Embarrassed to be English

[Traballi]

Got ancestry results back recently and apparently I'm 98% English, tiny bit of Irish but not even Scottish or Welsh. It wasn't a surprise as already looked into family history and been here for centuries.

I'm actually embarrassed of my English lineage to be honest. What's there to be proud of with our appalling history of colonialism and more recent dallyings with the far right and flag shagging?

I see the British flag up where I live and I honestly cringe. I'm also married to someone who is from a country we have a history of conflict with too so that doesnt help although DH doesnt hate us excessively (won't name country in case outing but with our history of wars/ conflict/ invasion, it could be dozens of places lets be frank)

I guess I've had a different perspective on Englishness over many years through the people I know from overseas and I speak other languages too. I also went to a Catholic school (in England) which taught us about slavery and what happened in Northern Ireland. None of which was nice about the English (teacher was Irish). I'm grateful for these perspectives though as I wouldn't want to be brainwashed into being a blind patriot.

I have friends with strong Irish and Welsh roots and they have a real sense of identity to hold onto with it, ancestral languages that they're interested in and a feeling a pride.

If you're English, it's hard to feel like that unless you're in Tommy or Nige's crew, which makes me even less inclined towards patriotism tbh.

Does anyone else feel like this? It's a bit sad really. I'd love to at least be half something else to cling to that identity instead and ignore the English but.

Luckily my DC is only half English and has two other nationalities through DH, and is being brought up in Wales so will probably feel more Welsh. I'm also obtaining a passport from another country through DH soon and I'll be using that for all overseas travel as soon as I can so I can appear to be from there instead.

AiBU or do others feel like this? Being English just isn't cool.

I suspect it’s all made up.

These aren’t ‘ chavs ‘ draped in St George’s flags outside a hotel for any old reason. This was a protest by hard working ordinary people.

A protest at the tax payers expense for having to fund foreign sex offending immigrants in hotels. The public are allowed to do that and had I have been there - I’d have protested too. The sheer volume of car horns beeping in support as they went by said it all: the majority don’t want it.

And that’s all there is to it. And why should they?

And no I’m not fucking thick. And guess what ? I’m certainly not fucking woke either and I can and I will say the word “ immigrant “ without being called a racist .

It’s fucking ludicrous.

Well my point does stand.

A few racists doesn’t make a country intolerant.

did the government set the hotels on fire?

LOL, that’s exactly why you and people like the OP end up this way. Honestly the way you kids have been treated, I’m glad to see it’s dieing out a bit these days.

You sound disappointed

Do you know about the Moorish slave traders OP? They terrorised the western coasts of Britain, Ireland in the eighteenth century and even got as far as Iceland, snatching defenceless people and taking them off into slavery in North Africa. They even established a base on Lundy.

Which country do you regard as being properly tolerant?

I wouldn't say I am proud as it's just a matter of luck where you are born but I definitely not ashamed of being English as none of my ancestors seemed to have been particularly involved in colonialism, slavery or anything else dreadful. Seems be hundreds of years of shopkeeping and farm labouring etc. Also even if they had been party to unsavoury historical acts, that's not my fault or that if anybody else English alive today is it. I am fairly ashamed of our last few Governments however as they are bloody useless.

You sound like you want intolerance in England

Are you just happy to insult people who fly the national flag in their own or will you insult people who have the Palestinian flag flying from their houses/cars etc too? Is that an acceptable flag?

You really need to read some history books. Maybe start with researching the background behind the Acts of Union 1707 which joined Scotland and England into one sovereign state.

Virtually every European country of any influence tried their hand at colonialism at some point or another.

End up what way? All i’ve said is I understand why English people don’t feel like they can be proud of being English because of Reform etc. I live in England and have for 20 years! My husband is English! I love it here! But I can understand why people don’t feel proud.

What gave you that impression?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5eeqg150mo.amp

That is in Ireland not England, so it doesn’t make sense to even bring England into this.

I hear Iran’s alright

I went to a very small catholic school in rural Ireland run entirely by nuns who wouldn’t spit on the English if they were on fire!

I wouldn’t spit on a nun if she was on fire. Never met one who wasn’t horrible (Catholic upbringing, now renounced) and given their track record of cruelty towards women in Ireland - Magdalene laundries were open until 1996 - I am glad they apparently hate the English.

Wasn't the Act of Union largely motivated by the Scots wanting to get in on the whole Empire thing?

Certainly the Scots were disproportionately involved in the British empire. As merchants, administrators, missionaries and more. Even now, Glasgow has the definite air of a former great city of Empire.

What's there to be proud of with our appalling history of colonialism and more recent dallyings with the far right and flag shagging?

I wonder if other nationalities are so keen on decrying their past on the altar of self flagellation? Danes, Italians (Romans), Greek, French, Portuguese, Germans et al seem to pleased to live for today.

Whatever, enjoy your misery, you deserve it!

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/dec/29/they-thought-they-were-going-to-die-the-asylum-seekers-who-survived-rioters-trying-to-burn-down-their-accommodation

Relevance please?

Stop pointing out facts, you’ll upset the posters who like to rewrite history 😂

I’m proud to be English! I hate Farage and his cronies, but love this country and the (majority) of the people. If you look for the bad you’ll find it, but look for the good in the country and its people and you’ll find it in droves. People in your local
community being wonderful, kind and caring. Our liberal, open way of being - we’re fed a constant rhetoric by the right AND left wing media that England is shit but it’s not. The fact people can express themselves so openly says something about our country. We have amazing traditions and culture that actually we need to be proud of and talk about more!

I am not English but you are ridiculous.

Sorry, that's bullshit.
The flags are not about national pride, they've been put up to intimidate.

Money backed by far right people.

I am all for the flags, both Jack and St George, when used for the right reasons. The Jack is a beautiful flag too, design wise.

WTF. The Arab slave trade “minuscule”?

1,200 years (arguably still continuing), with 10-20m victims. Men mostly castrated.

The transatlantic slave trade was 300-400 years with 12m victims.

Both utterly abhorrant.

Why would you want to minimise either one?