Is it common for people who are born in the UK to say they are “Irish” or “Italian” if they have a parent from there?

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Pocks98@reddit

My mum is Irish and I sometimes say my mum is Irish, my family is Irish or I’m half Irish

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-Londoneer-@reddit

It’s not at all. We’re from where we’re from, our parents or grandparents might be from somewhere else.

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Salfordsmith15@reddit

Weirdly I have both of these and I will say “my grandparents moved here from Bray/Genoa in the early 1900s” - I’m British though for my sins

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I think this is an American defaultism thing: of course they're American, but they're also Irish/Italian or whatever. That is, I think for them it feels as obvious as saying you're human.

African Americans are the descendants of slaves. Most of them don’t know their family’s country of origin and weren’t raised around the culture of any particular African country. African American culture is its own distinct thing that emerged in the aftermath of abolition. It’s a very different history to black people in the UK; most of whom are the children/grandchildren of immigrants and have that connection to their family’s culture, or their family has been here for centuries and has been functionally British for many generations.

An American child of Jamaican immigrants would consider themselves Jamaican-American, not African American.

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BonusAdvanced2932@reddit

Thank you, I wish I read this before I basically typed out the same thing!

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I agree, nationality doesn't carry the same weight. That's probably more due at least in part to historical context, there have definitely been times where "The Irish" (for example) has been used in a derogatory way. I'm sure in the earliest days of the American colonies, "The British" probably wasn't a term of endearment lol.

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One_Cake893@reddit

There’s a joke in venture brothers where they say the being a blackula hunter was kind of racist instead of an African American vampire hunter (he is both black himself and hunts blackulas) and he turns around and says what if I’m hunting a black vampire in London they don’t have African Americans.

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BonusAdvanced2932@reddit

It’s because American culture is literally built on immigration and was “founded” by “settlers” (immigrants). But they are in touch with their roots where possible even if by dint of saying they are [insert whatever lineage here] when asked… because let’s face it, saying you’re “American” doesn’t really hold any meaning.

Now, speaking as a born and bred Brit, with Polish parents… I am by blood 100% Polish so am Polish by heritage and where appropriate would introduce myself as such. And I have been asked often, as apparently I “don’t look English”. Polish, born in the UK, British values. If that means anything anymore.

MeableFussock@reddit

The important question is ‘what football team do you support?’

I hope it’s not Pompey!

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Distinct-Sea3012@reddit

Of course not. My brother supported Arsenal - is that ok? Mind you my husband's brother supports Southampton and their from Bournemouth!

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MeableFussock@reddit

That’s semi-acceptable 🤣 My family all support Arsenal, so I’m not loving their current glee. I support Brighton so have never had to worry about title battles.

Pubs around Dale street are good for drinking and baby croc just off it always has a good crowd. If want soemthing lively then "the strip" on Charlotte street is good. Few bars by each other, always live music with a good crowd and mixed crowd. Ruby blues is name of one of them if you google it for location. Went with guys after match other week and one of them in his 70s pulled another pensioner ha. Was like a pair of kids and he left us as they swapped numbers ans she rang him.

You'd think that, but people in New Zealand don't claim to be Irish even if their family is from there. My mum for example, has Irish cousins. She was delighted to be able to visit them but never once did she think she had claim to call herself Irish, just because her grandmother was Irish.

That's totally an American thing.

Fibro-Mite@reddit

The Italian and Greek descent communities (usually up to about 3rd or 4th gen) in Perth were (at least back in the 80s & 90s) fairly big on not only saying they were of Italian or Greek descent*, but there were suburbs that consisted of a majority of those families (not mixed). You could usually tell by the types of restaurants and takeaways in an area (and for the Italian one, whether the delis sold gelato rather than ice-cream). But there were also a few suburbs that had predominantly British descent families to similarly 3rd or 4th gen after immigration - my parents lived in one until they retired. Then they sold that house and moved to somewhere much closer to the beach for mum & where dad could go fishing off the marina whenever he wanted. One of my oldest friend's parents were Scottish (dad) and Irish (mum), and her grandparents still all lived in those places, she'd arrived in Aus with them when she was 3 (while I arrived there with my own English parents when I was 16), and she never introduced herself as any specific nationality.

I was born in Germany (dad was in the British Army) but I'm not German. I have Aus & UK passports after becoming a naturalised citizen of Australia at 19, and live in the UK again now, so I usually say I'm UK/Aus dual national if asked.

Spare_Worldliness669@reddit

They don’t issue them exclusively to “American” grandchildren of Irish citizens.

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eugenesbluegenes@reddit

I didn't mean to imply that it was exclusively available to Americans. This discussion was in context of Americans so I worded it as how an American of direct Irish descent would be treated by the Irish government.

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Slothjitzu@reddit

It’s three things IMO.

Firstly, most Irish and Italian (the most commonly-cited) families arrived during the 1800s. So they don’t connect with the actual founding of America the same way the original English settlers did, and they set up cultural enclaves when they arrived. So up until sometime in the 1900s, those families basically were Italian or Irish but living in the US.

Secondly, US history and patriotism has now been tied into the right-wing. So anyone who is on the opposite side of the political spectrum will often look to find something other than American that they can be.

And finally, they think it makes them interesting.

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NegativeMammoth2137@reddit

I think most of the times when people say it they likely just mean "I’m Italian-American" except since they live in America and speak English, the -American part is already implied so they will omit it in regular conversations.

Tell me about it. My nanny was the youngest of 14. And her 6 (we think) oldest siblings were all born in Ireland (plus there was something funky going on with the surnames).

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Opening-Fortune4@reddit

Do you think the discrimination made her more likely to describe herself as Italian? My mother would describe herself as British, I think, as she moved here when she was 3 and she made a choice. I think she has that choice but someone born in the uk does not.

I’m 54, she’s 78

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thebottomofawhale@reddit

Oh absolutely. She's also not at all English, which I think adds to it, but it makes sense. You think if you had been made to feel like you don't belong in England, how easy would it be to connect to an English national identity? And I think it's ok that she made that choice and that she has created positive links to her heritage and her identity.

It would be ridiculous for me to identify as Italian though.

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No_Camp_7@reddit

Are you half ethnically Italian though?

If you are raised with Italian culture at home in the UK, you can still be culturally Italian.

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Sburns85@reddit

Again watching tv and other things without living in Italy doesn’t make you Italian. A dog born in a stable isn’t a horse

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PointAlert6005@reddit

A dog born in a stable isn’t a horse

You don't even understand what you are saying.

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Sburns85@reddit

Someone who wasn’t born and raised in the cultural doesn’t magically become that culture.

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PointAlert6005@reddit

Re-read the idiom you have just typed out. Try to understand it. Now go back to gaming

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Sburns85@reddit

Once again you aren’t whatever because you weren’t born there. You might have some second hand culture. But unless you lived there for a long time. You aren’t that culture. What aren’t you getting yank

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PointAlert6005@reddit

I am not American.

Only_Tip9560@reddit

Yeah, and he is wrong. I really wouldn't judge what is normal in British society by what a celebrity pop musician who mixes with lots of American celebs says about his heritage and culture.

TheRealSirfon@reddit

Where do you stop? I was born in England, my dad in Scotland and my mum in England. So I'm Scottish then, or half and half? Except my dad's father was born in Wales and his mum in England. So what was he?

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Elite_AI@reddit

The component countries of the UK are weird because you can't have Scottish citizenship. You just have British citizenship. I think you'd have a right to call yourself Scottish, but I think most people would look at you oddly.

But if your dad was born in France then most people would say you were French and English. You might also call yourself half-French and half-English. This is just what most people do, not everybody. My dad never did this, for example.

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TheRealSirfon@reddit

But by that logic my parents are defined by their parents and so on so it never stops.

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Elite_AI@reddit

The nationality you get from a parent is not typically seen as transfering down to your own child.

For example: let's say my dad is from England. My mum is from New Zealand. I am English and a Kiwi.

And let's say my dad's dad is from England, and his mum is from India. He is Indian and English.

My mum's dad is from England and her mum is from Wales. She is English, Welsh, and a Kiwi.

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Jemima_puddledook678@reddit

Well it’s not in most American cases.

But regardless, just because a parent is from somewhere doesn’t mean you’re from somewhere? Your dad can have been born and raised in a country, but if you’ve never been there in your life, you aren’t from there.

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Elite_AI@reddit

Well it’s not in most American cases.

Sure, but that's not what OP asked.

just because a parent is from somewhere doesn’t mean you’re from somewhere?

