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 asked why they don't care about Northern Ireland.

A poster wrote

"But why should others Care? Do you care and think about what happens in Trinidad and Tobego? If it why not? Because otherwise it’s nasty"

This is one of the most bizarre posts on here.

Do some posters not know that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom?

And none of which I am responsible for

Yes - I’d like to know.

Yes, I agree. When people point to England as having a uniquely awful history, what it shows is a woeful ignorance of other countries. People who don't know much about history tend to think England and the USA are the world's bad guys.

If some posters on this thread (thankfully the minority) want to hate England, they can go ahead. But it's the lack of knowledge that grates.

Really? How scummy. Hope you don’t expect your neighbours in England to be good with that. History is the past, giving out about them and their kin today won’t go down well.

This is true. The whole front bench on Labour 'delighted' that an Egyptian Jew hating terrorist fan has been allowed in to incite hate and violence.

Like every group of people we have done good and bad. Don't let bloody Farage add to the badness, and be one of the decent ones.

Doesn't unification have to be an all Ireland referendum issue according to the GFA? You can't just expect another country to potentially take on half a million people, especially one with such a troubled history without consulting them.

Thats exactly what I said that I wrote.

I hear the people of Omagh still haven’t got over the decision to reorganise Surrey into two new unitary authorities.

Exactly.

The Republic of Ireland of course will have to be included in the process.

He was given British citizenship by Priti Patel in 2021. That is where the problems started, as he was then entitled to protection as a British citizen.

So are Scotland and wales but I don’t care much for what they do and decide. As long as they are treated well. If they want to break off from the UK - more power to them.

I actually think the most bizarre posts have been the ones where you accused people not ashamed of being English are “happy about rape” then proceeded to lie about saying that

I am neither proud nor embarrassed about my nationality. It would be daft if I were, considering that I had no say in where I was born and to whom. It is what it is.

Yes - I think the only point of this thread is to fill in the gaps in some posters’ understanding of history.

I don’t really understand how you can hate England when most of the world wants to live here. One reason I’m glad to be British especially is for women’s rights and safety, I’d like to hear about a safer and better country to be a woman. It has its faults but there’s not many countries we could openly speak, work and live in without immense oppression.

Emigrate if you hate it that much instead of virtue signalling. No country is without its past. The world wasn’t a kind place hundreds of years ago.

Edit: doubt OP will be back as I’m sure she wanted a big clap for hating Britain. Not sure why I bothered commenting.

No it isn’t.

Why exactly do you think those who don’t feel shame are saying “I’m happy about rape”
I think you either need to explain or perhaps accept it was a thoughtless thing to post.

Amazing how many heads Farage lives in. He would be loving it.

Wasn't he given citizenship by the previous Conservative government ?

I disagree.

It's important to talk about the past

This thread demonstrates it.

The more aggressive and immature people on this thread are the ones that do not want to talk about England's past

Those people havent learnt and grown.

History is repeating itself and creating arrogant, unempathetic people.

People who learn and grow from the past -have more empathy

I really do with everyone would just laugh at him and tell him to go away.

Yes it is

Have you every heard of Sisyphus ?

EA": Or more appropriately for this thread Jan Tregeagle ?

The history of our country isn't you and how you behave though is it?

This is just silly. Of course other countries with colonial pasts get a bad rap... from the countries they colonised. If you are from the UK, of course you're going to hear more about England's colonial past than Spain's or France's. Obviously be respectful of the views of people whose ancestors were on the receiving end of colonialism, but stop virtue-signalling and hand-wringing about things you had nothing to do with.