To be confused about my partner's nationality

[ForestryForever]

Good evening,
My partner's parents were both born in Wales. They both lived and grew up in Wales. As adults they both left Wales and lived in England, where they remained.
Whilst married and living in England, they had a baby - my partner. My partner was born, raised in and grew up in England, and still lives in England.
What nationality is my partner?

nd I don't get all this 'whatever he identifies with'. Surely there's a factual, objective answer, not a subjective one.

No there isn't because beyond the legal objective definition of being British the rest is a matter of 'identifying', cultural heritage , how you feel, etc

But we all know you can't identify out of reality. You can't claim a nationality due to feelings. I can tell you I feel Japanese, but since I've never been there and I'm Irish by nationality and ethnicity, you know I'm not.
There has to be a factual basis or its all just bollocks.

And nationality has a specific meaning, you have to legally belong to a nation to be it's nationality. You need to be a British citizen to have British nationality, it's not about how you feel.

Plenty of Americans will tell you they are Irish, but they don't have Irish nationality, and any Irish person knows they are American.

Because it's highly offensive to those of us from colonised nations/countries that's why.

In terms of his citizenship, he is british.

If he feels he identifes more as Welsh than English than that is entirely up to him and to argue otherwise is to be a massive dick.

I have English parents, I was born in England but I have lived my entire life in Scotland and I 100% identify as Scottish.

Historically the English took over Wales, killed their king and robbed the country, so I'm not surprised your partner was upset. If it helps, replace Wales with Ireland in your example, or even Wales with Jamaica. Either way, it would be colonialism being used to override national identity - and the same applies to Wales.

🤦‍♀️

Yes, of course. Ask them. Rather than your original thought which was: "you wouldn't be calling him Japanese if he grew up in Japan with English parents, you just wouldn't." (I just might.)

Incidentally, I don't think you automatically get Japanese citizenship just by being born in Japan.

Welsh, due to having both Welsh parents and being raised in a Welsh household, albeit located in England. He is entitled to feel Welsh if he likes, he could identify as either or both and has clearly got strong feelings.

Saying he is half Welsh indicates that he is from one Welsh and one English parent. Your kids would be half Welsh.

I have news for him. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country of which he is a subject, whether he identifies with it or not. You can't be Welsh or English without being British as well.

Soz. 😂

Yes, but that's because your English and you don't hail from a colonised nation/country. If you were it might be the hill you'd be prepared to die on.

It's very true that being born in a stable doesn't make you a horse. My parents left their home country to have their children in another. Every one of their children, except one who chose a third country to live in, has returned to the home country.

He's English. If you want to go further, Welsh heritage. IMO.

But I think maybe the majority of posters are right, in that he can basically choose what he identifies with.

Have a friend born and raised for a few years in Wales, they can speak Welsh, but having grown up in England and still living there now, is by all accounts, in their view, English, but very proud of their Welsh background and heritage.

Welsh isn't an ethnicity so he can't get it through his parents. So that leaves birthplace (England), place he was raised (England), current residence (England), and culture he was raised in.

The last one is where we would need more information. I suppose it's possible that his family maintained a very Welsh 'bubble' in the family home and raised him in Welsh culture, but I think it's unlikely. I expect he got exactly the same upbringing as the English kid next door only his parents had Welsh accents.

There really is no objective answer to this, it’s what he identifies as. He identifies as Welsh, he has Welsh parents so he’s Welsh.

Well said @Mamai90

Of course Welsh is an ethnicity, by any definition of that term. Are you completely mad?

Your nationality isn't necessarily determined by where you were born. Not legally, or in any other way.

I'm a British national, not born there. My kids are also dual nationals, one of them wasn't born in either of the countries he has a passport for and identifies with.

Person born in England to Welsh parents whilst they were visiting or working in England temporarily = Welsh.

Person born in England to Welsh parents who were permanently resident in England = English.

But I wouldn't be bothered to argue about it, since both would be British anyway.

In 2023, I'm not sure if Welsh people can claim that they are/have been colonised, and make a big deal about it.

I mean haven't many countries across the world been colonised at some point?
How about we live in the present??

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. I'm going to bed...

That's difficult to do for many people groups when the past of colonisation still has such far reaching consequences in the present.

😱🙈😱

Why ask peolw
who don’t know your partner? Ask him?!

Thanks for your input

night

What if they were planning on staying temporarily at the time the child was born but ended up staying permanently?

What is they were permanently resident in England at the moment the child was born, but gave birth in international waters, then moved to Mali for the rest of the child's life?

This is really silly stuff you know.

He told her. She doesn't like his answer .