Citizenship is citizenship. You asked me about this in another thread tho so I'll keep the discussion on that reply to make things easier for us

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Jemima_puddledook678@reddit

Citizenship does not mean you’re from a country, it means you qualify as a citizen. They aren’t the same thing.

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I'd say you're british but not English. What makes you English when someone who's grandparents were born in British India and parents were born in England wouldn't be considered English? They'd barely be considered British by some people.

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Wiggles_21@reddit

Would you describe yourself as half Irish?

In what context? I’ll just say I’m British. I don’t really see any point in breaking it down further personally, but don’t see any issue with mixed background people doing that.

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QuaintStaircase@reddit

That's really interesting.

I get what you mean about it being complicated. My family is all Irish (Northern), which adds an extra dimension to it all for me. They didn't grow up hating the Brits; they were Catholic, nationalist, but anti-IRA. Part of moving to England was that they didn't believe in the sectarianism and wanted out. But I was brought up with a firm grounding in the civil rights movement, in nationalism, and eyes wide open about how shitty the Brits can be. Despite being "moderate" as it goes, you'd still never catch anyone in my family wearing a poppy; I've got family who died on bloody Sunday.

I also totally get what you mean with the north. My accent puts me being welcomed on Shankhill road. Cut glass home country english as it comes. Unless I say my name. Or they find the rosary I tend to carry with me. Or I baulk at the idea of toasters living in a cupboard... Seriously what's with that??

With other Brits I tend to just say yeah my family's Irish and leave it at that. I'm lucky that "being Irish" is in fashion these days, so it doesn't attract much scrutiny.

When I'm around irish people from the republic, I get very uncomfortable discussing nationality/cultural identity. I am incredibly aware I don't... Fit. I feel very much like a plastic paddy, or like I have something to prove.

I tend to find myself most at home with northern nationalists. It's an area that understands "it's complicated" in regards to whether you're British or Irish. I generally end up getting a lot of good natured teasing for my Englishness, but the second irish identity rarely feels in question. I identify a lot with James from Derry girls... he just about sums it up, come to think of it 😂

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Common-Spend5000@reddit

Yeh, i'm not a nordie at all, all my family from either Dublin or the South East in fact, but in a few jobs in the past in Britain I've been sent over to the north to work on projects or contracts because 'I understand it all better', or some bollocks.

Which on the one hand tbf is true, and I like it up there when i used to go over regularly for a few days a month, but jeez they really set themselves a bad bar with how ignorant they are about something which is officially 'their own country' supposedly, and it is that sort of ignorance I guess which is a factor making it harder for you to 'feel English'.

I'd imagine a home counties accent does add a dimension that I hadn't thought of though, fair enough.

I don't have that with Ireland, but I guess the cultural quirks and cultural references plus the politics I'm more embedded in, so fortunate there. But people born and raised in Northern Ireland also say the same as yourself there on certain cultural quirks, so you're hardly alone.

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QuaintStaircase@reddit

Aha yeah, the lack of understanding is crazy work tbh. You're absolutely right. Oh, sure, you "understand it better" 🙄 gee thanks.

I've been called out occasionally for things like not wearing a poppy, or not being crazy enthusiastic to participate in my workplace's military outreach programme. You'd think 'My family are northern Irish catholics, we're not crazy about the British army' would be explanation enough...but it's crickets.

jenbenm@reddit

My husband has an Irish passport that says he Irish but was born and lived in Canada for 32 years. I could not call him Irish if you paid me. He's Canadian.

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oraff_e@reddit

I mean. You could, if you felt it was your national identity. There’s no rule that says you need to grow up somewhere to claim it if you identify strongly with the culture. Loads of “London Irish” (children of Irish immigrants) hold Irish citizenship from birth and only ever hold an Irish passport, are deeply involved in cultural groups and close to their family “back home”. So I think they’d probably be justified in identifying as Irish maybe, especially if both their parents are Irish.

ButteryGirl56@reddit

I’m Cornish with the other half of my messy split parents as a kid still in their custody at the very top of Scotland!My aunt wants to adopt me and I want that and OP notice how you are in no way the bad pr disruptive now you feel safe and don’t have the evil woman back.

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East_Comfort_7650@reddit

Both my parents are Irish. My DNA is 93% from Ireland. I was born here: I'm British

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DeadCheshireCat@reddit

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It's really not that hard 😂

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PointAlert6005@reddit

Well I'm pretty sure she has both British and Italian citizenship.

She's both isn't she?

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maruiki@reddit

Yeah, I'd happily agree with that! Of course folk can be two nationalities tbf.

Just ridiculous when people are trying to claim a nationality they do not have a right to.

Heritage is fine, I've no issue with people wanting to learn more about where they came from, but to straight up be like "I'm x" when they're like 4+ gens deep is genuine insanity imo 😂

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nggyu-nglyd-ngtaahy@reddit

Yet declaring someone else as Indian or Polish based solely off their parents or grandparents is ok, and relatively common at that.

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You can build a strong case for being both if you have two Italian parents, but anything further then that I wouldn't really consider you one. People with Italian heritage through grandparents or ancestors can believe they grew up 'culturally Italian' but it's actually a poor representation of a past Italy. The country 50 years ago is not the same as it is now and you can't perfectly preserve a culture when you're constant exposed to a completely different one. Someone who was born in Italy with Nigerian parents would have a lot more in common with an italian today

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PointAlert6005@reddit

People with Italian heritage through grandparents or ancestors can believe they grew up 'culturally Italian' but it's actually a poor representation of a past Italy.

What if they visit the country often and speak the language?

You can't pigeon-hole something as national identity so simply.

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iceyk12@reddit

What if they visit the country often and speak the language fluently?

Well, that will change things but that's literally the opposite of what I was arguing about. The conversation is about people who grew up elsewhere and don't speak the language.

You can't pigeon-hole something as complicated as national identity so simply.

Honestly, if you really want to identify that way then that's fine, I don't care enough to say otherwise. But you shouldn't really expect anyone to think the same way

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No-Art-898@reddit

Italian is one ethnic group, but British is many. British Nationality is a Civic Nationality not an Ethnic Nationality. By virtue of the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act 1914, Commonwealth citizens are British subjects.

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barnburner96@reddit

There’s a difference between nationality and ethnicity 🤷 some people take the piss with it but if you’re born here to Italian parents I reckon that’s fair enough

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TrixeeTrue@reddit

Nationality vs Ethnicity. I don’t understand human confusion between location and biology. Maybe it’s politically motivated. A 99.9% blooded Mediterranean—6th Generation American isn’t Native enough for some Americans nor Mediterranean enough for certain Europeans. Tale as old as cross continental travel, haha

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UnderSeigeOverfed@reddit

Exactly.

The only possible time is during the 6 Nations (definitely my friends claim Irish then!) and probably other sporting competitions... But that's a joke rather than whatever the American reason is!

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BigUnderstanding3751@reddit

As somebody who has one Greek parent, I say I’m half-Greek.

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AndyVale@reddit

When Ireland/Scotland/Wales do well in the rugby there is definitely a subset of otherwise-totally-English people who suddenly turn into prime St. Patrick/William Wallace/a dragon because of their 1/4 heritage.

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pledgedotmeat3mndays@reddit

My dad was irish and my mum was english, but her mum was also irish.

I'm English, I never knew my dad. Even though I'm technically, literally 'half irish' an irish person would laugh at me if I said I was irish.

mrshakeshaft@reddit

This is absolutely me as well. I wouldn’t dream of calling myself Scottish, I’d feel like a complete dick. I have an American colleague who has a polish surname that he has from his great grandfather who was a polish immigrant. As far as him and his family are concerned, they are polish. It’s fucking insane

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Spiritual-Archer118@reddit

Unfortunately I’ve come across quite a few English people with either a Scottish or Irish parent who are steadfast in their believe that they are Scottish/Irish, despite being born in England and growing up their whole lives in England, and also having one English parent. Like, the fact they think 1 Scottish parent overrules an English parent + an English upbringing, it has always massively annoyed me because usually the only reason they do it is because they want to feel special/different to all their other English peers. They sometimes even claim to hate England + English people hahaha

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That_Pop1388@reddit

That’s hilarious because if it was a great-grandparent that was Polish, he’s literally more British than Polish at this point 😂 (British heritage due to colonisation.. in case that needs clarifying)

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Express-Studio-8302@reddit

Its because the vast majority of people in America came from somewhere else.

When we say we're Polish or English, whatever, we understand that we mean ancesterally Polish. We just aren't that precise in our language.

I default to British also. Much simpler. I don't feel 100% English, but claiming Scottish nationality would feel like falso valour.

