DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Anglo-Americans, are you British?

**ppaelkos** · 06-27-2012, 03:17 AM

It's always rubbed me the wrong way to hear Americans say "I am X" as opposed to "I am of X descent/ancestry/heritage/etc."

I am largely of British ancestry, and I've lived in England, but I would never say "I'm British."

But most everyone knows that it means British ancestry, not nationality.

Americans of Irish descent say they are Irish, Americans of Italian (or Sicilian) descent will say they are Italian (or Sicilian), Americans of German descent say they are German.
Why can't an American of a blend of British ancestry say they are British (which means they are of British ancestry)?
I don't go around saying "I'm British" the way Italian-Americans will say they are Italian, but when someone asks me what I am, what ethnicity/background/heritage, it is understood what is meant by that. It also depends on where one lives. I was asked what I was nearly every day when I lived in NYC (where I was born and grew up). It's what people ask. Most people in NYC who have asked me this don't even know where Scotland is, so I'll say England or Britain (some think England/English and Britain/British is the same thing) or if they still don't know what I'm saying I'll say "near Ireland" and then they'll get it. But then they will be baffled that I am not Catholic (because all Irish in NYC is Catholic). Everyone in NYC has heard of Ireland. I'm not Irish. Most white people in NYC are second or third or fourth generation Irish, Italian, Russian or Jewish. Each group has a stereotype(s) attached to it, so people want to know how to think about you when they meet you, and they judge you according to how you are compared to the stereotype.

06-27-2012, 03:17 AM	#29
ppaelkos Join Date Oct 2005 Location Canada Posts 379 Senior Member	It's always rubbed me the wrong way to hear Americans say "I am X" as opposed to "I am of X descent/ancestry/heritage/etc." I am largely of British ancestry, and I've lived in England, but I would never say "I'm British." But most everyone knows that it means British ancestry, not nationality. Americans of Irish descent say they are Irish, Americans of Italian (or Sicilian) descent will say they are Italian (or Sicilian), Americans of German descent say they are German. Why can't an American of a blend of British ancestry say they are British (which means they are of British ancestry)? I don't go around saying "I'm British" the way Italian-Americans will say they are Italian, but when someone asks me what I am, what ethnicity/background/heritage, it is understood what is meant by that. It also depends on where one lives. I was asked what I was nearly every day when I lived in NYC (where I was born and grew up). It's what people ask. Most people in NYC who have asked me this don't even know where Scotland is, so I'll say England or Britain (some think England/English and Britain/British is the same thing) or if they still don't know what I'm saying I'll say "near Ireland" and then they'll get it. But then they will be baffled that I am not Catholic (because all Irish in NYC is Catholic). Everyone in NYC has heard of Ireland. I'm not Irish. Most white people in NYC are second or third or fourth generation Irish, Italian, Russian or Jewish. Each group has a stereotype(s) attached to it, so people want to know how to think about you when they meet you, and they judge you according to how you are compared to the stereotype.
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