People who have moved countries

[Amymayapple]

How do you introduce yourself?

I was born in England and I moved to Ireland when I was age 7. I have an Irish accent. I grew up in Ireland, but I don't live there anymore.

If people ask me where I am from and I say England, they say to me, immediately "that is not an English accent".

If I say I am from Ireland, it feels wrong , because I am English. And I feel English. But I have an Irish accent.

I spend way too much time stressing about this when I introduce myself, because people make me explain myself.

I would just love to say "Hi I am ann, I am from England".

Not

"Hi I am Ann, I am from England"

"You don't SOUND English, hahaha"

"Well I was born in England, and we moved to Ireland".

It is a big song and dance every time, and it is extra stressful because I have gotten insults about being both English and Irish in the past.

How would you introduce yourself in this situation?

@LouiseCollina I wasn't. The OP says they are English, not Irish. I was suggesting a broad, non-specific geographical solution rather than a nationality or citizenship based solution. The term the British Isles is a direct translation of what the Ancient Greeks called the group of islands that encompasses both the island of Great Britain, the island of Ireland and the many other little islands nearby.

@Genevieva What the ancient Greeks called the Republic of Ireland bears no relevance to how we should be referring to it today.

I think the best answer to the OP's question was the suggestion upthread - "English, raised in Ireland" - which is the simple truth.

@Louisecollina

What are you talking about. Ireland IS in the British Isles. It is used as a geographical term. Check it out.

@Genevieva that is a nice idea, thank you.

@louisecollina google "The British Isles" and see what is the first term that comes up.

It is:

The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and over six thousand smaller isles.

The British Isles is, as others have said, the geographical term for the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. And the minor islands around both.

English isn't a nationality.

@theCanterburywhales yes British is the nationality, but people refer to themselves as English, Scottish and Welsh.

I am sooooo looking forward to the day when we move beyond nationalistic ideology such as "i am Irish, I an English, I French"

I don't tie ny identity to where I am from, which is why I get annoyed when people question me over and over.

I am Ann. I an not where I am from!

Identifying too strongly with one country, and being nationalistic, has caused so many problems all over the world.

We are all human beings, from the WORLD

I don't refer to myself as English tbh, but I may have done before I started working in the Nationality Office which is what I did after uni!
Very interesting it was too.

In England - I get insults about being Irish

Do you? Wow. You need to be mixing with different people. I didn't think this had happened to anyone since about 1975.

"Hi I'm Ann, I'm English but grew up in Ireland" - short and sweet? I say similar when asked.

@PieceOfMaria really?

Look at this article

www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/anti-irish-sentiment-in-britain-i-feel-like-i-am-back-in-the-1980s-1.3992131%3Fmode%3Damp

It was written in 2019. It is about Irish people experiencing nastiness in England.

I agree with the poster above, just say 'I was born in England but I grew up in Ireland or something similar. It shouldn't need to be complicated.

I found some people in the north of England, who for generations haven't moved much, were innocently quite hurtful. I mean they didn't intend to be hurtful, but were. A regular question would be "Are you going home for Christmas?" , and I would be,....err, no, "I live here". After two years we moved back to a different area of "our own country", but one where I could open my mouth and not have the inevitible "where are you from?" every time I spoke.

@Amymayapple I get it, and I've been in that situation of realising a relative was fascist. I'm just disappointed, and surprised tbh as I thought the whole world had moved on to Irish being considered pretty cool

I was born in xxxx and have lived in many places should suffice. Nobody can work out where I'm from, it's great

English isn't a nationality? But England is a country, and one of the home nations that make up the United Kingdom, so how does that work?

Of course English is a nationality. All the while Scots people are Scottish and not British I will be English thank you very much.

@HyperactivePineapple and Ann you are incorrect. Look it says online

"Somebody born in England may describe himself as English but he is a "British citizen" by nationality (as are his counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)."

Meaning that on your passport it will never say English. It will say GBR for Great Britain

@HyperactivePineapple England isn’t recognised as a country by the UN so it isn’t an official nationality like British. So while you can call yourself English, Welsh etc legally it isn’t correct. But in most situations it doesn’t really matter.

It’s a boring thing I had to learn for my life in the UK test.

I'm Scots of Irish descent raised as an army brat, my accent is a mess!

