Older generation - racist?
- Thread starter PaulStat
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Is a white person born in China, a Chinaman?
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I've always thought of being English as being from an historical line (i know line is the wrong word to use) whereas being British is something you can adopt regardless of where you're from. The end result is often the same but at the same time they are totally different.
Associate
With respect, don't be a moron.
English is recognised as a race(even though when you boil it down thats debatable), British is a nationality.
My father is Kuwaiti, my mother is English. I was born here, and would not call myself "English", as I do not have the parental provenance to claim that. I am 50% English, 50% Kuwaiti, but 100% British.
Sorry if that doesnt compute in your head but its my truth
I was born in England and have spent most of my life in England.
My father was born in Belfast and his parents were from Northern Ireland.
My mother was born in Wales and her parents were from Wales.
What nationality am I?
Soldato
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With respect, don't be a moron.
English is recognised as a race(even though when you boil it down thats debatable), British is a nationality.
My father is Kuwaiti, my mother is English. I was born here, and would not call myself "English", as I do not have the parental provenance to claim that. I am 50% English, 50% Kuwaiti, but 100% British.
Sorry if that doesnt compute in your head but its my truth
Erm, I have an English mother and a Maltese father (was born in England) and consider myself to be English.
I don't care if I don't have the parental whatever to claim that. Anyone says I'm not English and I'll shoot them.
Associate
Good for you. I've been told by my friends that they consider me to be English, but personally I wouldnt call myself that as I do not feel it is an apt description of my racial background.
Associate
So disrepsectful to your mother, I hope you are ashamed of yourself!
Don't get me wrong, I certainly consider myself culturally to be far more English than Kuwaiti, my dads side of the family are fruity loopy terrorist types
Not really, they are strange though, as is Kuwait as a country, and I dont have much to do with them. Thats part of the reason my dad moved here, found their culture too limiting.
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Soldato
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Lol, I wasn't being entirely serious, but I guess English, etc is just an opinion.
I think that if someone's born here, then they're English and part of English culture, end of.
What they personally consider is their opinion and they might not feel entirely English or embrace the culture, but I am of no doubt that other people should not consider them to be any less English than themselves.
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Culturally yes I suppose would say I am English(to contradict slightly what I said above), but for the purpouses of this discussion which is more about race I wouldnt be so er well, black and white about it.
Soldato
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Associate
I feel exactly the same way. I was born here but my parents are both from Cyprus so I consider myself a dual national (British/Cypriot) but not English.
Man of Honour
"People in this country" does not equate to "the British people".
Stereotype overload :/
Soldato
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Soldato
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Not really.
I just don't understand what I'm a stereotype of and how I would not be totally English (which no-one has suggested that I'm not personally, but it is the topic which the latter part of the thread is discussing).
I've an English mother and a Swedish father, yet I wouldn't bat an eyelid calling myself either English or Swedish. I'm both.
When in Sweden people can't tell that I'm also English, and vice-versa. I don't think you have to be one or the other or exact proportions of nationalities adding up to a whole; I'd say they can overlap in one person.
For example, I was born in Sweden, lived there until I was 7, yet now having had the majority of my life and education in England I'd probably say I feel much more like 'home' is here.
If you go far enough back, MOST Englishmen and women will have lots of little bits of foreigner in them - when do the bits eventually become reduced enough for them to give up (I'm 1/64th Romanian, 1/128th Chilean...) and just call themselves English?
When in Sweden people can't tell that I'm also English, and vice-versa. I don't think you have to be one or the other or exact proportions of nationalities adding up to a whole; I'd say they can overlap in one person.
For example, I was born in Sweden, lived there until I was 7, yet now having had the majority of my life and education in England I'd probably say I feel much more like 'home' is here.
If you go far enough back, MOST Englishmen and women will have lots of little bits of foreigner in them - when do the bits eventually become reduced enough for them to give up (I'm 1/64th Romanian, 1/128th Chilean...) and just call themselves English?