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SeniorDiet734@reddit

I’m English but I default to British too, as do a lot of people I know. I think it’s funny that many of them, when asked, will flounder a bit before saying something like: I suppose I’m a bit Irish via Liverpool, or Scottish via Cumbria, even though they don’t have any real links to those places, when in reality I think it’s just commonplace in places like the industrial north where people feel overlooked and not quite fully English.

Like; I’m part of a historical reenactment society with groups from across the UK and Ireland, and when we have a major gathering I feel much more culturally compatible with the Glaswegians than, say, the Kentish groups.

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I have Irish heritage but was born and raised in the uk. Visiting Ireland feels like going home because I have so much lovely family there, but I would still absolutely describe myself as British, or of British and Irish heritage

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nathanherts@reddit

I was born in Ireland to parents who were born in England to Irish parents, and moved to England when I was 8. I refer to myself as an Irish-Brit, or British-Irish because my cultural experience isn't quite so simple to define. I grew up and went to school in both Ireland and England, but even when I moved over to England I still visited Ireland regularly and was raised in-part by my Irish grandmother.

People might call me British if they hear my accent, but my cultural experience is not identical to a native Brit because Irish culture played a huge part in my upbringing.

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KittyJF@reddit

Absolutely. My eldest sister was born in Ireland, to Irish parents. My brother and I born in the UK. Huge family. Lots of cousins. Every summer when to Ireland. The way i was brought up was very typically Irish and clearly clashed with how my peers were raised. My blood is Irish, my heritage is Irish. In England, people class me as Irish. In Ireland, people heard my accent and classed me as English. Didn't feel I fitted anywhere properly, but Ireland, its traditional culture and people are much more familiar. If asked, i'm dual citizenship, Irish and British. Hold an Irish passport.

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BoleynRose@reddit

My grandparents were very proud Glaswegians keen to make sure no one ever forgot their roots so my Mum will always say she's British and it's something I've picked up from her too. However if people asked us to specify we'd say English and I call my children English.

garnerdp@reddit

I've (61) lived in UK for 57 years, my Dad's French and I was born in France. I only had a French passport until I applied for British nationality at 18.

I would still never try to claim I was 'French', that is simply a technicality and not my identity. I'm 100% culturally British and would never pass off as French.

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Cheeko-chi@reddit

Nah that’s an American thing

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Cheeko-chi@reddit

Nah that’s American

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No_Concern_7583@reddit

All the time, yes.

In an American accent.

Because we'd be taking the piss.

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joeythemouse@reddit

No. Not at all. I've spent a week in Ireland I'm not Irish.

PriorNo7998@reddit

Nah I’m pretty sure the only people on the planet who do this are from the US.

I have a few reasons as to why this may be but all of them are derogatory so I’ll leave it 🤣

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emxpls@reddit

My mum’s family have Scottish heritage, my dad’s family have Welsh heritage (much closer, I think my great grandfather was born in Wales but my dad’s dad and my dad were born in England)

The Scottish heritage comes from France (I am talking circa 1066 Norman invasion) and the Welsh heritage comes from Denmark (not quite sure when but I imagine during Viking raids)

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PizzasForFerrets@reddit

No, that's a US thing.

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jack_watson97@reddit

No. And certainly not if our ancestors from 4 generations ago were born there

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Frequent-Ad4722@reddit

Not at all. That’s an American thing and we side eye every American who does it.

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I_Magien@reddit

I tried explaining this to an American in the US who was telling me the Scots welcomed him as a long lost son every time he went "home" to his great grandparents' birth place. No, they're just being polite as they take your money because tourism is the industry they work in.

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lostmyoldaccountohno@reddit

Every single Londoner I know with an Irish, Scottish or Italian parent calls themselves Irish, Scottish or Italian

m0noclemask@reddit

There's tons of people claiming english descent. It is so to speak the highest possibly pedigree, the elite descendence [mayflower and all], I 've also met people like that, it is the WASP heritage. I think it might iften be exaggerated for that reason... They often pretent to be subtle and discreet about it, but are they really? There's a social code and hierarchy to it all.

Personally, I think such identifications are cool. Don't mind it one bit. In the US this might have been important to find your way in society. To rise the social ladder from pariah [=irish catholic] in a wasp society, to member of the civil community and a copper, you used your irish connections amongst the coppers... so being irish became important.

In my country, turkish kids descendent from turkish immigrants in the 70ies, also feel 'very' turkish...

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jenrazzle@reddit

It’s funny because people in Turkey don’t consider Turkish Germans to be properly Turkish. It’s hard to maintain any kind of identity when you move to a new country.

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m0noclemask@reddit

Erdogan wants their vote though...

[You're probably right...]

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jenrazzle@reddit

That’s another reason no one here likes them 🤣

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m0noclemask@reddit

Belgian turks, I believe, have a great sense of community, but also sometimes a need to prove just how turkish they are...it is a form of exclusivism, mostly amongst adolescents though...

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faroffland@reddit

Oh I don’t mind it between themselves! It’s clearly American culture to claim your ethnicity/heritage and it might be different from the UK but that’s fine. It’s just outright telling someone actually legit Irish that they are ‘Irish too’ actually smacked my gob lmao, it came across incredibly ignorant and this kind of thing is why they have the stereotype tbh.

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m0noclemask@reddit

Perhaps sometimes that happens, many however are genuinely interested in their family history, and the history of the old country.

And for instance, what about African Americans? untill recently they were called diffrently... they also tried to reclaim some of their ancestry and roots [in Africa]... They're not really 'African' American to you? Or not 'african' enough ...or...

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faroffland@reddit

‘African American’ is honestly SUCH a uniquely American term. Asking if they aren’t African… well no they’re not lol. Or at least they can identify as ‘African American’ and I’d call them that cos that’s their own identity, but they’re absolutely not JUST ‘African’ to me, imho they’re black Americans.

Like the majority of black British people who were born here would say they’re British first and foremost, or British with x ethnicity/heritage. Cos over here we don’t obsess over race like you guys, if you’re born here you’re British (English) and your race is black/white/whatever. We don’t distinguish between ‘British Africans’ because what does that even mean, Africa is a continent lol. It’s like saying I’m ’European English’, over here it means nothing.

I don’t care how people wanna self-identify and whatever labels people want, if it gives them power then props. It’s just weird to everyone not American to be so obsessed with ethnicity/race/heritage and to claim it with zero knowledge - which was the case with everyone I came across on my year spent in America, not one person said they were ‘Italian’ or ‘Irish’ and could even say where their family was from 🤷‍♀️

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m0noclemask@reddit

You seem to have a lot of prejudices. You're making this personal. You're creating this generalised divide ... that's not real.

I'm - fyi - not american...

According to surveys, about half the population identifies as british before all else or british only [that's evidently mostly in England 🤣, so pretty much: English = British, some might find their English heritage more important, but it 'll be a minority], a growing minority amongst them links this to language, culture, heritage, ancestry [!] [This is what we were talking about, weren't we?], 80% of the scottish feel scottish ['above' british], roughly 50-60 % of the welsh feel welsh, and I'd prefer not to go into the underlying ethnosectarian issues in northern Ireland, for reasons probably well known to you 🤣]... I'm not even talking about migrant populations and how they see their identity...

My experience is diffrent from yours.

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faroffland@reddit

Idk what you took from my comment that is ‘making it personal’, I’m responding to your questions with honest answers about the difference between an American view on race/ethnicity vs how it’s seen in the UK. If you’re not even American why are we having this conversation lol, you ask questions, get answers and now you seem to have been offended? Odd.

Your experience can be different, that’s absolutely fine. I’ve simply answered your questions lol.

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m0noclemask@reddit

I wasn't offended that you you'ed me and thought I was american...

We're having this conversation on the basis of our prejudices. Every one has got them...

Jemima_puddledook678@reddit

Yes. Every other country in the world thinks it’s really strange and judges you for it. It’s something other nations joke about. A second generation immigrant here would be considered British. Even somebody whose parents were immigrants, but was born here, would be British. They may mention their heritage sometimes, but they’ll acknowledge that they have never lived there.

We also like to joke about the amount of people who claim to be Scottish or Irish, but never Welsh or English, despite the fact that chances are they have more English heritage than Scottish or Irish in most cases.

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Fernwhatnow@reddit

I get it. lol it is what it is.

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bananabastard@reddit

Do you side-eye Vietnamese Americans, Chinese Ameicans, African Americans etc who refer to themselves that way, or just European Americans?