No matter where I say I'm "from" people straight away go "that's not the accent from there"

I find it quite amusing to see where people THINK I'm "really" from as they're always wrong.

Dd on the other hand has a strong "local" accent but we only moved here when she was at end of primary school, people are surprised to learn not only is she not a local she didn't even live in Scotland at all until she was older.

But I have the advantage/privilege of being white and having a semblance of a non Irish British accent.

I have friends and family who have Irish accents, other European but non British accents and/or are black, brown, Middle Eastern ethnic origin and I see and hear of the prejudice they encounter.

Sadly such prejudice is not only still around but has worsened since the Brexit referendum was called with particularly my family and friends who aren't white experiencing some dreadful racism.

If someone insults you you need to have the confidence to challenge them

Tempted to say I agree but also aware I don't know what it's like to have to do so.

Although as my accent is "muddled" during indyref my staunch nationalist ndn was a total dick to me! But he was clearly a bigoted twat anyway and that was relatively short lived.

I kept correcting him that I was Scots born and heritage but it made no difference to him.

Does anyone know if there is much hatred towards the English or Irish in Scotland. I live in Scotland now and am a proud scot and many parts of Scotland have large Irish communities and quite a few Scots are like me and have Irish heritage - in my case great grandparents so can't get Irish passport but not that far back - but sadly yes even here there is bigotry and regarding Irish there are parts where sectarianism is still REALLY Bad and I wouldn't recommend living if you have an Irish accent. If you were considering a move here I'd say research carefully.

Weirdly my surname is Irish but perceived to be quintessentially English yet its my married name and my ex is as far as we know not Irish heritage he's half English half welsh! So that throws people too.

The pps claiming to be unaware of anti Irish bigotry are just showing themselves to be not only ignorant but very likely don't have anyone close that is Irish and may want to consider why that might be

DH has parents from different countries, he was born in a third, live there for the first few years of his life then moved to a fourth country. Lived in a fifth for a couple of years as a teenager. When asked where he is from he says 'I grew up in country 4'.

I know what you mean OP. You tense up ready for the judgemental comments or laughter.

I remember a member of staff at the gym I used to go to laughing at my English accent (I live in the US). I just glared at her till she stopped. She genuinely thought it was fine to laugh at me because the way I pronounced a word was different to how she pronounced it.

And it gets so boring having to have the conversation about where you're from when all you want to do is get someone to let you into a changing room, or give you a locker key, or whatever.

Oh I understand that the UN recognises the UK as the country, but what else is English etc if not nationalities? Whether they are recognised by the UN or not officially is different. They are still all countries in their own right.

I don’t get the upset either. I’m from a diverse cultural background but was born in the UK and I’m proud of each part of my heritage, (including the British part, even though I’m supposed to some how hate myself for that).

Maybe because I grew up with my mum being extremely proud and vocal of our heritage.

Just be proud of who you are. I don’t understand why people get so chippy about this. Peoples heritage, culture, experience and language is endlessly fascinating the world over.

I was born in England and I moved to Ireland when I was age 7 seems nice and brief and informative.

Just went out with the dog this lunchtime and was chatting to three other neighbours (all just walking dogs, looking out of window, at a distance). One started going on about how she thought Ramadan would be celebrated despite Corona, even though "we" can't celebrate Easter. None of them go to church. I Googled it afterwards and it seems the local right-wing party has been spreading the rumour based on the fact that the local lockdown currently ends before Ramadan. I just said to her that I thought it was unlikely as the same rules apply to everyone. Then a man cycled past on his bike and told us a joke about West Germans being stupid. I told him I was from somewhere even further west than West Germans, so must be even stupider. We all laughed and went on our way. Typical lunchtime encounter!

People tend to have their own opinion and stick to it. If I refused to speak to all the people round here that have right-wing tendencies I'd have no-one to talk to and they'd just be in their own little bubble never hearing another view either.

I am English and the DC’s dad is Irish, born in Scotland (as were the DC). Neither of the DC live in England anymore and do have a hard time convincing people they aren’t English (even with very non-English name) whereas in England often get asked if they’re Irish. DS has told me in the past it would have been ‘easier’ if he had been given an English name, which does sadden me sometimes.

We also live in a part of the country where their (Irish) surname is a common insult. So to anyone doubting that there is a pervasive undercurrent of Irish prejudice in this country, they may want to think again.