Who is English?

[mids2019]

I see reform have started a debate about the meaning of being English which has stirred a few feathers. To my mind anyone who is born in the country is English..

I would say moving to a country does not necessarily make you a national of a country e.g. if I moved the South of Spain as a retired I don't know if could reasonably call my self Spanish but children of English people definitely could.

One thing that is worth debate is how you frame heritage and is this important? For instance would 2nd.generation immigrants from India would want to be referred as English but if Indian oriigin? Is there an actual desire for people of foreign heritage to maintain a part of their identity connected to their country of family origin for cultural reason?

Im going to with anyone who wants to be. Its not a 'real' thing is it. Im a british citizen so anything else is just an identity in my mind.

I wasnt born here, im english. Noone doubts my Englishness because im white. ive been in england longer than lots of people born here have been here. i contribute to society. I sound english, I understand our culture.

I was born in England.

I am Welsh.

Feathers are ruffled, not stirred.

So is this all about self identity of should there be some semi formal criteria? Personally I think those with generations of English heritage (predominantly white) want some way to protect their identity which maybe they feel under threat (rightly or wrongly) and reform are playing into this.

I always joke that your accent is a give away to where you’re truly “from” because I know a few English people who’ve moved to America and Scotland for example and immediately picked up the accent so people think they’re from those places. So I reckon you are from wherever your accent says your from, and it’s not that difficult to change. I had to change mine a bit when I went to uni because I was sick of the jokes. But don’t take me too seriously as I know it’s more complicated I’m just being light hearted

I don't think it's straightforward at all.
I was born and raised in England But I have lived the vast majority of my adult life in Scotland.
I identify as Scottish. My allegence is to Scotland. I don't feel English. But I'm the first to admit that my English upbringing means I will never be truly Scottish in the same way as people born here and who are steeped in Scottish culture. And so to a certain extent I feel never truly belonging to the country I live in and love but no longer belonging in any way to the country of my birth and origin.
I think it's a very complicated thing.

I'm a third generation immigrant (my grandparents emigrated here). I think of myself as completely British. And, as I am white and have an English accent, it wouldn't occur to anyone else that I'm not. My non-UK "cultural heritage" isn't important to me at all - it feels distant and unconnected to me. That's me though - of course it will be different for others.

I don’t think being born her makes you English. That means that if a pregnant woman from USA, for example, gives birth while on holiday here that makes the baby English. No it doesn’t.

Based on your op you are mixing nationality and ethnicity.
"I would say moving to a country does not necessarily make you a national of a country e.g. if I moved the South of Spain as a retired I don't know if could reasonably call my self Spanish but children of English people definitely could."
It NEVER does unless you apply for citizenship.
Thete is a diffdrence to say" I am x national" and "I am x" ethnicity wise.

I don’t understand why they would think their identity is under threat. Identity is something you identify with, nobody can stop you identifying with something.

I'd say people who are born here.
People who become citizens during their lifetime.

Would people say my DD is English?
Born abroad.
Lived England as a toddler.
Moved abroad again.
Moved back to UK for Secondary School.

Braverman was trying to differentiate between ethnic identity and political/legal identity.
DH is legally/politically English. He was born here and supports England in sport etc. But he’s not ethnically English.
i think that’s what SB was getting at.

im not ethnically English either but I wasn’t born in England. I am British though. Our children, although born in England, are very proud of their non English roots.

I've never seen 'English' as an option on any form that asks about ethnicity.

But us non-white brits, we get it. We know what this is about and it's not a white woman with Irish grandparents describing herself as English.

Ethnic identity is more of a social and cultural identity than a distinct biological category. It is more about perception and a sense of belonging than a fact like biological sex.

So, as far as I'm concerned, if someone has strong social and cultural ties to England and considers themselves "English", then they are English.

It is different from nationality, which is a legal status.

There is no such thing as "legally English". And I have no idea what "politically English" is supposed to mean either.

I am originally from an EU country, have British citizenship because of Brexit. I don't call myself English or British because I don't feel like I am. The citizenship is a safety net and if asked I say I have dual nationality due to me living here for over 20 years. According to some friends I have adopted quite a lot of habits so I would definitely pass as a "native".

Now DD - born to non-British parents in England, dual nationality from the start and if asked, she will tell you she is English/British and EU. It often depends on circumstances and her mood on the day and who wants/needs to know. She is not hiding it but also doesn't see a need to advertise it.

If she ever will have children I am sure they will see themself mainly English/British because the link to our home country is basically broken with DD never have lived there.

You have to ancestors who are English. If all your ancestors are of Indian descent then you can't be English. Ethnicity isn't something you can acquire by being born here. That doesn't mean to say that you won't be welcomed here and treated any differently (if you assimilate into the culture) you just can't change your DNA.

Anyone who thinks they are. It's just geography and really doesn't matter.

It’s up to the person to self-identify as they like. And Suella B can say she’s British-Asian and someone else can say they feel English.

Someone could turn it back on Fiona Bruce or whoever is asking with why are you asking me?

It’d be interesting to see if they’d squirm on that one.

Sorry to break it to you but it does matter. We the English are a people and you cannot erase us - we exist.

ethnicity and identity are the same or not ?

DNA is irrelevant- many English for centuries have DNA that is primarily Viking and Scottish ?

I was born in England and one parent's ancestors have always lived in England (like the majority of English people). But my other parent is from another country. So I have always described my ethnicity as half English, half the other country. And my nationality is British. I've always loved that I am a mixture. I don't understand people's worry about admitting you may not be 100% ethnically English. I wouldn't pretend I was 100% English obviously. I've never had to think about it either until the recent identity politics. You can't identify as an ethnicity.

I'm not looking to erase anybody? Are you OK?

Does that apply to all over the worl or just here? Because that's bit wanky.
If let's say French person rocks up in Poland claiming they are Polish because they feel like it. Are they Polish?