How British are you?

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Obviously, when the "protesters" say they are protesting immigration and want "the boat people" to go home what they mean is brown people, not immigrants, but they cannot say this because they are not racist.

So, in their minds, how British do you need to be? The young man who committed the crime that triggered this was Welsh with immigrant parents, so clearly, the children of immigrants are not welcome. What about grandchildren of immigrants? Or great-grandchildren? Are you allowed to stay if you have one British parent?

I'm musing because based on the people I know the country would be empty if we went more than 2 generations back. My Grandmother was an immigrant so I assume I would have to leave, not sure about the DC but DD2 is clearly of Romanian descent so I'd not fancy her chances of being able to stay.

Would you be able to stay?

I can’t comment on the beliefs of the violent thugs that are attacking communities right now.

Personally I’m more interested in your criminality than your culture. If you’re here because of immigration, and you are criminal, then I tut because we have enough home grown criminals without importing any more. I recognise that’s not entirely logical and there comes a point at which the criminal kid is my responsibility. Not sure where that line is. Kids raised in our society are our responsibility, maybe.

I’m actually thoroughly uk bred. There’s rumour of criminality and possibly Judaism in my ancestry, but suspect my gran just hoped for intrigue rather than it being true.

I'll have to go. A mixture of Welsh - generations- and Belarusian Jews. As is my husband, strangely, to the point we have had to check we're not related!

Of course right now it's about colour, these people don't care about poverty or tax contributions or immigration status. Though when my family came here as refugees from Nazi Germany, they faced racism here too. Jewish refugees were said to be dirty, diseased, dishonourable, sexual predators, unpatriotic etc. It was very hard to get a visa here because the great British public was anxious not to get drowned in a tide of Jewish immigration.

Racism is marvellously ingenious like that. It finds reasons for itself.

Pretty British, my grandad may have had some Eastern European heritage but you'd need to go back a few more generations to find it.

My husband wasn't born here but has had a British passport by descent since birth. And is white so I guess he could stay since he doesn't look different, just has an amusing accent.

Can trace my maternal bloodline back generations through England and Scotland, not a clue about my paternal one.

I wasn't born in the UK, I'm European on paper. So half British at least?

Don't drink tea but I apologise if I bump into someone, say Thank you to the driver when getting off the bus and smile and agree lovely weather or terrible weather to complete strangers in passing so pretty British?

English on my mum’s side. Egyptian on my dad’s side - he’s an immigrant but I have never had contact with him and have never been to Egypt so not sure where I could be sent back to. I have to say these riots have made me very uncomfortable.

I'm totally British, OH is Mediterranean and my youngest son could pass for Greek,Italian, Jewish or even Asian as he despite having a white pasty mom tans to a very dark shade of brown. Shitting bricks that he could be attacked by these arsehole rioters. Most of his friends are non white. Like others on here I am fed up and scared too.

What about those of us who are mixed? I can trace back English heritage for generations on one side, but I have curly hair, dark eyes and tanned skin. I’ve never lived anywhere but Britain, I only speak English and I’ve only ever had contact with the English side of my family. Would the rioters want to expel me? And where on earth to?

I consider myself European, British and Scottish having been born in Edinburgh and raised there.

Historically I’m 75% immigrant - West Coast Irish fleeing the famine in the 1850s then Catholics from Ulster in the 1910s, also Lithuanians escaping the Russification after the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth fell. At their time, all were heavily ostracised and discriminated against, Keir Hardie had a particular virulence for the Lithuanians ‘stealing pit jobs’.

My remaining heritage is Scottish but from people who worked the land and scraped an existence in the Highlands.

I can’t pretend to understand the terror people of colour now feel with the recurring waves of racism and violence we’re seeing, all I would say is that unfortunately it’s nothing new.

Lovelysummerdays · Today 21:51
I’m Scottish and therefore British I suppose. I rather miss being European.

Oh God, so do we!

NI/English on my mum's side and Scottish on my dad's side. I consider myself British then European. We left the EU not the continent of Europe.

Yes. I still live pretty much exactly (within 10 miles) where my ancestors (literally on all sides) go back to from at least 1600. Genealogy is a bit of a hobby.

Do I give I fuck what colour your skin is? No. What religion you practice? No. Where you/your parents were born? No.

Do I care if you're a complete arse that doesn't play nicely with others who are different to you? HELL YES.

I would say I'm white british
2nd great grandfather was black, born in Barbados
Rest is all scattered about from America to Ireland to Scotland

I think I'm as English as they come... but I have an unusual surname. People always ask me where it's from. I tell them I've traced it back to the 1500s and it was still in England then, so erm...England!

During lockdown I did a lot of family history research. I nearly fell off the sofa when I managed to trace myself to Shakespeare's aunt on my Dad's side and Mary (the other) Boleyn on my Mum's. And as far as I'm concerned I am quite typically English... tolerant, liberal, peace-loving and very happy to live in a country that accepts migrants and asylum seekers.

I'm a mix of English, Welsh and Scottish. I've traced my family tree back to the 18th century and there's not one immigrant at all. Quite disappointed really. I'd be allowed to stay although I'm not sure I'd want to.

Hmm. DD is born in England to two European parents, not a drop of English/British blood in her.

She has a British passport since birth.

She calls herself British or German depending on the day and what she is doing/where she is.

There is no trace of German when she speaks English. She wouldn't dream of saying she is German-British (espenically not nowadays, 10 years ago maybe).

So, is she an immigrant second generation? For me yes, but she doesn't see herself as one.

We applied as we decided to stay and none of us trusted the government to deliver any promises. The Windrush scandel was too fresh.

We also were able to keep our birth nationality, that was the important factor as well.

Most of my colleagues who aren't native Brits and lived long enough did apply and I know none of them would call themselves only a blue/white/red flag waving Brit, they are still all French/German/Greek/Italian first.

It's a matter of security, not a declaration of being a full Brit. I obviously like the country and our friends often joked on certain things "being Britisher than most Brits" but underlying is still a very strong layer of my home country.

For the first time in my life, I would like my skin and that of my family to be pale.

Well, I'm white and speak English. With the broadest Kiwi twang you've ever heard of, apparently. Naturalised, with citizenship.

However, I'm 7th generation New Zealander (albeit from Welsh and English stock).

My husband is born British, but emigrated to NZ when he was three, and defines himself as a New Zealander.

Our daughters are therefore, half born British, white, and speak English. With British passports.

I have had people get 'fuck off out of my country' on me.