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?

I was born in England, raised in England and only speak English but when asked where I'm from I say Jamaica, because I identify so deeply with my Jamaican heritage. Far more than I do with my Englishness.

I would think of him as English of Welsh descent, but with the option to identify as English, Welsh or British.

It is not straightforward because nationality means different things to different people. Could be where you are raised, born, where any of your grandparents came from, where you spend your most important years, where you feel lost at home emotionally etc

How on earth have you arrived at the idea that he is half-anything?

You're Scottish by ethnicity, culturally only you know - presumably a mix of Scottish, N. Irish and English. By citizenship you're British.

What you are by nationality depends on if you're using the term as synonymous with citizenship or as synonymous with ethnicity. People use it both ways and generally aren't even aware of what they're doing.

His legal nationality is British, like anyone else who would have a British passport.

His ethnic ancestry is Welsh. He’s not ‘half’ anything because both his parents are Welsh.

How do you know that his parents weren’t born in Wales to Chinese immigrants? Or maybe his grandparents were secretly English immigrants!

If he wants to say: “ I’m Welsh because my parents are Welsh and I was brought up feeling Welsh,” then great.

If he wants to say: “I’m English because I was born in England and all my cultural signifiers are English”, that’s also ok.

Or, if things were somewhat less antagonistic between Wales and England he might say “actually, my parents are Welsh but I was born and brought up in England so I feel equally attached to them both” which, anecdotally, is how the majority of first generation immigrants I know tend to identify, no one seems to demand that they’re wrong!

Legally, he’s British. You can call yourself Welsh or English all you like, but neither are countries. Wales hasn’t been a sovereign country since 1505. Scotland (and England, into which Wales merged) hasn’t been a sovereign country since 1707.

The country is called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The demonym of the country is ‘British’.

How he feels is a different matter - up to him really. But your question has been answered: British, regardless of how he feels.

No, I don't think so. Identity is more complex than that. I have more than one legal nationality and I'm 100% each nationality legally. But I only have one heritage I identify with and genes are part of that, but it's more a cultural way of thinking and being. That's me though, others might feel their identity is based on other factors. It's not easy when you've been raised across countries and cultures.

Guessing he calls himself Welsh, especially when the rugby is on. My children are half English/half other nationality and I’d be annoyed if they were told they couldn’t also identify as English because via me they are half! Lol. So I’d let him say he was Welsh but really most people identify with where they grew up! It’s an issue when people are TOLD they aren’t from the country where they grew up. My friend has 2 parents from India, but is definitely British!

Welsh.

No they're not Wales has it's own language that the British tried to get rid of. By making the Welsh speak in English. Though we do have free movement between the countries. Sadly the Welsh language is dieing out.

Sure, this guy who is vehemently insisting he's Welsh actually has Chinese immigrant parents and OP just sort of neglected to mention it...

I'm not talking about what he is culturally or what culture he feels attached to. Only he knows the answer to that.

There is no right or wrong answer, he considers himself to be Welsh so he's Welsh.

The Irish/Scottish/Welsh people are proud of their culture, it really doesn't go down well when you have English people who colonised our countries telling us that we are English/British.

This is the reason we have dual heritage in the North of Ireland because OP, however desperately you want to be right he decides because it's up to him if he feels Welsh, not up to you.

And for those who are adamant he is English, you wouldn't be calling him Japanese if he grew up in Japan with English parents, you just wouldn't.

My great grandfather was born in China to Irish parents, he never considered himself to be Chinese.

Bloody hell you can’t be accusing your partner of being English while the rugby World Cup is on. That’s serious business! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

why does it matter?

He is in his 50s.. so I am not sure if that makes a difference really.
I don't think there was a push to get older adults to learn Welsh.

You're not being unreasonable asking this, but I think the answer needs to come from him. What his nationality is, is largely a matter for him to decide (as long as it's based on his own choice of where he lives/was born/has lived/where his parents/ancestors were from/lived etc)

His citizenship is more factual, based on his passport/citizenship rights. But his nationality is a matter of the heart. In some countries this distinction is less clear, but in the British isles it's quite important.

I don't think it was unreasonable for you to assume/consider him half Welsh, but after he's said he considers himself [fully] Welsh, I think any reasonable person would accept that and use the same description.

"My partner's parents are from Newcastle, but they moved to Kent, and he was born, raised, and lives there now. Is he wrong to identify as a Geordie?"

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

There is, but neither of you seem to like it.

Welsh/Scottish/English is irrelevant for what you consider to be nationality purposes. All have are entitled to a British passport and to reside in any part of the Uk.

What is important is residency. That drives how much tax you pay and to whom, and what you have to pay for certain services, benefits you are entitled to, etc.

Eligibility to play for a sports team is also a different matter.

I don’t think so, I’d be fed up in his shoes. He’s certainly not half Welsh as OP stated, that’s just nonsense.

Wenglish.

One of my parents was born and brought up in Wales by parents who were born and brought up in Wales, my other parent was born to an Irish father and a Goan mother in India. I was born and brought up in England. What does this make me? I consider myself culturally mixed!

He's welsh.

He's either Welsh or English (depending on how he feels), and also British. Speaking Welsh is irrelevant, I'm Welsh, my family are Welsh as far back as I can trace and no-one in my generation of the family or the one above speaks any Welsh at all.

But he's definitely not half anything - in my mind that would mean one parent from one place and another from elsewhere.

My Granny used to say ‘if you’re born in a stable it doesn’t make you a horse!’ So I’m guessing Welsh.