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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

British or English

279 replies

Dellspoem · 06/03/2025 16:32

Currently having a conversation/ debate with a friend. Are you British or English? Do you consider one a nationality and one an ethnicity?

My Asian family members describe themselves as British Asian. Saying 'I'm English' is synonymous with something else, mainly because of the connotations with the English flag and nationalism.

They are both geographic locations, so technically this shouldnt be that different. And you don't get the same with Scottish or Welsh.

What are your thoughts?

OP posts:
Psychoticbreak · 07/03/2025 19:22

alexdgr8 · 07/03/2025 16:05

That doesn't necessarily follow.
My father was born in Ireland and always proudly declared that he was born under the British flag.
When I was quite young i imagined his mother being caught short and having to give birth out in a field somewhere under a flagpole.

So I assume Northern Irish your father? Just honestly as someone from 'the other end' we would die rather than ever say anything other than Irish but I guess NI has the option.

Puffinshop · 07/03/2025 16:31

Both really, but I'm English and I consider my children, born abroad and have never lived in England, to be half English.

They speak English with a southern English accent and all the 'British' parts of them and their cultural background are from me and my family and we're all English. They're not Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish at all so I don't see why they're not half English. Anyway, there are two countries they could support in sporting events and one of them is England.

It's up to them to decide how they personally feel about it when they're older, though.

Notsosure1 · 07/03/2025 16:14

Notsosure1 · 07/03/2025 15:31

Displaying a flag is one thing, altho I hate how it’s negative for everyone - including the English.

England seems to be the only country in the world whose citizens include many who are ashamed to be referred to by their country’s name. They are either ashamed or fear they will be labelled racist so choose to follow the British suit. Colonialism wasn’t exclusively English (British). It was a policy of many countries throughout the world. It was Britain who worked hard to abolish slavery, and yet we carry this burden of guilt going back to acts that were committed up to centuries ago. There seems to have been a certain level of scapegoating ‘England’ in global and veritably national media coverage so it’s as if it was the only country to treat other people badly.

Not excusing those ppl but it’s like blaming modern Italians for the Roman Empire - does that ever happen?! Do Italians feel shamed about their history? - they were fascist in more recent history! Generally no, nor should they - it wasn’t THEM.

Quite a few random typos - sorry, don’t know where ‘veritable’ came from! 😄

LushLemonTart · 07/03/2025 16:13

NetballHoop · 06/03/2025 16:37

I'm British despite being born in England. None of my grandparents were born in England and only one of my parents.

Same. My dna is barely English. Scottish Welsh and Irish with a smattering of English.

FirstNationsEnglish · 07/03/2025 16:11

English

mintbug · 07/03/2025 16:09

Dad is English, mum is Welsh. Born in Wales. Identify as Welsh or British depending on the context.

alexdgr8 · 07/03/2025 16:05

Psychoticbreak · 07/03/2025 15:14

Have not yet read rest of thread but surely if you are both Irish neither of you would ever want to identify as British?

That doesn't necessarily follow.
My father was born in Ireland and always proudly declared that he was born under the British flag.
When I was quite young i imagined his mother being caught short and having to give birth out in a field somewhere under a flagpole.

IEatSauerkrautBeforeItWasCool · 07/03/2025 16:00

Ethnicity and ethnic identity are such an interesting thing. It can also change over life (though some strongly argue it cannot). So someone born as X, but groeing up amongst Y and fully adopting the culture, language, tradition, values can actually identify as Y, more usually X-Y or Y-X. You inherit it, but can also adopt new one.
It even showed in census.

Immigrants can have bit of an identity crisis after a while living somewhere ime. Many of us feel like both original group and new group, but at the same time neither, if that makes sense. My immigrant friends and I had many laughs over drinks about how we are not enough X for X people, but also now not enough Y for Y people (usually after holidays hearing "god, you are so British" teases).

AddictedToBooks · 07/03/2025 15:59

I say I'm British - I was born and mostly bred in England but have a Scottish Nanna and spent a lot of time living in Edinburgh as I grew up and I also have Irish and Welsh grandparents.

ShamrockShenanigans · 07/03/2025 15:53

Psychoticbreak · 07/03/2025 15:14

Have not yet read rest of thread but surely if you are both Irish neither of you would ever want to identify as British?

We both identify as British-Irish.

Reading back, I think I was unclear.

Notsosure1 · 07/03/2025 15:31

Displaying a flag is one thing, altho I hate how it’s negative for everyone - including the English.