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Holy shit I’m not saying that guy your talking about is Scottish 😂 I’m still just saying as dumbfucked as it is there’s a reason behind it, not always a good one but a reason nonetheless that you don’t want to seem to consider. I hopped in this sub hoping to learn more about Europe while I’m hear and get some good insight on places and people to visit and experience.. instead it’s jerking off to American hate constantly

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Gleichfalls@reddit

I understand there’s a reason. But you’re talking as if the US is the only place with immigrants - it’s not. It is dumb as hell to be 5th generation, never to have been and to describe yourself as Irish. You can’t reason that away. It’s an annoying. My dad is literally Irish and I would not describe myself as Irish, I know nothing about what it’s like to live there.

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Internal-Engine-8651@reddit

I totally agree, I don’t say I’m Irish either. Everyone here seems to think I’m being apologist about American tourists being dumb or trying to give them the benefit of the doubt, I’m not and it would be dumb to do so. But given the nature of the thread and the way it’s being talked about, it seems more to me like everyone else that isn’t American just “knows” why the way we are but also can’t seem to understand or attempt to not let it bother them either. But also can’t seem to get how insufferable they can be sometimes when visiting us, it’s just an unfortunate double standard because America is too young of a country to have the same exact type of influence on misguided soulseekers, but nobody EARNS where they were born. The whole “you just don’t get it” thing is pretty telling. What don’t I get? That you get pissy at dumb people? Like wtf 😂

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Gleichfalls@reddit

It’s more the exceptionalism I guess that you don’t get? Your reasoning was: “well we’re a diverse group of people so we have to qualify where we’re from”. Like that doesn’t apply to most loads of countries.

We’re also way more exposed to the US through soft power than the US is to other countries. So we do know more about the US than cowboys.

I’m not hating on America (your current administration and its voters aside), I adore America and have spent time in lots of places (a summer in South Dakota (badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Rapid City, Strugis festival, Walldrug etc.) Portland, Seattle, Chicago, Yellowstone, San Francisco, LA, eve an overnight in Boulder Montana, Washington DC, Bufallo, Albany, Denver and NYC is one of my favourite cities in the world, I’ve been 5 times and was there this January last. The national parks are incredible the people are friendly and warm and there is an energy in New York that is unique.

But it is a uniquely American thing to claim to be a nationality they’re not - often when having extremely little exposure so their nationality.

Seems a weird hill to die on defending it.

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Internal-Engine-8651@reddit

Alright I can’t seem to get this across and I’m tired boss so I’ll leave it at this: 1. Not defending it, purely offering what I think may be an interesting point to people who have not been to America for why this annoying phenomenon is a thing (at least how I see it).

Anyone is welcome to be annoyed by it, but some people are simply not worth being annoyed about in life. Especially emotionally confused tourists that want to be included in a culture that they aren’t part of.
“I’ve been to NYC and the US” has the same flavor of “you just don’t get it” that I’m capturing left and right with here. I fucking live it every day, and sorry to burst your bubble it IS the absolute height of concentrated diversity in the world. to equivocate and pretend like as a society you truly have any idea of what that’s actually like for many here because you have overwhelming access to our media and have been to a handful of states has a distinctly similar flavor of thoughtlessness that wearing a kilt and calling yourself Scottish might have to us, but I wasant even talking about that until I got hammered by irate comments about how I can’t get it.

Over it one way or another, none of us know each other so I guess we’ll leave it at that “Americans are thoughtless culture wannabes” and you can have the high ground or whatever

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Gleichfalls@reddit

I gave the American examples to show you this isn’t coming from a place of blanket american hate. Not to show you that I understood your country like you do.

But your defensiveness there should give you a taste of how absurd it is to have people rocking up and claiming they share your nationality when they don’t.

Your explanations apply to loads of countries. We don’t get people from Australia coming to our bars telling us they’re Irish/Italian/Scottish.

Germany is only 155 years old. They don’t use other European countries as hogwarts-house-style appendages to their own nationality.

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You've met some weirdos, good for you

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WeeklySyllabub6148@reddit

Yes, but does that lead them to describe themselves as Scottish or Welsh ? In a few cases maybe, but not many.

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museedarsey@reddit

I’ve described what I’ve noticed twice already in the sub and don’t want to come across as particularly insistent, so I’ll let anyone interested go read those comments themselves.

toiletconfession@reddit

I'm representing the UK at the Olympics because my grandmother had a Scotty dog growing up and nothing to do with the fact I'm not good enough to make on Team USA

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carbslut@reddit

Side eyeing others’ cultural practices is a very British thing.

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TarcFalastur@reddit

I'm not sure I agree. I've known several people who had a very Irish surname and knew that their grandparents or great-grandparents came from Ireland, and who seemed to consider themselves both equally British and equally Irish.

Lower-Elk8395@reddit

I told my father that when the time comes that he comes to visit me, he is not to say that...especially when he goes into a pub.

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dontaskmeanyth1ng@reddit

Depends on the person. I've got a friend who says she's a quarter Irish and is obsessed with supporting Irish rugby. One grandparent is Irish. Just wants to belong somewhere i think

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PlainAsTea@reddit

No. I would say I’m English.
But my mum or dad was from x

Because I never was. I was born in England.

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SourdoughBoomer@reddit

No, you’ll hear them say “I’m half Irish or quarter Irish” if a parent of grandparents Irish. But generally you are where you were born and grew up. My parents grew up in England, I did not. I am not English. I have not once experienced life in England.

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ShoddyEggplant3697@reddit

No not at all thelate a uniquely American trait

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planktonsmate4@reddit

Calm down

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LunchLiving9165@reddit

No , a lot of us have Irish parents or grandparents , I’m English , born and raised here

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The1non1y1@reddit

No because we're actually educated in geography unlike a lot of Americans.

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AlternativeLie9486@reddit

No. It’s an American thing. We are aware of our non-British heritage, if we have it, but we don’t identify as members of countries/cultures/languages we are not actively a part of.

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xxxdac@reddit

Nah. I say my family’s from Ireland & NI but I’m British/ specifically English.

I was born and raised in England so I would feel pretty silly to claim that I’m Irish. I never lived there and as much as I love that chunk of land, it’s not where I’m from. I do get the passport though. 😎

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TemplarCrusade@reddit

I always thought it was weird that black people in America are called African American.

Considering Ireland is part of the UK and the fact that I was born in England while my family still lives in Ireland I am English first but I am of course Irish too, by name and family.

No. I was born and raised in Scotland, so as a young adult I would certainly have said I was Scottish. But because I’ve lived in England for 40 years (despite spending weeks every year visiting family in Scotland) it feels wrong to say I’m Scottish. Also feels wrong to say I’m English! So I say I’m British, which feels accurate.

Hmmm I'm UK brit but obviously Asian. So I can speak from an obvious non-white brit. I think if someone Irish, they'll definitely tell me, but I also can tell because of their names, and the nuances, like catholic vibes, but I'm talking millennial and older. Not sure if the younger on this vibe. I think Italians will always tell you.....

Not at all.

My family escaped persecution in the late 1800s in what's now Russia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine, settling in London by the turn of the century.

I had a mate who told me he was Irish. I said but you were born in London (his parents were Irish). He came up with the old Wellington quote ‘just because you’re born in a stable it doesn’t make you a horse’. Good answer I thought.

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WayoftheBear@reddit

Nope. I'm of Irish and Scottish descent but was born and grew up in England so identify as English.

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SchmickleRick@reddit

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doraisexploring27@reddit

I guess it depends how many generations the foreign heritage stretches to?

My dad was a first generation Sri Lankan immigrant (came over in the 50s from what was then ‘British Ceylon). My mum was a Lebanese Kiwi. I usually just say I’m British and if asked further, I’d say I’m part Sri Lankan, part Lebanese. But I was raised in England and live in Scotland so above anything else, people just think of me as ‘the English one who lives at number 5’ and that’s fair enough, I’ll take it!

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Ok-Berry-7654@reddit

I don’t know if kids still do this but when I was little it seemed like everyone in my class was ‘a quarter Welsh’, ‘half French’, ‘an eighth Hungarian’ etc. I used to feel left out until my mum told me her great-grandad was Irish and then I would proudly declare my ‘one sixteenth Irish’ heritage. I’ve never heard an adult do so, though.

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bearbfc@reddit

Loose_Acanthaceae201@reddit

Or, worse, visiting "their" country for the first time.

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flatline4life@reddit

Not even just that. I have dual UK/Irish passports, my mum is Irish, I spent a lot of time with family in Ireland growing up. Love my Irish heritage, I was very much brought up being exposed to Irish culture and it helped shape who I am.

Yes and No.

If they'd be the first English person in their whole family (I.e. both parents have non-UK national identities) then there's a reasonable likelihood they might consider themselves primarily Irish, Italian etc.

