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?

Well, swap English out of the equation. Let’s say that his mum and dad had moved from Wales to Nigeria and your partner was born and bred there. Would you be insisting that makes him Nigerian….?

If every second person in America can legitimately consider themselves as Italian or Irish based on a great great grandparent being an immigrant from the same, then I'm absolutely certain your DH can legitimately consider himself Welsh.

OP said he was born in England not Wales.

I find this thread interesting to read. I was from a minority nation in my country. It was made clear to me that I can never identify as the majority nation - I belonged to the minority and could only be call myself that. My culture was/ is not different from the majority nation. My parents, and their parents, and as many generations we can go back, they all lived in that same country. But we were always treated as the 'other'. No attempts to 'assimilate' us...
No one ever would say to me you're both nationalities - I had to know my place!

All the people talking about being 'genetically' or 'biologically' Scottish/Welsh/Irish are heading down a very dangerous road that ends in black/brown people never being 'truly' X-nationality because they don't have the right 'blood'. These are nations, not races.

Nonsense. You can be Welsh and of any ethnicity. His parents could have African or Chinese or Pacific Island or any other ethnicity - you don't know.

@ginandtonicwithlimes “Technically your British as well like the rest of us”

Wow, thank you. If you actually read my response you will see that I said exactly that.

And I presume you mean you’re?

Reading responses properly saves you embarrassment 😂

This.
I am seeing a Welsh chap. Born and bred for generations... knows the national anthem and 'cwtch'. That is the extent of his Welsh language.

Why not?

There can't be a factual, objective answer because national identity is, well, a question of identity. There are boundaries around which countries will and won't give you a passport (in this case irrelevant since the nationality is British), but many people's sense of national identity and heritage is much more complex. He can call himself Welsh if he wants; in his shoes I personally wouldn't, but it's not as though he's claiming to identify as Nepalese because he saw it on TV and decided he liked mountains.

He was probably raised with more Welsh cultural influence in his family than English.

Not really being as he was born in England, grew up in England and only speaks English.

Yes, I would think in that scenario he would have a good argument for considering himself Portuguese.

So he's welsh then. It's not up to you or Mumsnet how he sees himself. It's up to him. And arguing the point with him is just petty and won't change anything.

Being able to speak Welsh or not doesn't come into it. You really, really don't want to start down that line.

This in spades!

And there it is. OP, this is why you're confused and why the answers you're getting are also so deeply confused.

He's British.

Though I suppose you could say he's English with Welsh heritage.

I was born in Scotland of Scottish parents. I moved to N Ireland when I was 5 and grew up there. I left home at 25 and have lived in England for the last 30 years (I'm 55). What does that make me?

So why hasn't he learned it now? The Welsh government have been pouring money into promoting the Welsh language for years. I am not sure we can blame anyone else for his lack of Welsh this far on from the banning the language a long time ago? How long does he plan to blame Westminster for that?

He's British or Welsh.

I have 2 English parents, born in a non UK country and grew up in Scotland. I'm English but tend to say British. Definitely not half anything...

Scottish, i would guess, but you do you.

Welsh is, among other things, am ethnic group. Ironically, African and Chinese are not.

I read all the capitals bit in Rob Brydon

Says who?

He's English

He's British. He is not half Welsh or half English.