England seems to be the only country in the world whose citizens include many who are ashamed to be referred to by their country’s name. They are either ashamed or fear they will be labelled racist so choose to follow the British suit. Colonialism wasn’t exclusively English (British). It was a policy of many countries throughout the world. It was Britain who worked hard to abolish slavery, and yet we carry this burden of guilt going back to acts that were committed up to centuries ago. There seems to have been a certain level of scapegoating ‘England’ in global and veritably national media coverage so it’s as if it was the only country to treat other people badly.

Not excusing those ppl but it’s like blaming modern Italians for the Roman Empire - does that ever happen?! Do Italians feel shamed about their history? - they were fascist in more recent history! Generally no, nor should they - it wasn’t THEM.

tinydynamine · 07/03/2025 15:22

If someone were to ask me my nationality I would say Scottish. For form-filling purposes I'm British or German, or both.

Itisbetter · 07/03/2025 15:21

Natsku · 07/03/2025 14:53

What are the rules that you think govern all this? What are you basing your belief on that a child born to English parents isn't English just because of the location they were born in?

It’s a fairly common situation. We’re a nation of travellers and historically colonists so as a result generations of British people have been born far from “Home”. I don’t know any children born outside the UK who call themselves “English”. Whoever posted that link to Kipling up thread, if they’d actually read it, it said his parents described themselves as Anglo-Indian.

Psychoticbreak · 07/03/2025 15:14

ShamrockShenanigans · 06/03/2025 16:36

British - Irish here and born/bred in England.

My BIL would also say British - Irish and he was born/bred in Wales.

Have not yet read rest of thread but surely if you are both Irish neither of you would ever want to identify as British?

Natsku · 07/03/2025 14:53

Itisbetter · 07/03/2025 14:47

I’m sorry I don’t understand your question.

What are the rules that you think govern all this? What are you basing your belief on that a child born to English parents isn't English just because of the location they were born in?

Itisbetter · 07/03/2025 14:52

Natsku · 07/03/2025 14:51

They are the rules that everyone, except apparently you, follow.

Nope

Natsku · 07/03/2025 14:51

Itisbetter · 07/03/2025 14:40

So why ask? You have drawn up your own “rules”. So long as you are aware that they differ from other people’s what does it matter?

They are the rules that everyone, except apparently you, follow.

Itisbetter · 07/03/2025 14:47

IEatSauerkrautBeforeItWasCool · 07/03/2025 14:42

What are the "rules" on ethnicity then?

I’m sorry I don’t understand your question.

IEatSauerkrautBeforeItWasCool · 07/03/2025 14:42

Itisbetter · 07/03/2025 14:40

So why ask? You have drawn up your own “rules”. So long as you are aware that they differ from other people’s what does it matter?

What are the "rules" on ethnicity then?

Itisbetter · 07/03/2025 14:40

Natsku · 07/03/2025 14:10

No, they are both Scottish and British. Just like I am Finnish even though I was born in England, because my mother is Finnish.

So why ask? You have drawn up your own “rules”. So long as you are aware that they differ from other people’s what does it matter?

Natsku · 07/03/2025 14:10

Itisbetter · 07/03/2025 12:50

No British

No, they are both Scottish and British. Just like I am Finnish even though I was born in England, because my mother is Finnish.

iwentjasonwaterfalls · 07/03/2025 13:08

I can't understand why people care what others refer to themselves as. I was born in England to English parents but I have no ties at all to England, calling myself English would feel as weird as calling myself Scottish or Irish. I'm Welsh, people can feel however they want to about that but I don't care.

Itisbetter · 07/03/2025 12:50

Natsku · 07/03/2025 12:30

If a child is born to two Scottish parents abroad, are they not Scottish?

No British

IEatSauerkrautBeforeItWasCool · 07/03/2025 12:33

JHound · 07/03/2025 11:53

Depends. When I was in Oz most of the English immigrants would refer to themselves as “English” in addition to “British”.

I think it also depends on where one is and languages spoken. We all went generally by nationalities because otherwise we would all spend waaay too much time googling😂 (not English speaking country). It was incredibly multicultural so we had x people from 1 country and they were of 2+ ethnic mix groups for example.

And then add ethnolinguistics into this and it's a proper mixed soup.

Loved it!

Natsku · 07/03/2025 12:30

Itisbetter · 07/03/2025 08:23

It really isn’t.

If a child is born to two Scottish parents abroad, are they not Scottish?