That being said, in this dynamic it's often more about the specifically English identity. If of mixed heritage (none being English) above person may well consider themselves British and Italian, just not English. If both parents are Italian, even moreso.

Particularly commonplace in London, and with people from heavily diasporic communities or persistent family mobility between the UK and the other country.

Come to think of it, only one person in my circle of friends who grew up in London considered themself English - but they are for several generations. The rest of us consider ourselves by our parents national identity (whether that be Irish, Welsh, or American). The non-Londoners are more English (both in terms of family and personal identity).

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ScottishLand@reddit

Seems like an American thing.

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Ok_Emu3864@reddit

Irish, Italian = acceptable Anywhere south of equator = unacceptable

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trickydicky718@reddit

No its generally the mongrel americans hunting for some sort of identity that do that.

I had a friend who's dad was Irish and mother was Italian and she claimed that she was both of those things and refused that she was British, despite being very English. Very proud of her heritage, especially the Irish side and her parents encouraged it. Nothing wrong with this but she is English/British culturally so its strange in the context of the UK to deny it.

MaxDaClog@reddit

Only if you want everyone to think you're a wanker.

Met a few of them over the years, one that sticks in my mind was a bloke who sounded as Irish as Del Boy Trotter, one distant ancestor was once felt up by a traveller, and he never stopped banging on about the old country. Legend in his own lunchtime and full of shit. First time we met he introduced himself: "Hallo, I'm piss-pot Pete, you've no doubt heard of me,?"

No. It differs between communities and whether there is a fairly recent first generation, but as a rule we find the concept of declaring yourself Irish/Italian etc when no family in living memory exists from that place and you've never even been there, quite odd. I once saw a man from the States argue with an Irish girl that he was more Irish than her because he'd learned Gaeilge, we were equally baffled.

I have wondered if this phenomenon is because the USA is a comparatively young country built on mass immigration and there isn't the same shared culture that has developed over hundreds or thousands of years elsewhere. Maybe it's a way of anchoring themselves to an established, strong cultural identity because they don't feel part of one in their birth country.

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SupervisionDecision@reddit

It's a real pet peeve of mine when Americans say they're Irish or Scottish and thshrs from Ohio

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Important-Tea0@reddit

No. My dads side is entirely from Ireland, i was born and raised in scotland so i say i’m Scottish. If it’s relevant to the conversation I’ll bring it up but for the most part i just say Scottish.

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NathDritt@reddit

Hm.. so I have a Norwegian mum and English dad. Born in England but moved to Norway when I was only a few weeks old. I’ve lived in England one year later on as an 18-19 year old.

So, I consider myself both English and Norwegian. Some may say I’m mostly Norwegian because I’ve lived here almost my whole life (21yrs) and I agree. However, I hold a British passport, I sound native to northern England when I speak English, and I have spent a significant amount of time there. (Plus I’ve worked at spooooons when I lived there)

What do people think? Am I English or am I stepping over a line considering myself to be both?

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Background-Cap-9047@reddit

Both parents are Welsh and I was born and raised in England. I consider myself a plastic taff

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RadiantTown9154@reddit

It’s absolutely an American thing. My grandparents were born in Irish - I never view myself as Irish.

My husband is Italian; our daughter was born here, she views herself as English

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angelomirkovic@reddit

Everyone in this thread is saying no.

I’ll give a counter point: I grew up around Europe but never really in Italy . Mum is English dad Italian , European geography (and Ryanair ) means it’s very easy to home 3-4 times a year so I very much feel Italian .

If someone asks I say I’m half English half Italian , idk why everyone is making that sound so crazy.

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nixie-14@reddit

I was able to gain Irish citizenship after the Good Friday agreement came in to being, having Northern Irish grandparents through my mother.

However, even with my grandparents influence and having been brought up as a Catholic and attending a covent school run by Irish nuns and priests, I consider myself British.

Although I now have dual British-Irish nationality I see the Irish side as a tribute to my mother and grandparents as much as anything. I’ve also never shied away from the fact that my primary motivation for seeking Irish citizenship was to gain an EU passport, post Brexit.

I don’t really understand the ancestry thing in the US. On the one hand we (the rest of the world) are constantly being told how great America is and there seems to be a great deal of national pride on display, yet it’s a thing to say “I’m 1/4 scots, 1/8 Italian, etc etc”.

Except when the World Cup was on, in which case it seemed to be all of them.

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No_Significance485@reddit

I'm a French British duel national with a French parent but born and raised in Yorkshire. Still don't call myself French unless I want to wind up some brexiteer.

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Substantial_Pop3104@reddit

I don’t know why this popped up on my feed - I’m American.

Anyway, this seems to be one of the most misunderstood things I’ve come across on the internet.

Fireflykoala@reddit

Yes, now that they have a public platform in our current "dear leader", their stance is a heartbreaking departure from who we as a country have been my whole life.

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Revolutionary_West56@reddit

Yeah if you’re English ie born in England it’s common, because we feel just being English is boring and quite aware the rest of the uk hates us lol. I have an Irish mum and always bring it up 😂

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Own_Translator7008@reddit

No, they always call themselves British but will say they are half Italian too.

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Significant_Return_2@reddit

My Mum’s family are from Manchester. I’m not. I’ve only been there twice. I’m from the West Country.

If she was Italian, I wouldn’t be from Italy, for the same reason.

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Ok_Charity_224@reddit

I had a friend whose mum was Irish and she was absolutely OBSESSED with telling everyone she was Irish (she had never lived in Ireland and was born in England). One time she told us she sometimes “slips into an Irish accent” like she ALWAYS apparently says spaghetti in an Irish accent, and then a few weeks later we went to an Italian restaurant and she ordered a spaghetti dish in her completely northern English accent. She was irritating

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Helpful-Brother-5561@reddit

No

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It's an American thing because they want to seem like they're different and unique

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EW2233@reddit

I think peopole like to use this as a sort of "gotcha" against americans, when its completely valid to attach yourself to that identity. Being Italian american is different culturally than being a regular old WASP in america, same as with Irish americans. Its usually within marginalised groups within countries that this happens.

I would say nope but I did know this girl who's dad was Italian (well he was ethnically Italian but born and raised in this country to Italian parents) and she would always say she is Italian and even support them over England like in the euro 2021 final at wembley.

So no not common but there are some people who would.

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Elite_AI@reddit

She's very normal. Maybe people itt don't know many dual nationals but it's actually the default in the UK for dual nationals to call themselves, well, dual nationals.

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GrapefruitDry2519@reddit

Tbh I suppose so you are right, my cousin though she is half french but she just says she is behalf french tether than she is french.

How does this conversation change for Asian descendants? I’ve always lead with I’m American which almost always gets followed up with yeah but where are you FROM? My folks immigrated from china.

This week I was vacationing in London and watched a BBC dude leaning against a structure enjoying a cigarette when a drunk girl berated him asking what kind of Asian he was.

Frogad@reddit

I feel everyone got too carried away trying to own americans and calling them weird for things they forgot to tell the truth

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Colour4Life@reddit

Yeah, I understand the American thing lol

But what about us folks? 🤣

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BonusAdvanced2932@reddit

And Polish. (Speaking for the Polish community!)

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Justvisitingfriends1@reddit

No because they are not American and are aware they are not from Italy or Ireland.

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JorgiEagle@reddit

My dad is Danish, from Denmark, moved over as an adult

I was Born in the UK, and have never lived in Denmark (have been on holiday)

Never once have I called myself Danish

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Background_King_3551@reddit

Only if they are asked ie questioning accent. A friend of mine has a Scottish mother was born in Scotland. But her father is Irish. Moved to our English town when she was 16. But when she speaks she sounds more Irish than Scottish.

alderhill@reddit

It's not exclusively American, but more of a thing for 'settler societies'. The UK is not such a society of course.

Another thing, telling by many of the comments here, is that it seems A LOT of people misunderstand what this all really means. When an American says they are Irish or Italian or Czech or Japanese or some mix or whatever, they are not (97% of the time) literally claiming to be actual citizens of that country. In a way, it's almost like an abstract 'pseudo-tribal' category, but again, almost no one (today) thinks of it is a tribal thing either. It is just a short-hand way of saying the ethnic origins. No American would think someone who is 5th generation Italian-American (i.e. with all Italian ancestry) saying "Oh, well, I'm Italian" literally means that they are Italian to the exclusion of being a USAmerican citizen (unless the person is a dual citizen, and makes that clear). If you said to such a person 'Oh, you're a citizen of Italy, not USA then?' they would think you're thick.

