased to sponsor economics PhD candidate Thor Larson to present at the Toronto Meeting on the Economics of Climate Change (TMEC), which took place from June 24-26. Hosted by the University of Toronto, the workshop provides a forum for leading researchers in the field to discuss their work.

Thor is an applied microeconomist with a background in energy and environmental economics and industrial organization. His research focuses on the design of energy markets with a special emphasis on innovation and the clean energy transition.

Thor presented his dissertation research on the California-Quebec cap-and-trade program. California and Quebec linked their cap-and-trade programs in 2015, in a major example of environmental policy coordination across international borders. Thor’s research examines where this program has succeeded and where it can still be improved. While the coordinated environmental policy has produced many benefits, the way California and Quebec implemented the agreement inadvertently increased greenhouse gas emissions. His work shows that better coordination could have avoided this emissions increase, preserved the many gains from international collaboration, and increased global welfare by over $330 million annually.

Thor is an affiliate of Berkeley’s Energy Institute and the first economist at Berkeley to earn a Designated Emphasis in Energy Science and Technology alongside his PhD. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College with a BA in Applied Mathematics and Chemistry in 2021.

Thor was not the only representative from Berkeley to present at TMEC. Both of the conference’s keynote speeches were given by UC Berkeley affiliates: one by agricultural economist and Chancellor’s Associate Professor Joseph S. Shapiro, and the other by Solomon Hsiang, a former Berkeley faculty member who now teaches at Stanford.

Canadian Studies Program

213 Philosophy Hall #2308

Website | LinkedIn | Email | Donate