How do you see your Nationality and Heritage

[ShyBoy]

I read through the British Anthem thread, and a question hit me: does anyone actually think of themselves as British before anything else? I guess if that's the only thing on a form I'll write British, but any other time someone asks me where I'm from I'll say I'm English. And from my experience it's the same with people from N. Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

So feel free to discuss it here...

[The Doc]

I apply the BNP view of British people to English people:

When we in the BNP talk about being British, we talk about the native peoples who have lived in these islands since before the Stone Age, and the relatively small numbers of peoples of almost identical stock, such as the Saxons, Vikings and Normans, and the Irish, who have come here and assimilated.


So therefore I am British.

[Renzo]

I would say welsh first, but i am also British. Im not the sort of person who will right 'Welsh' in the other section of the nationality bit on a form

[piccolo]

I actually don't use the word English to describe myself. Dunno why really, but I always say "British".

[Rocksteady]

From my own experience, people from Wales and Scotland will generally consider themselves Welsh and Scottish before they will consider themselves British. This is mostly true of people in England who will consider themselves English before being British yet most Ethnic minorities will consider themselves British before being English, Scottish or Welsh. In N. Ireland unionists generally consider themsleves British well over being Irish or even N. Irish. This is true even though N. Ireland is geographically not part of Great Britain but I suppose we see this all the time with the likes of Chinese people born in Britain still Chinese for example!
Nationalists in N. Ireland will consider themselves Irish and generally have a Republic of Ireland passport rather than a UK passport. :confused:

[Namaste]

I normally say Welsh, or 'Wenglish'.

Doc Hotario... the BNP definition misses out the Romans... I mean that was one of the most important invasions in Europe and changed the Uk... As for the Vikings, Normans and the Irish (yadda yadda)... They didn't 'assimilate' with the culture of the native britons... or whatever they're called they must've tried to change it. I mean I'm no history expert, but we'd probably still be speaking the languages of the Celts if these people had simply come and fitted in.

And who the hell were the 'Irish'?

Sorry... just had to point that out as I disagree with the BNP on political grounds (apart from a few policies).

[Whowhere]

British.
Anyway, I don't understand why the Scots and Welsh want a national identity anyway, they're exactly like the English. Same shops, same language, same laws e.t.c.

[Braineater]

I consider myself British over Welsh, which is rare here although I am equally proud to be both.

Ultimately we are all human's and citizen's of the world.

[*DEVIL*]

Cornish - within my region
English - within my nation
British - when i go abroad

I am proud to be all of these, if i go to America however i do not consider myself to be European I AM British, not european.

I see myself as a Cornish girl, in England who is British and proud, proud of all of these, of who i am and where i come from. To trace my family tree back 100's and 100's of years i see who i am and i see that i am Cornish through and through, as i am english, with some ancestors from ireland and scotland, I am British overall.

[Braineater]

Cornwall has a strong case for being a nation itself, not just a region. :)

[lukesh]

I see my self as English first then British but I find them both just as equal. If only you got lots of Scots/Welsh people saying that!

I don't see my self as European at all.

I wonder why so many Black/Asian people who were born in England always refer them selves british and neevr English. To me there English.

[budda]

I'm a Viking, but if pressed I'd say I was British I suppose, or English, I've never really seen them as any different.

I am a European too.

[jess11285]

i see myself as irish. i ws born in the republic and even though i have lived in england for 15 yrs i will always be irish.
my nationality is something i'm very proud of.

[Blagsta]

Half Northern Irish half English. Born in London, spent 10 years in Brum, live back in London now.
I guess I see myself as British, a Londoner and an honorary Brummie, but to be honest its not something that bothers me particularly. I am who am...altogether now...

I am who I am
What else could I be
And I'll stand where I stand
I chose to be me
When you look in my eyes
You get what you see
Understand if you can
That I am who I am who I am

:D

[BumbleBee]

I see myself as British, always have.

[Foxxy_Cymru]

When asked im welsh....dont ever think ive said im british

[BlackArab]

I see my as English by Nationality, Jamaican by Heritage and Bristolian by the Grace of God.

Blagsta - where's the quote in your post from?

[Skive]

English then British.

[Blagsta]

Originally posted by BlackArab
Blagsta - where's the quote in your post from?

Its an old 70's gay disco anthem iirc.

[BlackArab]

Thought it triggered a memory, I'm sure its Sylvester but could be wrong.