So, it's as simple as remembering that the word (nationality adjective) has two meanings. That said, you can indeed find people who are dual passport holders and may literally mean they are 'both'. You will find a lot of people who might say 'Hmmm, I'm Irish and Czech', but aren't in any way implying that they are literally citizens of that country, or think they can slip into the modern country effortlessly. (Some people do think that, and they are idiots to be sure, but most really don't.)

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Which_Specific9891@reddit

No. That mentality is very American. And honestly, I'm so glad we don't do that here because I really hate when Americans go off about how 'Irish' they are to me because their great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great grandmother went to Dublin for a hen-do.

My mum is Canadian. I have never called myself Canadian, even though I have legal right to a passport and have applied for citizenship through her (because the UK is starting to scare me).

But even if I get Canadian citizenship, I probably wouldn't refer to myself as Canadian out of respect to Canadians. I have never lived in Canada, I am not intimately familiar with the culture, or the politics or the social histories. I know what my mum has told me, I know what I've experienced there in visits. But even after I get my Canadian citizenship, I would probably never call myself Canadian unless I moved to Canada and lived there long enough to integrate into the society and culture.

BonusAdvanced2932@reddit

If your mum is from Italy, you’re half Italian.

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Snoo-37429@reddit

Oh god no 😅 pretty much everyone I know would find that super cringe, myself included.

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BonusAdvanced2932@reddit

Cringe to have non-English heritage?

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Maybe not always but it’s not uncommon - it doesn’t bother me, it just depends how they ask.

“Where are you REALLY from?” vs. “What’s your background?” makes a big difference.

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BonusAdvanced2932@reddit

I grew up in a very diverse area and it was very normal to ask each other where your parents are from etc. Out of curiosity or to find kinship and common ground.

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BeEccentric@reddit

I can imagine! Guess I grew up in a very multicultural area. I’m sorry people ask you that, it’s plain ignorance ❤️

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BeneficialVariety171@reddit

So I disagree with all these comments. I grew up in London to a Greek Cypriot family, people used to ALWAYS ask me where I was from, I knew they wanted to know why I look the way I do so I would say Cyprus.

All my friends in school who were born in UK but parents came from other places would say they were from x place. It’s very common.

Nope, that's an American thing.

The UK, like America, is about being oppressed in some way now. It’s just cool to do. “Omg I’m so neurodivergent “. Everyone tries to get in on some of the action, cos they feel it’s unfair others get to. What they don’t get is that although Americans used to despise Italians and Irish, they’ve grouped them with the privileged class now cos “yorup”. It’s over. You can be the darkest Spaniard, you get nothing. If you are blue eyed but Arab, you are allowed pity. It’s a selective thing. Never mind that most English in the past never lived well… just, be glad you aren’t Albanian or from the Balkans. The smug liberal gets to jump onboard and demand your deportation. It’s necessary though, as even the most smug Guardian readers need someone they can discriminate against, it feeds some primal urge

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StockholmGirl29@reddit

My husband is half Italian and considers himself British. He would always say he's British unless someone asks what his heritage is then he'd say he's half English and half Italian.

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ArmWildFrill@reddit

Definitely an American thing.

A popular topic on r/ShitAmericansSay

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Ok-Rock-2026@reddit

Nope. Irish are genetically identical and identical culture effectively so makes no sense. They might say half Italian but would consider themselves British mostly. To be honest only people from the third world seem to promote it

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PointAlert6005@reddit

It depends on the person and how they were raised with their heritage culture.

To be honest only people from the third world seem to promote it

You mean non-white, right? Is the Chinese diaspora third world?

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Rosewater2182@reddit

It’s my family comes from Italy or if I’m being silly, I might protest that I’m a quarter Italian and my husband should respect my spag bol feedback

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Ygra1ne@reddit

My mum is Dutch. I spent a lot of time there growing up and i'm vcose to my cousins. If asked i'd say i'm British, on an ethnicity survey i'd say i'm European.

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Luganegaclassica@reddit

Might get downvotes here, but OP specifically asked about having a parent from another country, not like the classic yank thing of having a great grandma who moved away 100 years ago. As someone born in the UK, who grew up there, but with one English parent and one Italian parent, I am English but that doesn't also make me not Italian. I'm both. People seem to think you have to be one thing or the other, but the truth is my upbringing and identity is somewhere in-between.

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PointAlert6005@reddit

Yeah, so many people simplifying personal identity here.

If us Brits had to take all that into consideration then it would sound ridiculous and us Brits love to take the piss put of somebody being ridiculous.

If you asked me where I was from, I would say I was British. But if you pushed me for more detail, I would say that I'm half British, half my other nationality.

But I think this is perhaps a bit different from an American with a great grandad from Kilkenny?

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G2022B@reddit

No, it is mainly an American thing to state that you are XYZ nationality because your 8 x great grandfather once had a dog from there.

Funnily enough they'll scream about being Italian (or whatever) until you criticise the USA then it'll be "UsA nUmBeR oNe. FrEeDoM!!!11".

If you have a parent from there, you may say you are half. Eg I am half American. Or I would say I have American family. However, saying that I've only really heard this said for foreign countries eg half danish or half french or half German etc. Mostly people would just say I have family from Scotland, Wales or n. Ireland as it's part of Britain. Or my mum or dad is____

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Ta_mere6969@reddit

In the US? Yes.

In the UK? No.

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capt_tky@reddit

Remember in New York a woman asked me if I was Irish (I'm a redhead). Told I was English, but my Grandma was from Ireland.

"Oh, doesn't that make you Irish? My great grandparents were from Ireland so I think I'm Irish". In a thick New York accent.

It's weird that Americans will say they are Irish, Italian, Spanish or whatever...but never English. Suppose we were the bad guys though...just don't check your family tree too far.

I am surprised at all the hard 'no' answers here. i can only assume that they do not live in an area with a large Irish community. I'm from Luton and it's very common for people who's parents or even grandparents were born in Ireland to describe themselves as Irish. It's just part of identifying with your community. I'm fairly sure there's a similar dynamic in Bedford where there is a significant Italian community.

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PointAlert6005@reddit

Ultimately, it's an individual's personal feeling.

White communities in the UK (especially those originating from Britain/Ireland/western Europe) tend to be less likely to identify as their heritage nationality, and the com enters are acting like that's the rule.

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an7667@reddit

Yeah I think this is a somewhere that reddit is a bit out of touch with reality

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shabba182@reddit

Right? I wonder if these people for example would go up to a Turk in Berlin and tell them to stop being silly and that they're actually German.

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I grew up in Germany and have both German and British/English citizenship. I moved to England in my teens and will soon have lived in England longer than Germany. At this point I do identify as both.

Anything less than that people don’t mention it. When I was growing up in Germany, I’d say that my dad was English.

I have never heard anyone refer to themselves as a nationality because their parent or grandparent was born somewhere else. That’s a very American thing

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PointAlert6005@reddit

Anything less than that people don’t mention it.

Depends on the person, really.

I identify with my parents' nationalities because I was raised in their culture at home. I've visited their countries numerous times and have citizenship too.

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HoboStrider@reddit

Both my parents were Irish. I was born and raised in Scotland but spent most of my adult life in London. I can speak some Irish and some doric. I generally consider myself British.

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PresidentPingu1@reddit

Heck no.

My daughter has a friend who is full-blood Italian, both parents Italian, fully bilingual, Italian name, but she describes herself as English/Italian as she was born here.

For a single parent being from another country it wouldn’t be worth mentioning.

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PointAlert6005@reddit

Depends on who you ask.

I identify as both my parents' backgrounds because I was raised with their culture at home.

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Lost-Context792@reddit

This is exclusively an American thing, not even Canadians do this despite Canada sharing so much culture with the US.

I'm pretty sure the only reason this even became a thing in the US is because America is bored of itself, and secondly because racism. For the first case, America is considered the boring default culture to a lot of Americans so they like to bring up their ancestry a lot more than other countries to feel more special/unique about themselves. American adults tell each other "I'm Irish" for the same reason kindergartners say "diamond is my favourite shape", it makes them stand out in some way.

VOODOO285@reddit

Actually we generally think it’s really very weird that Americans do that.

Er no sprinkle tits you’re American. Like most Americans you’ve probably never been abroad so claiming you’re Italian or Irish or whatever, holds no water.

This is a super interesting question

I’d say because I’m black, it’s super obvious that I’m not ethnically English so if anyone is ever interested in knowing where I’m from, I’d say where my family is from even though I was born in England as were my parents.

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Vallekasforever@reddit

My kids say they are English, even though they are half Spanish. Born and raised in England and hold two passports. I think generally it is not common in England to claim ancestry as if you are that nationality like it is in America. There are lots of people with an Irish passport through ancestry but they don’t claim to be Irish the same way Americans say « I am Irish » even if their only Irish ancestor was 4 or 5 generations back.

