What do you consider your nationality to be?

[AntiFlag]

Do you think it’s where you’re born? Or your parentage? Or your grandparentage?

For example, if you were born in Scotland, but your mum was Russian and your dad Venezuelan, what would you class yourself as?

Someone I know says they’re Irish because they have an Irish grandparent, but how far do you got back? AIBU to think only a couple of generations defines your nationality? Or do you think it can be longer?

And how much does it mean to you? I’m generally curious, I live in a place where locals are very fierce about their roots and I am a bit of a mongrol from my heritage and it’s never really bothered me, I just say ‘British’ because I was born and live here.

English with Scottish and Welsh great grandparents.

Born in Scotland to Polish mum and Scottish dad. My mum was born in Poland to two Polish parents but they moved to Scotland when she was 15. I see myself as Scottish.

@lazylinguist

My ethnicity is half English half Czech and I’m damn proud of it too

That's interesting - I'm not proud of my nationality or ethnicity at all. Not because I'm ashamed of my country, but because it wouldn't really occur to me to be proud of my nationality or ethnicity, because I had zero input into what they were. I am British and English, by pure accident of parentage and birthplace.

This. I have no idea why anyone would be "proud" of their ethnicity or nationality when it's something that happens to you purely by accident of birth. Very odd concept.

As Irish & proud as they come. AncestryDNA has me as 99.9% Irish, to the very county I was born & raised in. I have an Irish passport, technically could apply for dual citizenship as I live in the North but could/would never

There is nothing wrong on being proud of your heritage and it's certainly not an odd concept...

Actually I've just realise it is an odd concept for English because of the self lynching over history, but most of the world is happily proud of their heritage and celebrates it

British. My parents were both from another country but I was born and brought up here . I do though have dual nationality and have two passports so even a question about my nationality is complicated . I say British though if asked because I live in the UK and always have , regardless of my second passport and I feel British, albeit with a mix of my second nationality.

Proud to be Welsh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
My dad is Welsh, my mum English, I'm married to a fiercely proud welshman.

@SchrodingersImmigrant

There is nothing wrong on being proud of your heritage and it's certainly not an odd concept...

This!

I was born in NZ to a British father and a Scottish mother, and have dual citizenship. I consider myself a kiwi with British roots (although I feel far more drawn to Scotland than England for some reason!)

English

My Father is Scottish, my Mother is English, I was born in the USA and have dual nationality. I consider myself British (apart from during any sporting contest between England and Scotland when I consider myself Scottish)

I don't know. I honestly feel stateless.

I was born and raised in England to Irish parents, a mother from Belfast and a father from Dundalk, I moved to Northern Ireland aged 14, my accent has never changed and still sound English despite living here for 20 years.

I suffered quite a bit prejudice for my Irish background in England, being called an IRA cunt, go back to Ireland you don't belong here, Irish jokes etc. Moved to Northern Ireland and immediately became 'the English kid' (think James from Derry Girls).

Living in Northern Ireland has also made my identity crisis worse given the sharp sectarian divide here essentially a turf war between British and Irish identities.

I technically come from a nationalist family background, but I because I grew up in England I didn't grow up playing any Gaelic sports like all my cousins did (preferred Cricket), didn't attend catholic schools, never learnt any Irish, and I so don't feel part of the nationalist community in many ways here, especially with my English accent. However being 'British' in Northern Ireland is associated with Unionism, Protestantism, Orange Order and Orange culture in general and usually being the descendants from the Ulster plantations and so I don't feel part of that either.

I feel like someone from a product of a mixed marriage at times, not belonging to one or the either, it can feel lonely.

I have I felt about emigrating to another country because of it, a new world country like the US/Canada/Australia/NZ which have an immigrant tradition and a more inclusive feel and isn't necessarily based on ethnicity like the way a lot of European countries are.

I also feel there's a lot of anti Irish prejudice in the UK, even towards those of Irish descent as if they're negatively viewed there.

