Would you say non-white people born & raised in England are English?

[rack909]

Just thought I should hear people’s perspective on this.

Some say it’s an ethnicity, some say it’s a nationality & others say it’s both of them.

I personally think it’s both a Nationality & ethnic group.

If someone says they are from England, they are denoting their nationality as English even if they don’t say it outright. It’s the same thing.

Anyone saying otherwise is racist.
How is this even a question?

I suspect this is race baiting but no. Culturally it’s likely they’re not English. This has been showed again and again by some people, some in high-paid media jobs!, that they don’t share English (or rather British) culture and values.

@Milkmonitoring, because people have different views on it.

some consider it strongly an ethnicity & some strongly believe it’s a national identity

More to the point, what do you think they are if they are NOT English?

This is a question that isn't asked.

Are third or four generations born in the UK - which is the case now for many, somehow something else ? They possibly don't qualify for any other passport given the number of generations.

So what are they if they aren't English?

But what’s the point of you asking?

As you know full well OP you are not the only person who thinks only white people can be English people. There are tons of people like you out there, and they are on the rise.

We can only do our bit not to feed into this debate. I'm going to see if this thread can be deleted - it's a load of shit and serves no one good

Especially today, given that Tommy Ten Names and his followers will be on the march later.

If they identify as such, yes.
I wouldn't impose a label on them.
You yourself might see "English" as a geographical label, but to some, "English" is an ethnicity that they don't identify as. If someone wants to be considered Pakistani or Kurdish not English then that's their right.

@RedToothBrush, I do strongly consider them English but some gatekeep & says it’s only an ethnicity 😅

Are you a non white person raised or born in England OP? If not I find it a very strange question to ask .

I agree with this. If I was Scottish, Northern Irish or Welsh, I wouldn’t hesitate to claim it. But using the term “English” as distinct from British can have far-right undertones and so I don’t say that I am English. It’s vibes not facts; it’s not true for everyone, but that’s what I am comfortable with.

i would describe my nationality as British and my ethnicity as White. A form that asks for your ethnicity never offer# “English” as a possible answer because it’s not an ethnicity, it’s just geography. The equivalent ethnicity tick-box on a medical form woukd be White-British.

Examples?

https://libguides.pratt.edu/c.php?g=1278195&p=9379311

Exactly my thought.

what the fuck does it matter to anyone else?

I was brought up between two countries and ethnicities. I consider myself both. Why does anyone else give a toss what I consider myself to be? (Im not brown though so presumably according to the op my multiple identities don’t matter?)

@AmethystDeceiver, omg, you got the wrong impression. I’m 2nd generation in England, I’m not white. I generally do feel it’s a nationality but some feel it’s only an ethnicity.

Didn't we have that discussion a few weeks ago and it was then deleted?

So again, of course if you are born in England you are English.

Why even asking the question?

It is sad that in 2026 some people still imply that to be English you have to be white.

I am influenced by them when they open their mouths - if they have a British accent/ dialect I assume they are born and bred here and are British. If their English not so good, well I would guess they are not permanently here, maybe a student.
But on first meeting someone or hearing someone speak I like to guess, in my head, at where they are from whatever colour they are.
Eg Americans, I have lived in the US and try to guess where they are from

You know that people lie on the internet, right?

Yeah, right.

My BiL was born in India but moved to UK when he was a little baby, his siblings all born here. He will support England in the footie, India in the cricket and refers to himself as British-Indian as does his siblings. He does worry about the changes here, he is such a lovely person. His parents when they moved here, have achieved such a balance with bringing together the cultural, certain traditions from India while embracing the country they chose to live in.

My Dad is Scottish, he has lived in England for 50
years and will still say he is Scottish as does his brother rather than British.

I don’t actually see the point of any of the labels - are you a decent person - yes we all good then. :)

I am one. I’d generally only use English in relation to someone else in the UK - so if I was talking to someone NI or Wales and it was relevant. Otherwise I’d be saying British

ive been very lucky not to experience much racism and the people who did abuse me didn’t have a clue what my nationality was.

I doubt many people will say I’m not English public forum like MN though, maybe other sites

@Hobbitfeet32, yes I am non-white + born and raised in England .

My DD isn't white (and wasn't born here) but she'd laugh her head off if you said she wasn't English. I don't think she knows the difference between British and English, not in such abstract terms, she's 11.

I don’t typically say English - not sure why as I say Welsh.
I guess when filling out forms, you put British.

But I’d definitely call them British and I call myself British.
I would say them and myself were English too, I just don’t ever say it.

What about mixed raced people?

Would a Caucasian child born to British parents living in China be Chinese? My siblings and I were born in Germany to British parents but moved back to the UK as children. We're not German (as proved by the fact the bastards won't let me have an EU passport!!)