You'll get over it.

What I won't tolerate is being told what I should think about being British by people who have been here for one or two generations.
It would help others to see people as British if they didn't try to turn their little part of it into the country where they came from.

No...You've read the comments and this is your level of understanding?

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

Yep. Any my family haven’t been here centuries, not even one in fact, so can we be considered English in your Blighty utopia? What about my best mate whose dad was born in St Lucia?

It’s almost like your logic is deeply flawed.

Ok....I'll explain the obvious to you....I know you're only a bean counter but try and understand.

Do you have an allegiance, an attachment to England? Do you have an preference for English culture?....Not a dislike of other cultures and people but just a preference for the one you were brought up in. Do you have an appreciation and regard for most of its history. A love of its language and achievements? Some of its rituals perhaps.

Do you see yourself as English?.....Not Irish (even though that would be fine) or some kind of global based culturally mixed rootless mongrel?

Right the answer to that determines more than any other aspect whether I regard you as English or not.....If your answer is no....then fine....that doesn't make you a terrible person as such...it just makes you an internationalist.

The point I made about generations being important is because without that it's less likely that you have enough 'English' skin in the game to feel that way.....but only less likely.

I don't exclude someone coming from elsewhere and being genuine in wanting to be English...Definitely if they are second generation and brought up here...This is usually easier if those countries are culturally similar to this one but regardless.....If someone has a genuine allegiance to English culture....I'd probably regard them as English.

Indeed most of us have family from within the British islands, Irish family or European family. This does not disclude someone from being English. The most important aspect is a genuine allegiance and that is much more often than not from how they were brought up.

Do you understand now?

Edited by Stirlingsays (27 Nov 2018 8.28am)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

'' The English are those who subscribe to being English and have lived here for generations.''

There seems to be a change in tone here

You have completely missed the point about culture. Our culture is more influenced by the Normans, who largely were Viking, than by Anglo Saxons. It seems you struggled with my point. The mix isn't pure, it's a mix of a mix.

But the main point is that the culture in England has little influence left from the Anglo Saxons, the main culture drivers from whom moved North and West to get away from the Normans. Following in the footsteps of a similar exodus by the Celts I believe. Presumably the majority didn't move, but the best educated tended to and the culture moved on with the incomers.

So in reality our culture was historically dominated by the Normans who were heavily influenced, culturally and genetically, by the Vikings. So why don't you simply say it as it is and state we should all get back to being Scandinavian

Still accurate today.