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JudgeStandard9903@reddit

Its very American imo or at least not very British- I have a great grandparent from Ireland and my family have never placed any claim to being Irish (this is perhaps a layered example for me as I am mixed and therefore only "half" British if we're talking about heritage). It would be a bit nuts to describe myself as Irish though.

soldinio@reddit

My surname is obviously Italian. If asked, I'll explain my paternal grandfather came from Switzerland. Other than that, or doesn't come up. I do not call my self Swiss- I'm a brit

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Nope, seems to be a uniquely (and very annoying) North American thing.

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Drilldatbait@reddit

I was born in Ireland, moved here at 2 and a half

For white people, typically not unless their parents were born in another country no, any further back than that would be seen as weird to make a core part of your personality. I live in Scotland, "I have family history from Ireland" is just about the most obvious thing in the world, no shit, you and everyone else, especially on the west coast. And for other places, I have on several occasions been surprised several yeats into a close friendship to find one of their parents was born and partially raised in Germany, or Greece etc. Because despite that, they have never themsekves identified as anything other than British or Scottish etc.

I say I’m Greek Cypriot as my mum was born there. But people always ask about my dark skin so I explain.

On any forms etc I say I’m British.

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sinnertra@reddit

I know a woman who is 20% Italian but makes it her whole personality. Even gave her kids Italian names.

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SillyGooseClub1@reddit

God no

Best you're going to get from me is "my Gramps was Scottish" or "I'm a quarter Scottish" (technically I'm more than a quarter as grandma was a bit Scottish too, but as the cultural aspects came from my very proud Gramps, I just say a quarter)

Previous-Ad7618@reddit

"I'm English but my dad is X"

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GreasedTea@reddit

It's not common but you do get English families like that occasionally. Some of my mum's side are originally Dutch/Flemish (and when I say 'originally' I mean you have to go back a few centuries) and they don't half bang on about it.

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martzgregpaul@reddit

My mum was (mostly) Irish so i generally say im half Irish.

The difference is i still have lots of family in Magherafelt area as opposed to American "Irish" whose family left Ireland in 1856

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Independent-Nerve573@reddit

That's a yank thing.

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Ok-Exam6702@reddit

No

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ReySpacefighter@reddit

It's the most American thing there is: calling yourself anything but American. No, people will say they have Irish grandparents but that doesn't make them Irish.

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QuirkyWolfie@reddit

That's a very American thing. We tend to call ourselves wherever we are born and even then it rarely comes up in a conversation unless you've got an accent or something.

Even then we just say my grandparent or parent is from ... Etc rather than we ourselves are that

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OldLevermonkey@reddit

This is the difference between the question "Where are you from?" and the question "Where are YOU from?". They look the same but they are very different.

The first is about you and the second is about your family. For example

"Where are you from?"
"I live in South East London."
"But where are YOU from?"
"I grew up in the East Riding of Yorkshire on the coast. My father was from Hull and my mother was from Kent. He was a seargent in the Royal Artillery, she was a nurse at the Masonic, and they met at a dance in Caterham."

It is only with the second question that you give details.

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Xanavaris@reddit

If your parent was literally Irish from Ireland you might say you are half-Irish when talking to other people. But to Irish people you wouldn’t say you were actually Irish if you didn’t grow up there. This applies even if both your parents were Irish from actual Ireland. It’s just not the same. You might meet an Irish person and say “Oh my parents are Irish” or “My family is from Ireland.” This applies to any other countries.

I met a person from London who was half Polish half Barbadian but she wouldn’t go round saying she was actually Polish or Barbadian.

This is why we think Americans are being weird when they say they are Irish etc because they are so far removed from that. If it’s more than a generation back you could say you have the heritage. For example my friend’s grandmother is Scottish but he would say he has Scottish heritage not that he’s actually Scottish.

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Incident-Putrid@reddit

Dads full Irish, Mums 1/2 Welsh 1/2 Guernsey.

I’m English.

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20guvadayman@reddit

Yes, and even if they only have a grandparent

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virusdancer@reddit

I spent over fifty years in various locales in the US, and I didn't come across a single person that did this. Perhaps it's a new thing among a certain generation of Americans or something.

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I'm 3/4 English and a 1/4 Polish.

Mum's English and Dad was 1/2 English and 1/2 Polish (Dad's Mum from Katowice)

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Flimsy_Fisherman1199@reddit

My grand father is Italian.
I was born in Scotland. I’m Scottish.

Focusmate1@reddit

No. We mostly go off accent to identify each other. My folks are from Ireland and Wales but I have a Yorkshire accent and was born and grew up here. Going to Dublin or Cardiff and saying I was Irish or Welsh and Id get laughed at. Rightly so.

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MartyestMarty@reddit

Ope

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Hipposplotomous@reddit

I have Welsh parents and speak a little bit of Welsh. I visit Wales regularly and have done my whole life.

However, I was born in England (just about) and I grew up on the English side of the border. I feel like a liar if I try to call myself Welsh, even if I don't really feel that English either.

I will never get over the cheek of people (usually Americans) who think they have the right to just claim someone else's nationality like that.

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iwantmuscle@reddit

No

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Evening_Lack9831@reddit

No, it's not something I do. I've known a few half Italians like myself and we just quietly acknowledged it like 'oh same!' but don't go around claiming to be Italian.

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Aware_Ad_431@reddit

Nah.

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Professional_Hunt88@reddit

Funny reading comments. I always say am English (as I was born here) so am English but my full bloodline is Irish.

it’s considered super embarrassing. i grew up in kilburn in north london where we use the term Plastic Paddy. actual Irish people laugh at them openly

My UK cousins refer to themselves as from the UK but will say they're from an 'Irish family'. They have two Irish parents and were raised in a community with a huge Irish diaspora, local catholic church was 80% Irish families in attendance, schools they went to were majority Irish families, some of them even got their Irish passports at various points.

Lau_kaa@reddit

No, not if you were born in the UK.

My parents were English but I was born in Scotland. I’ve never lived in England so I wouldn’t claim to be English xx

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ReceptionNo4565@reddit

I normally just say I’m from an Anglo—Irish background.

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abyssal-isopod86@reddit

No, we don't do that.

That's a weird American thing because you don't have any culture of your own but rather you are just an amalgamation of cultures from other countries.

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FlyHickory@reddit

I live in Scotland, mums scottish as are the rest of her family, my dad is 100% Irish along with his family, after I was born we lived in Ireland for 18 months before my parents split and since then I was passed between the countries every school holidays, quite literally shipped to my father on a ferry so I I just say im half and half. He still lives there so trips are regular.

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Odd-Accident-3287@reddit

I say My family are Irish 🇮🇪 I Don’t say I am ,

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ManicWolf@reddit

My dad's mum was Irish, and while my dad loved Irish culture because of it (he'd always visit Ireland on St. Patrick's day), he never called himself Irish.

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Not the white ones for the most part, though the person actually from the original country often still refer to themselves by their birthright nationality alone. British-Pakistani and British-Indian are categories on the census though.

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Glad_Character_2394@reddit

It’s not overly common but it does happen. I myself was born in London to Spanish parents so I don’t really have a “connection” to England other than I was born here so I see myself more as Spanish than English. English is technically my second language and at school I was the Spanish kid.

I went to school in the 80s and 90s and there were a lot of kids with Irish and Polish parents (it was a catholic school) who called themselves Irish or Polish. I’ve also worked with many British born Indians who consider themselves more Indian than English.

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Manbry@reddit

No. If you are born in England you are English.

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Common-Spend5000@reddit

In my 30s - born in UK to Irish parents, moved back to Ireland as baby, then back to UK in childhood, spending time living both in England and in Wales. Currently live in North East England.

For someone like me it's complicated. Remember the two countries are very close together and obviously intertwined in certain aspects, in a way that the US has with no one other than to a much smaller level Canada.

It's only in recent years having a middle class English partner that I've come to understand quirks of middle England type culture that has always passed me by, and denied me sunconsciously feeling 'british' in the way I would Irish.

I feel comfortable now in British life, but even still much prefer the more Northern / Scottish / Welsh and working class type people as easier to understand mentally than the people more stereotyped as British, without being able to define that exactly.

I speak Welsh after many years there but would feel a fraud calling myself that, though I did have two great grandparents from there.

Others could perceive me as English by my sort of mixed accent but others wouldn't. In periods growing up when I was in England I was usually picked on for being perceived as Irish - because I played GAA (though i did like cricket too, much to the mocking of my irish friends), my sisters did Irish Dancing, we watched Irish TV at home and so on.

