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.

We also actively used the Royal Navy to abolish the world wide Slave Trade, we stopped the burning of widows in India and established vast irrigation schemes that India still relies on, plus we ended slavery in our dominions in 1833 decades before the USA ever considered the idea.

No, our history is NOT embarrassing. What is embarrassing is your total lack of historical knowledge. Not least that you seem to give the Irish, Scots and Welsh a free pass.

If you think the English were bad just take a look at the Belgians!

I’m going to blow your mind with this one - in Wales the Welsh flag is flown. In the USA the USA flag is flown. In Spain the Spanish flag is flown. Shall I keep going?

So Scotland, Wales played no part in the slave trade or empire then?

Lol!!! I hear Afghanistan is a lovely place to live OP?!

One parent and grandparents are Irish, I was born in England. I’m proud to be English, I lucked out being born here. Also equally proud of my Irish heritage. My family moved to England as they knew they’d have a much better life here.

Edited for spelling!

Oh op every country has had it's share of bad history. Wait til you read what the Spanish and Romans did.

We are so very shit yet everyone wants to come here.

Proud to be British.

I do actually find American’s obsession with America quite embarrassing too.

The English flag being flown isn’t embarrassing in itself - it’s why it’s being flown/painted on roundabouts at the moment!

I know no other nation who loathes themselves so much. Or think it's so special and unique? I am not sure which it is with the English. Sorry.
"oh no. We have some bad people and history 🥺"
So does and did everybody else at some point or another...

Yes it's the associations these days that have ruined it. I remember feeling proud when I was a young child and loved supporting England in football etc, now I don't feel inclined at all.

The English working classes (us lot) were also a victim of the colonial powers. We don’t need to be embarrassed about their actions

(Unless of course you’re one of the relatively tiny number whose ancestors were colonialists - then you should be ashamed!)

‘ 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’

LOL

I think most western countries have done similar and don’t feel the same hand-wringing guilt about it.

I love being English……there’s bad shit in everyone’s ancestry

So you agree that a handful of dimwits painting (often the Danish) flag on a roundabout makes it embarrassing to have English heritage? That’s insane.

The English ended slavery. Stop drinking the communist kool aid. Just because the MSM has been bought and paid for, for the past fifty years, doesn't stop you picking up a book. Good luck! God loves you.

I'm not English, but yabu and ridiculous to boil english history down to oppression and wars. Every country has a bad side, England has lots of positives too, things to celebrate, cultural things to celebrate.

Leave then. Good riddance.

Good luck finding that utopia country without shameful parts of its past.

Virtue signalling shite.

Yes but we were notorious. Ask the Scots, the Irish, the Welsh and all the former colonies.

I suppose countries like Spain and France were just as bad though but they don't seem to get such a bad wrap

To be honest I think the fact that you are uneducated and ignorant is more embarrassing than being English.
I would argue that very few other countries have made such a lasting impact across the world, for example; the Industrial Revolution, invention, engineering, science, medicine, the abolition of slavery worldwide (we weren’t the only ones involved in slavery, as I’m sure you’re aware), language, literature, sports…

So I’m not embarrassed to be English.

You are giving that rap yourself tbh

I mean the Spanish and Portuguese were horrendous too. And the Dutch!

they do get a bad rap, it’s just that you don’t live in those countries so don’t know about it

I don’t think it’s embarrassing to be English, I’m married to an English man and have lived here for nearly 20 years. I think that it’s a shame what the Reform crowd have made people feel the way that the OP does about being English.

It’s an incredibly stupid post. As if the whole of a country’s history can be reduced like that. Plus the fact the Op thinks that of the four home nations, only England is accountable for colonialism. I am Scottish and I know we benefited a lot from the colonies and Empire. I also know we weren’t the only European country to colonise other countries. Im addition, speaking personally, my ancestors were miners and farmers who were not the direct beneficiaries of colonialism but hard working people who were exploited by the upper classes. Why should I be ashamed of that? I suspect the Op has a very poor grasp of history.

What’s funny about this?