Do You Feel British Or European?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3292739/Quelle-surprise-Britain-European-nation-EU-Two-thirds-say-purely-British.html

I was surprised to read that In Germany, just 25 per cent of people said they felt ‘only German’ and not European, and 36 per cent of people in France feel ‘only French’.

Foot note:

Yes that Union Flag in the photograph is upside down.

[sp1814]

naomi24

If you asked me, "Where are you from", and I told you, and then followed up with "No...where are you from originally", I'd think you were an idiot.

If you followed up with "I mean, where are your family from originally" I would think that was perfectly reasonable.

Like I say - most people know the difference between where I am from and where my family are from.

I'm sure that you see the difference!

[delboy3]

No "or" about it, I'm a British European. Of Irish descent.

[Quizproquo]

I think it's rude to further question a person once they have told you where they are from. Their answer should be enough for anybody.
If you are interested in their ancestry I have to ask why? What's it to you? Are you going to declare yourself as Angle or Saxon, maybe Viking or Celt? I doubt it, so why should a British person have to give you a tour of genealogy.com.
The fact that someone would ask the question leads me to think it is the questioner who has the chip weighing them down, not the person being asked.
If you don't understand that, I assume you to be from the dying breed from the 80s that SP mentioned, as it wouldn't even cross most younger peoples' minds.

[naomi24]

SP, yes, I can see the difference, but perhaps I’m a little more tolerant than you. It really wouldn’t bother me at all.

Quizproquo , //I think it's rude to further question a person once they have told you where they are from.//

Do you? Ok.

[Retrochic]

Naomi - its extremely easy, as a white middle class women to be 'tolerant of race issues. How would you react if a man asked 'what does your husband do dear? or like I've had ( I run two businesses) oh this little shop must be a nice hobby for you dear what does your husband do? ..LOL!

[jourdain2]

Answering the question :-
1 Yorkshire
2 British
3 English


about ?th European.

[naomi24]

I'd tell him.

[Cloverjo]

I think of myself as British , mostly. I think of Europe as being mainland Europe. If I'm abroad and someone asks where I'm from I'll say England.
I find it quite odd that golfers in the European team of the Ryder Cup play under that bland blue flag that means nothing to any of us, except as a symbol of bureaucracy.

[Retrochic]

^^^ I bet you would lol!

[Retrochic]

that was for naomi^^^

[naomi24]

I don't lie. It would be no big deal to me. I don't see it as a problem.

[Retrochic]

That's why you are so perfect in every way naomi ;-)

[naomi24]

Not at all. Like Mary Poppins, only practically perfect in every way. ;o)

[jennyjoan]

I am an Irish Roman Catholic with a British Passport - bit of a mixture of me. But me all the same.

[Quizproquo]

Naomi, if you think interrogating someone on the history of their cultural background is more tolerant than not doing so, I have no words.

[Baldric]

///Yes that Union Flag in the Avatar is upside down///

To be honest, that doesn't really help, if you actually cared it is so easy to 'flip' the image, but it seems you don't.

[Quizproquo]

If he did that Baldric, that outdated British bloke would be doing a handstand on his top hat.

[DaisyNonna]

I am British
English mother, Welsh father. Very proud of my Welsh and Northumbrian roots.
European? Never.

[Hypognosis]

@AOG

I don't give a second's thought to what nationality I am until forced to by being asked this question.

I am English, by birth but grew up in Wales so, occasionally, made to feel like an outsider. Moved to England to study and find work. Faced with the "Where are you from?" question* meant a paragraph of answer and the odd sheep joke (ie English people treated me as if I was Welsh).

As a result, with regard to the 'feel' part of the question, I feel like I don't fit in, wherever I go.

Note: this does *not* make me any more kindly disposed towards Europe than I do towards anywhere else.

* more than one person told me they couldn't figure out what part of England my accent was from. I have a similar fascination so, whenever I hear an unfamiliar accent I am overly curious (ok, nosey) as to the exact town (especially Yorkshire/Lancashire ones) they are from. Stick it in the databank, so to speak.

Incidentally, that phrase "no, I mean originally" did crop up in that "Is Britain Racist?" documentary. I can understand the sp1814 eyeroll yet, at the same time, see myself falling into the trap of bring overly curious about a person's ancestry (to see if they're into Social History/genealogy etc.) and, thus, deemed ignorant (sp) and condescending (Retrochic). Oh, well.

[Baldric]

Qpq, please tell me you're brighter than that, although I will reserve the right to disbelieve you.