What makes you English (or any other nationality)?

Man of Honour
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We had this thread a while ago but after a thread that was derailed in SOFTWARE it got me thinking again.

I was born in Nigeria and stayed there for 10 years so I regard myself as Nigerian.
I have been in England for 38 years so I am also regarded as English.
However, if I'm only what my parents are then I am only English because thats where they were born.
But it gets more complicated.
Both of my parents parents are Irish and there parents are Irish all the way down the line so my blood is actually Irish.

Am I Nigerian because I was born there?
Am I English because my parents were born in England?
Am I Irish because I have pure Irish blood in me?
So what am I legally?
 
Man of Honour
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Legally?

You're whatever your passport says. You may have dual nationality Nigerian/British. Makes you a hybrid.

I'm one quarter Irish and the rest is pure Yorkshire. I'm English, but like my Celtic roots too.
 
Man of Honour
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What do you consider yourself? Whichever nationality you feel closest to is probably your true nationality. It might not legally be your proper nationality but there's more to nationality than law.

I was born in N. Ireland as an Irish national to Irish parents so there's no real confusion there. AS you've probably gathered from some of my posts I'm rather proud of my country and my roots.
When I was 19 I got my hands on a British passport as being born in NI entitled me to dual nationality. The only reason I got it was to make things easier for my job and it's always handy to have a spare passport. Irish national, Irish citizen and British citizen. Although I have a British passport I'm not a British national.
 

Nix

Nix

Soldato
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Nationality and heritage are two different things.

To OP:

I would regard you as English first and then Nigerian as you've spent most of your time in England and are obviously more English than anything else. You're Nigerian because that's where you were born and also lived a small percentage of your life.

I actually had some lectures on this subject, I should've listened really :p
 
Man of Honour
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I'd say Dmpoole is English but with Irish and Nigerian roots.

As for me... well I have dual nationality legally (also have 2 passports). I don't always really feel english... however I don't always really feel french either. I've got my mediterranean/cypriot roots that I like too.

It's a toughie. I guess I feel whatever I want to feel at the time... I would probably still err on the side of frogginess, but I'm becoming more and more english as time goes on I think!
 

Nix

Nix

Soldato
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gord said:
This question didnt exist when there were no countries.

Countries aren't natural. They're a social construction. There has always been nationality as long as there has been society. Nationalism can be broken down to the most local of levels. Your own room, in your own family's home, in your home town, in your county etc
 
Caporegime
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your not english just because you were born here

legally you are as far as citizenship goes. but you get lots of indians/pakistanis born in this country to immigrant grand parents / parents.

They are english by nationality

but not english.

To be english id say that your family going back 4 or 5 generations had to be english as well.
 
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