Most of my friends in England were also from ethnic minorities until adulthood, whereas in Wales I knew more white people. That clouded feeling a part of England when conflated with Britishness, which is hard to explain. That my Welsh friends felt Welsh more than they did British probably also has an impact.

I think the other people in my situation but with less connections to Ireland and less barriers growing up to more normal English type life, do feel English and would say it's only a US thing though.

It isn't a black and white answer, but a sliding scale. My younger brother by a decade was born in England, barely remembers living in Wales and speaks no Welsh, and would answer similar to many here that he feels English, and would find it odd saying he's Irish. He only played soccer growing up instead, with small bits of rugby at school, and his friends were mostly white English, as they moved to the suburbs with more wealth behind them my parents when moving back to England from Wales.

We are exactly the same % using the US mentality of blood, and have the same citizenships rights to both countries, but we see ourselves as different nationalities due to our experiences.

Still, some Irish would see me as plastic, and some brits don't see me properly as British either. And plenty others recognise it's not clear cut always.

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EitherChannel4874@reddit

No. We already have culture in Europe so we don't really feel the need to link ourselves to any other.

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AkihabaraWasteland@reddit

You do get the occasional wanker who does that. But it's rare.

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Arnoave@reddit

My mum's French and I say I'm half French half English

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atillathekitteh@reddit

If it comes up in conversation I say either - my ancestry is Scottish but my mother (in her own words) had the misfortune to be born in England! - I'm Scottish enough to get a Scottish Passport should Scotland decide to secede.

No. That's a heavily American thing, they say stuff like "I look so Irish, I think I look Italian" having never even been there. They say it as someone born and bred in the US, having never left there just because they have a grandparent or parent from there. In the UKz we are British. Originally from Hungary, my family still say we were British, because we are. If asked I'll say I was born in Hungary, and if I have kids they'll be taught to either say "my mother was from Hungary originally" or "I have Hungarian ancestry" if that comes up.

I find it kind of embarrassing when people are clutching to say they're anything but American, when they've lived their entire existence in the states, can't even count to 10 or say Good morning in "their" language (Gaelige or Italian or whatever else) and likely couldn't point out "their" country on a map or give basic facts about it, like the capital city, the flag, the currency etc.

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Dave-Hedgehog312@reddit

No

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BenchClamp@reddit

No. My dad’s Irish and I’m English because I grew up in England and don’t have an Irish accent.

I sometimes describe myself as Anglo-Irish - and I’ve got Irish mates I watch rugby with …but I’m still English as I was born here.

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Purplemonkey78@reddit

No, it’s really not. Both my mother’s parents were born in Ireland. She was born in England and only considers herself English. I grew up in England but moved to Scotland as a teenager. All my kids were born in Scotland. None of us would ever describe ourselves as Irish.

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Equal-Competition930@reddit

My late nan dad was scottish but she spend all her life in english but think because had abusive neglectful mother and abusive foster parents she did indentify with her scottish side more. Like she always support scotland over England in like rugby and was surprised neighbours never complained about loudness of tv on rudgy days singing flower of Scotland . We spend alot time in Scotland growing up . She proudly say she was scottish but I only claim to be scottish with my father because he hates scots for some reason and to annoy him . But really love scotland so Iam drawn to place but no not scottish and cant answer for my nan because she haunt me if say she wasnt

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MouldyAvocados@reddit

It’s an American thing. My mum is Irish but I would never claim to be Irish myself. I’m English/British.

I find it kinda funny because I'm mixed but because I was born abroad and have a but of an accent everyone is really interested in where I'm from and my background, but they never mention their mixes!

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Any_Weird_8686@reddit

That's an American thing. Here, we aren't afraid to say we're half-something.

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Junior-Ad-2005@reddit

No, due to racism

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SwiftJedi77@reddit

No.

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SoggyWotsits@reddit

Nope, that’s pretty much an American thing. Apparently Americans do this because the country is still so new and most people’s ancestors did indeed come from elsewhere. Not that it makes them from that place.

It’s weird really, Americans are usually quick to be proud of the USA and talk about how great it is, but perish the thought of actually saying they’re American!

If I go back far enough on my family tree, some distant relatives were from France. I absolutely do not claim to be remotely French.

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Wrong_Duty7043@reddit

No, one of my parents was born abroad but I was born here and raised here, so I’m English.

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Tamihera@reddit

My mate has an Italian dad and Spanish mum. His family all yells at each other in a mashup of Italian and Spanish

If you ask him where he’s from, he’ll say he’s a Londoner.

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Zealousideal_Cat7938@reddit

My English cousin never shuts up about her being Irish even though she was born in England and never lived here. Her parents were Irish but she just makes it insufferable. She dyes her hair ginger, wears mostly green, acts in the most stereotypical way, and has made it her entire personality. She’s 60 something now. As you can see how I started this comment, I know her as my “English cousin” 😆

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Professional-Test239@reddit

Not really.

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welsh_dragon_roar@reddit

half Norweigan and a quarter Irish and a bit of Welsh and Native American

BeEccentric@reddit

No. Born in England = English. Born in Wales = Welsh, etc.

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ApesApesApes@reddit

In some middle class circles, at least where I'm from it seems like its cool now to be irish, so someone's granny was irish or someone's dad they lean on it and it makes them seem a bit more working class and cheeky chappy and relatable. Plus if they marry one they can TECHNICALLY say their partner is an immigrant which wins loads of points.

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Pizzagoessplat@reddit

Ironically I've just left an Irish sub were an Irishman was trying to to tell me we do this all the time.

In my experience and I live in Ireland, with Irish citizenship is that we don't.

I even say that I'm legally Irish to avoid any arguments.

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I-am-Chubbasaurus@reddit

I've only really started bring up Irish grandparents in resoonse to Americans claimingvthey "more Irish" or similar nonsense.

Worfs-forehead@reddit

My parents are from Ireland. I have an Irish passport. But I say my family are from Ireland but I was born here.

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Careful-Tangerine986@reddit

No, that particular psychosis is almost exclusively American.

For a country that's so obsessed with itself the citizens seem almost desperate to claim that they are from somewhere, almost anywhere, else.

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borokish@reddit

Nope.

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ohsaycanyourock@reddit

I mean... my mum is Welsh but I was born and raised in England, it would be utterly weird to call myself Welsh. I don't know why Americans do this!

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BPTempMonkey@reddit

I can't see this in the thread but in the UK we generally say "I am half / quarter Irish / Italian"

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abrequevoy@reddit

My partner sometimes says he's Spanish but tbf both his parents have Spanish background.

Still he can't cook, misgenders common Spanish words, gets sunburns and is weirdly obsessed with Peep Show.

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void_method@reddit

el_duderino_316@reddit

You might hear someone say they're half Irish so they support Ireland at rugby or something. But it doesn't become part of a person's whole personality in the way it does in America.

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NLFG@reddit

I used to work with a woman with Irish heritage, and it wasn't really a thing except the way she said "Oirish" or "Oireland" was really odd and jarring.

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trillspectre@reddit

A lot of people saying no. As an Irish person living in England I experience a lot of people saying they are Irish too, when they find out that I am only to explain either a parent or their granny is Irish. (Don't ask me why it's always a granny)

Also, to a degree they do it because everyone else does it so they can identify with that group too. It's also a key part of many TV shows and films too such as Sopranos, the Wire, The Irishman etc etc

Sad_Sultana@reddit

Not in the slightest, only Americans do that

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OrganizationFun2140@reddit

It was more common for those of Irish descent to say they were Irish rather than British/English before the Good Friday agreement, particularly if Irish Catholic. I dated someone whose family came from Kerry, and still had a house there, but he and his siblings were born and raised in London, albeit with frequent extended holidays in Ireland. They all considered themselves Irish despite having British passports.

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PipBin@reddit

Nope. I have a couple of friends who have Italian grandparents. They sometimes refer to it in passing but they would never talk about themselves as being Italian.

Look at Armando Iannucci for example. He always refers to himself as being Scottish

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Dividing your ethnicity up like a pie chart.....

"I'm half Norweigan and a quarter Irish and a bit of Welsh and Native American"

....is something we laugh at americans for doing. That and being resentful their favourite band is not in the Rock n Roll hall of fame.

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PaleozoicQueen@reddit

No.

Absolutely an American thing. And it's weird, especially if it's many generations down the line.

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haggis_catcher-@reddit

Yank ting

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No

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Decard_Pain@reddit

Since people from the UK can be born in northern Ireland some will say that, but no were not Americans who seem to have to pretend they're something they're not, what would I say?

I'm English, Scottish, Irish, German, Italians, Spanish, greek and some other shit, nice to meet you.

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