Do white British people know why they are in the UK?

[boltj]

Do they wonder why their ancestors didn’t move away to USA, Canada, Australia, NZ etc in colonial times or recently?

Mine were all over England and Ireland, mostly farming and then came to Lo don in the Industrial Revolution. The Irish contingent came in 1940- bad timing!

Why would the native of any country wonder why their ancestors didn't emigrate? Quite an unusual thing to ponder. Much more likely to research why ancestors did migrate away from their home country.

White British people's ancestors may have migrated to the UK (some of mine did) or they may have moved here themselves

Just lucky, I guess? Given we have net migration to the UK, I'm not the only one to think so now.

As for colonial times, most white British were trying to survive, scratching a living and avoiding the plague or being hung for poaching or witchcraft. Fun times in the UK.

What about you and your family?

No. In the same way I don't wonder why they didn't move to Cornwall or Yorkshire from London. They just didn't.

Well I’m white. I’m British. But my maternal grandparents came over from Cyprus in the 1930’s. They were also British as Cyprus was a colony. My dad came over in the 50’s. He had a British passport. We may be from ‘immigrant’ families but we still count ourselves as British first.

I can see your point op. I’ve just visited Rome and was baffled by all the Italians living there, surely they should have emigrated for a “better life” as part of the Italian diaspora?

No I haven't wondered that.

Genuinely interested in why the OP thinks that might be a question in people's minds?

My ancestors did move quite a bit. My Grandmother moved here from Australia. My mother emigrated abroad but came back. My Grandfather moved to the UK from France. My parents moved around different countries for about forty years which meant I moved around a lot. I’m currently job hunting in a another country and my DS is at University in another country. It wasn’t until I wrote all that, that I realised we are quite a mobile family! I don’t really get why you are asking, OP. Have you got some kind of agenda? Have you been proved right? I imagine that a lot of people stayed in the UK or came to the UK because that is where a lot of jobs were/are.

@boltj Why is the grass green?

My DF was dirt poor and my GPs were offered to have him sent to Australia by Barnado's.

Given the abuse suffered by the Barnado's children in Australia, he was very relieved to just have a poor, bombed out childhood instead.

I sort of do wonder this, although I reckon it's not significant.

I'm still here, and I can research various lines a long way back within Britain. But almost at every level, on every line, the siblings all seem to have emigrated all over the place. It seems to me at a much greater rate than could be reasonably expected, but I don't know really.

So it just seems really distinct, that there's this specific line that didn't go anywhere. 2 (batshit) theories.

1. My lot seem very given to religious fundamentalism, even to the present day. Is this a genuine distinction in our genetic makeup that makes us much more likely to see the world in a different way? A lot of the emigration seems to be for religious haven.
2. We're really unlikeable. Maybe I'm just descended from a specific line of people that are so annoying that their siblings just all up and leave across the globe!!

100% this.

One half of my family moved from Ireland during the famine. I guess they were economic migrants in today's terminology.

The other half did actually emigrate to Australia. Nobody knows exactly why they went, whether it was for economic reasons or just for the adventure etc. What we do know is that they decided to return to the UK a couple of years later. Again, we don't know exactly why.

Ok I will bite - No never thought about, and don't care either.

A number of members of my family on both sides did emigrate to Canada in the 1950s, and earlier than that, some relatives of DH did also, but they had a torrid time and came back.

Do white British people know why they are in the UK?

Because too many yoons voted "no" in September 2014.

Lots of white British have immigrants just a few generations back. Ireland is a big one, during the famine and to join the industrial revolution. Or Russian Jews escaping persecution. French Huguenots if you go further back. The royal family are probably more German than English. I suspect poverty and having lots of children prevented them considering moving in later generations. Family support is a big factor. Plus the U.K. is safe, offers good education, employment and healthcare. Some of the immigrants to the U.K. had relatives move to the US, Canada and South Africa instead. No idea why as they’re all long gone.

I know non white British people considering emigration elsewhere and suspect their reasons are similar to anyone else - economic benefits, lifestyle and the weather.

Oh and some Irish to NE migration also.

DH sometimes describes himself as an "economic migrant" to London, which is accurate.

Do you wonder if Japanese people wonder why their families are in Japan?

Of course, I spend all my days wondering why dead people I never met didn’t do stuff; doesn’t everyone?

A lot of people moved because they were in search of a better life. I assume they already had a great life here.

My grandad (in his 90s now) was born in Egypt but is still white British. They came back because they were British and it was their home. Simple as that I guess!

My grandad on the other side almost moved his family to NZ but didn’t. I guess they couldn’t see the benefits outweighing the costs. Again, pretty simple to comprehend.

A few of my aunts and uncles emigrated but have moved back now. Because I guess they wanted to and feel at home here? Simple!

I dunno, but it feels barbed in some way.

I came from France 22 years ago and my husbands side of the family came from the balkan regions settling in London in the early 1900's.

it feels very goady to me and as @boltj hasn't been back I assume it was just a wind up but not sure to what end!