To not want to be slagged off all the time because I was born in England?

[JustaNickname]

I've lived in Ireland nearly my whole life and my heritage is Irish essentially Both my parents were born in England when my grandparents went there to work when times were hard. My parents grew up in England, met each other, had me, moved to Ireland and had my sister etc. Even though my family tree would be Irish and my son was born here I'm not ashamed of having been born in England and I love it there and still have plenty of family there. My problem is that a lot of the people I know slag off the English all the time to the point I actually end up getting into heated discussions with them. Usually on FB over Football matches and such but sometimes in RL as well.

AIBU to expect that If you really hate the English that much and insistent on labeling every English person a C**T then maybe you shouldn't be such a hypocrite and Go to England, eat English food, watch English tv shows/films and support English football teams? I think i might actually be over sensitive but it honestly bothers me :(

I'm Scottish and was basically brought up to loathe the English. My family instilled it in me that the English believe themselves superior to the Scots, history and modern attitudes prove it. Well history doesn't and during a decade living in England I came to the conclusion that Scotland really isn't on the radar, they don't actually give that much of a stuff.

And quite rightly, this is a small country miles away from most people in Britain, ie England, and we kind of sort ourselves out.

I think attitudes have got a LOT better since I was a child and open prejudice was the norm. Maybe it's because dh and ds have English accents and people don't say things to me any longer - except my dad, who seems to enjoy the chip on his shoulder.

another uk born irish person here, and in the rural irish community i did most of my growing up in, my accent was not particularly helpful. but that was thirty years ago and things are really much better now, i find. not so much better that the queen's forthcoming trip is being greeted with the lack of interest it deserves, and i think dp, who is english, is occasionally disturbed by the residual racism, but it's definitely residual now rather than full on blaring antagonism.

siobahnagain, interested in the reading list

Honestly Winter why would I start an argument then moan about it? As I said I'm loyal to both country's so there would be no argument to start in the first place.

As a lot of you have said it is probably the places I have lived (2 small towns) so I know its not every Irish person that has a problem with the English but it doesn't make it any less ignorant of the people that do it.

Interested to see what you come up with siobahnagain :)

I'm about as English as you can get. I lived in Ireland for work for a while but I was in Dublin.

There was some fairly good natured ribbing (albeit with an edge sometimes) but, on the whole, it was fine.

I do think you're right that it's probably where you live. Must be bloody frustrating though.

well then its the surrounded by fuckwits option. I live in a small town/village, and its not my experience. We're all multi-cultural now, doncha know, English just isn't that exciting.

I do agry with you winter that some of the people are just basically fuckwits. But like Belle said its just frustrating thats all.

JustaNickname, I know exactly where you are coming from. I think it is a small-town mindset, there are people living local to me who think anyone who comes from outside Meath is a bit lacking, never mind from England!

And I got fed up of a particular Irish parenting site because of all the snidey references to "foreign nationals" Posts that would have been deleted if they'd been posted here.

Just noticed there how I spelled agree, just felt the need to correct that :o

Thanks chipmonkey this is the first parenting site I've been on so its all kind of new to me :) Sorry for your bad experience though it sounds awful :(

Oh, it wasn't that bad. Just ended up getting called "politically correct" which is apparently a bad thing.

Is it only the English, then? We went to Ireland, DH and the DCs are Scottish and sound it, and I'm American, no problems at all whatsoever.

Sounds like simple racism to be. Totally unacceptable and would piss me right off.

YANBU

I'm married to an Irishman, and my MIL still introduces me as 'This is Chickens, she's English' I'm not sure if it's a warning or an apology

A1980 -Im Scottish and have lived here all my life - you will need to tell me where I can get free dental care? Because Ive just paid quite a lot of money on my teeth!!
Youre ignorant and your wrong and if you have an issue with the Scottish parliament providing free residential treatment for the elderly and free prescriptions (which hasnt actually happened yet) - take it up with your own parliament - the Scottish parliament obviously has decided to spend money on this - the UK parliament has decided not to.

As to the anti Scottish/english thing, its just daft, theres racist idiots on both sides, I have good friends that are english and our nationalities are never a problem. So its an individual issue.

'That was near Kircudbright. I don't know if any Mumsnetters around there can confirm or deny a high percentage of fuckwits in the area.'

There are fuckwits everywhere. A mate of mine who is Scottish with a S.African/Afrikaans husband got no end of niggling when they lived in England.

I should point out to that I have a friend who lived in England for 8 years (she married an englishman) and was forever jokingly referred to as "jock" and being made to feel it was fair game to comment on her accent at every available opportunity - often rendering her to tears, as a grown adult. Nasty people.

Yep, that's about what happened to my mate, New.

She just shrugged it off, but it got old and she was glad when they moved back.

Her husband had the p taken out of him, too.

Some people are just gits.

Youre right expat. No-one chooses where they are born and grow up at the end of the day, and their accent. My friend has now moved back with her family to, and despite the "horror stories" none of her kids (who have english accents) get picked on at school.

It's so ruddy boring when people keep going with the same old joke. A bit of national stereotype joshing is OK, but to keep badgering the same person suggests the one doing the badgering has very little going on in their brain.

I was amazed when I first visited Scotland at the level of hostility towards English people. My Dad's Welsh, and his nation suffered equally in the days of the Empire - my Granddad's generation were beaten at school if they dared to speak Welsh - but I've never come across the same level of sheer knee-jerk nastiness in Wales.

Weird thing is it was mostly Scots who ran the Empire anyway...

(Should add I find it equally irritating and stupid when English people hassle people from other nations.)

I'm Scottish and was brought up with England/English being slagged off as the norm.

Having lived in England for 18yrs, now married to an English guy and with 2 very English DC, I hate it now when I hear my family and friends back home still do it. It shocks me.

I even have an Irish colleague who says he could never move back home because his children have English accents. How sad is that.

English, but have lived in Scotland most of my life, DCs born here. Could write a book about the anti-English bigotry here. Not the joking banter stuff with friends, but the bullying at schools, physical and verbal abuse, damage to car (during England/Scotland football match) etc etc.
The word "English" is used as a derogatory adjective as in you (F*ing ENGLISH ct/b*d) by Scots with big chips on their shoulders. That whole "Braveheart" thing triggered a wave of violence against English people living up here by Scots who were thick enough to believe the film was accurate. I have many wonderful Scottish friends whom I love dearly, but anti-English bigotry is very much alive and well in Scotland

English - live in Wales married to 1/2 welsh - 3 welsh kids. I have encountered lots of ''casual'' racism that if it was directed against a Black/Muslim/gay/Jewish person would have been understood to be well out of order - but because its against the ''English'' is seen as justified/ taken as given. And just to add 99% of it has not been directed at me just overheard or in casual conversation.

There is also some ''official'' racism in our school or I suppose it would be called positive discrimination. Welsh classes go to Eistedford for 3 days - English just for the day. Some free after-school clubs only available to those in the welsh stream.

I live in Scotland. I had a hard time all through school because of my accent and was bullied by all the local cave dwellers. People ALWAYS comment on it and it drives me nuts! "oh where in England are you from?" always said slowly and clearly by whoever is asking. Even last year when I was out I was started on by some brainless knobends because of how I speak.

Here's the funny bit. I'M FUCKING SCOTTISH YOU STUPID NARROW MINDED ARSEWIPES! I have more Scottish heratige in my bloodlines than any of these twatss who like to tell me otherwise. Just because I don't speak like you doesn't mean cock all.

YANBU, It's horrible being picked out because of your nationallity (or not!)