British.

One English parent, one South African. Grew up in England, now living in Europe with European husband

I am English, and proud to be. I unapologetically love England.

Heritage: as far back as any one has been able to trace, my father's family is from the Black Country and my mother's from Cornwall... I'm a Black Country Pixie!

British nationality. I was born in England, came back to live in Scotland when I was three, lived here ever since.
Mum was born in Scotland, had Scottish/Irish ancestors and definitely thought of herself as Scottish.
Dad was born in Poland, had German/Russian ancestors, and even after he was naturalised British, he still thought of himself as being Polish, although he never went back after WW11.
I had my DNA done several years ago, it periodically updates as more people have their DNA done. I am now less Scottish, and more Eastern European than when I first had it done. Also have some North-West Europe, Baltic and Sweden in the mix.
I have three “genetic communities”; one is North East Scotland/Northern Isles, the second is Scottish Lowlands, Northern England and Northern Ireland. The third is Central Wisconsin, USA. This is from early settlers, some of whom also later moved to California.

@BabyDubsEverywhere

I am English, and proud to be. I unapologetically love England.

Heritage: as far back as any one has been able to trace, my father's family is from the Black Country and my mother's from Cornwall... I'm a Black Country Pixie!

I am English and love England too but I don't get being 'proud' of the fact. After all I didn't achieve being English, it was just an accident of birth. I could just as easily have been born somewhere else.

Scottish

I'm English- I was born here and live here and have a UK passport. I think ethnically I'm mixed race (though only ever put white British on forms) and my grandparents are not English or white. I feel disingenuous putting anything but English. If English isn't an option I put British but realistically the Scots and Welsh would prefer to be independent.

Both my parents were on pakistan, moving here in 1960's. I'm born here and consider myself British, or English. Pakistani is my ethnicity but not a major element of my identity

I'm American, from New York. The area where I live was settled by both the Dutch and the English, so the towns in my area have place names from both nations and some native American names as well.

I have a mix of Irish and other lineages. DH's ancestors were English.

Scottish.

Scottish parents and grandparents and beyond

Irish from the Republic of Ireland and very proud to be so. The Republic is a brilliant country.

Interesting people quoting their DNA test results as if its an accurate proof of their ancestry. 😛

Seriously though I actually did mine on both 23andme and AncestryDNA

23andme:
British & Irish - 99.5%
Sardinian - 0.5%

AncestryDNA:
Irish - 79%
Scottish - 21%

I assume the Sardinian is just noise since it disappears at 90% confidence levels and it doesn't show up on AncestryDNA. Hopefully future updates will make these results more and more accurate though it appears I don't really have anything all that exotic to brag about.

@AntiFlag

Do you think it’s where you’re born? Or your parentage? Or your grandparentage?

For example, if you were born in Scotland, but your mum was Russian and your dad Venezuelan, what would you class yourself as?

Someone I know says they’re Irish because they have an Irish grandparent, but how far do you got back? AIBU to think only a couple of generations defines your nationality? Or do you think it can be longer?

And how much does it mean to you? I’m generally curious, I live in a place where locals are very fierce about their roots and I am a bit of a mongrol from my heritage and it’s never really bothered me, I just say ‘British’ because I was born and live here.

Do you think it’s where you’re born? Or your parentage? Or your grandparentage? My nationalities are what are written in my passports. My ethnicity comes down to where my family originates from, which is from the Caucasus. So I consider myself Caucasian. I can see how it must be more confusing to determine ethnicity if one isn't as ethnically homogenous as I am myself.

And how much does it mean to you?
My ethnicity means a lot to me. I'm quite a traditionalist so it's important to me to preserve my heritage and keep connected to my roots. Not to say I'm not fully integrated in the country I was born in, am a national of and live in...but I always feel like I'm different to the natives, and that's completely okay. It doesn't bother me. I like to think that I'm lucky in that I can take the best out of two different worlds and make them my own.