Would you consider someone to be English if they are born outside of England?

Posted by No-Willingness-7210@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 675 comments

Hello This is an England specific question but it relates to all of UK and views from all parts of UK are welcome. I was wondering how people here may feel about someone like me who is not ethnically English and has been born outside of UK, but has grown up here and considers themselves to be British and perhaps English too? Besides feeling British I feel equally English at the same time. I feel I identify with the England as a country and its symbols and its people. I see myself as a part of the english society and I want to contribute to it. I live my life in England and I care about it and consider it to be my home alongside the wider UK. Yet sometimes I wonder about whether or not this makes sense and if other English people would consider me english, knowing I am not of English origin and wasn't even born here. To me things such as heritage or place of birth are irrelevant as they are essentially random. What really matters are things such as culture, identity, values, mindset and a sense of belonging as well as where we actually live and contribute. Much has been said in the media about English identity being tired to ethnicity and how this is often associated with racists or nationalists. Yet I don't think this is an accurate depiction of the English identity, especially not nowadays. I'm curious what you guys may have to say about this? How would you perceive someone like me?