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?

This thread is going to end up "elsewhere" 😭

I'd say nationality is what passport you hold, so British for him.

Then he has an ethnic identity, which is mixed English and Welsh.

Must be exhausting carrying that hatred about.

It matters to him which is why they had a big row when she described him to people as half Welsh even though both his parents are Welsh. People's heritage matters to them commonly enough.

Living in the past?

the poor sods in the boats is very much now, the racist hate after Brexit is now. The poles getting told to go home after Brexit.

if you can’t see how unwelcoming and racist a large part of England is you’re blind.

and yes we’ve helped the Ukrainians and we have some living with us. But that was only after massive pressure and we made very difficult for them come.

*I know there were horrific atrocities committed in the past wrt banning/subverting people's natural ethnic language; but I still don't see how people can cling to this nowadays, as their reason why they are proudly Welsh but don't speak any Welsh, when it is so easy to learn Welsh if you truly want to - there are no modern-day English people stopping you from doing so.

I'm English, but I went to university in Wales, nearly 30 years ago, and I learnt some Welsh in the freely-available classes. These days, of course, there is a host of online resources for learning Welsh, so you don't even need to be located anywhere in or near Wales.

I didn't keep it up when I left Wales and returned to England, because I had other priorities. I still remember most of what I learned and consider it an asset to my learning; I'm very glad I did it.

You have to be honest and acknowledge that, if any Welsh person nowadays doesn't speak any Welsh and has never made any effort to learn it, it's simply because they don't want to and it just isn't important to them. Entirely their choice, of course, although I personally find it a bit sad. Just like Facebook and TikTok are not important to me; but if they were and I still didn't use them or know how to, the only person that would be down to is me; they're freely available to me, wherever I am, and there would be nothing and nobody stopping me from becoming a proficient, prolific user if I only cared enough to do so.*

*Also, do Welsh people today really still cling to the historical fact of having been colonialised by the English? Historical perspectives differ as to whether it was an actual act of colonialist takeover or a willing partnership; but even if we fully assume the former, what is the point in holding on to it centuries later? How does it actually help you in your daily life and happiness to continue to identify as victims, having once been subdued by a colonial enemy? I'm English, but from 'peasant' heritage, so my distant ancestors were probably subdued by the rich and powerful too; I don't blame their great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandchildren for their actions now - whatever would be the point of that?

How come there hasn't even been a serious unified request for a referendum on Wales leaving the UK in modern times? It can't be that bad being associated with the English, then, if there's no real appetite to leave - as could the Scottish freely have done nearly a decade ago, if the majority had wanted it.

By all means be proud of your identity associated with your own home nation, but do you really, truly see the Welsh as such a completely hugely different culture from the English? Really?*

Dear I - went- to- Uni- in Wales - 30 - years - ago.

Yep.

If he was born and raised in England I would say he’s English with Welsh heritage. But I would t be surprised if he says he Welsh because both his parents are.

Not really. The English make so easy to hare them.

Yes but not everyone uses the term nationality as a synonym for citizenship. That's why this is such a mess. Nations and states are not the same thing. So properly, nationality and citizenship should not be used as synonyms, it's a historical artefact that they are. Others on this thread are using the term nationality to mean ethnicity, which is another common and perfectly acceptable use of it.

Shows how closed you are.

Your nationality is the country that you are legally entitled to a passport from. People who can hold a passport from more than one country have dual nationality. Neither Wales nor England can issue passports. The passports are British.

Ones cultural identity and heritage are not legally imposed and your partner can identify as 100% welsh if he chooses and no one has the right to tell him to identify otherwise. Anorther person of the same background could equally choose to identify as English and neither you nor your partner nor their own parents nor anyone else would have any right to tell them otherwise.

He's Welsh. He's decided that.

He could have decided English.

Who is he is supporting in the RWC? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
We all know. 😉

He’s a Welsh national as parents are both Welsh. Definition of nationality: a body of people sharing common descent, history, language etc. Your husband was brought up as Welsh.
My husband has dual citizenship (born in Oz to Scottish parents so has 2 passports) but if you ask him he’s Australian 😉

Wow

He's English given born and raised in England with Welsh heritage. I mean he might not like it but that's what his paperwork says given birth certificate, passport and school exams will show.

My children are scottish born and raised here despite both of us being English. They sound English but that doesnt mean they aren't Scottish!

Wales was conquered and forced to cede to English rule. It was still a separate country, no matter what the English liked to think.

I am aware of that. Like I say that is a minority. Probably the same in parts of Ireland I imagine. Every nation has that type of individual but you seem to make out it is just an English thing. Go to America and see how welcome African-Americans are in certain areas. France don't seem to like Muslim's with their anti Islamic dress codes.

You just come across no differently and actually you aren't are you? As soon as you hear my accent you will dislike me. Maybe you need a hobby or something.

That's one definition of the term nationality - as synonymous with citizenship. It's not the only one and not the way in which many people are using it.

Cultural identity and heritage are also not necessarily the same thing. The Welsh government, for example, defines the Welsh ethnic group as including those with Welsh parents. So OP's husband is ethnically Welsh from the moment he was born and has no choice in that. Whether he's culturally Welsh or not is a separate question.

Oh sod off. You have come off and spouted nothing but anti English rants. I actually have friends of different nationalities and live in a very multi cultural area and you are fucking wrong.

Says the poster harking back to Henry VIII's reign!

My parents are Welsh and I was born in Wales but can't remember ever living there and grew up in the UK and abroad.
If I'm asked for my nationality I always say British, but I could chose to say Welsh instead. There's often a choice on official documents.

This is why we run into problems with the UCAS forms every year at school. Students put Pakistani, Jamaican, Somali as their nationality, even if they have British passports. They need to have it explained - not least because it'll cost them!

There is another definition of nationality, which is citizenship, as in which State you belong to, which State will issue you a passport. Your definition is also perfectly valid and used by probably the majority of people. But people are talking past each other on this subject because of the confusion of terms.

I like history but I just don't hate people based on someone actions 60 years ago.