[Sharpshooter]

Is anyone else confused as to what their nationality is?? Ok a little life summary:

I was born in England (Wallingford in Oxfordshire) to Irish parents
I moved to Harrow, London at the age of 1
Moved to Ipswich at the age of 6
Moved Omagh, Northern Ireland at the age 14

I admit I was a proud plastic paddy, I was brought up to support Ireland during the "Jack Charlton" days during 90s. My parents encouraged me to, bought me Ireland tops etc and never really supported England.

A lot of my childhood friends in England also considered me Irish and stated that I couldn't be English. A lot of my friends fathers used to be in the British army/former paratroopers/SAS members and held quite anti Irish views, some serving in Northern Ireland. One father refused to let me into his house because I wore a Republic of Ireland shirt.

I don't think I could ever call myself English/British, because I believe a lot English I grew up with wouldn't allow me too and see me blatantly as nothing else other than Irish. I appreciate a lot of blacks and asians who proudly call themeselves English/British, passing the Tebbit test which I didn't, but I have this paranoia and suspicion a lot of English people would call me Irish again if I went there etc. Theres this underlying feeling that if you're not White Anglo Saxon Protestant (WASP) you can't be English. Now I dont think like but believe secretly a large percentage of the population do in my paranoid brain.

I moved to Northern Ireland at age 14 Im nearly 26 now and still speak with an English accent. I got called "English bastard" etc when I came here, ridiculed everytime England did badly in sport (everytime I said I didn't support England). Even because of the religious situation here everyone thought I was a protestant (even though my parents are catholics). So I lost my sense of Irishness obviously a bit as I'm a "blow in" lol. I don't really support Ireland as much, but still don't support England either as I don't see myself as English.

I've learned to come to accept I have no nationailty. I've moved around too much and have kinda been rejected by both countries. I love football, but can't support anyone at euro 2012, only for fun or for players of countries I like. Its like this for every sport.

I hold both British and Irish passports.

Does anyone else feel confused as to what their nationality is? Like I support anyone now although theres a good chance I'll be living in Ireland for the rest of my life. Anyone?

[Bill_Gates]

have a look on your passport?

[chloemo14]

Have you read anything about third culture kids? It's a phenomenon familiar in kids who grow up in a different country to that of their parent's origin, usually for work related reasons, and the displacement/lack of belonging you describe is a key feature. Might be interesting to look into that more?

[Kiss]

Nope.

[Emaemmaemily]

Sounds like you're British, seeing as you were born and have lived in Britain. You have Irish heritage, which is brilliant. We should all be able to recognise our roots and such, but your personal nationality isn't the same.
It sounds like you've had some ignorant friends, and friend's parents, but that's not what defines who you are.

I personally am British, but I have Irish, Welsh and French heritage.

[Bibs_x]

Possibly. My situation is quite similar to yours in a way actually.
I was born in England. My mother's family is originally from Toulouse, France although they had all moved to a suburb of Paris because of her (now dead) father's job. My dad is from Dresden (Germany). So a few months after I was born, me, my parents and my older sister (born in France) all moved back to Dresden to live with my dad's family. My parents split up when I was almost 5 years old, and my dad decided to take custody of me and my sister and we went to live back in the UK, though my mum thought it was unfair that my dad took both of us so after a while she came and took my sister back to live with her. Anyway long story short, I have dual nationality: English and German, and yes I am confused as to what I should consider myself sometimes, though I think I'm more English seeing as I was born and mostly brought up over here

[Martyn*]

I'm a member of the cosmos.

[Aphotic Cosmos]

Beyond the British/English problem, not really, although these days I tend to identify as English. I'm also European in the political sense - I believe I have a European identity.

[No Man]

Your nationality is what your passport says (although if you hold British and Irish passports you'd be whatever you have more affinity for I guess). Your ethnicity is based on your genetics/heritage, which would be Irish.

[Howard]

I hold British and US Passports but live in Canada. I don't feel truly at home anywhere - I am essentially nationless.

[PinkMobilePhone]

I only have a British passport, but I could apply for a French one if I wanted, as technically I have dual nationality - but I don't really see the point. After all, one passport does the job, and two is just twice as expensive!

As for what nationality I am, on forms I write British, but I consider myself both French and British (because legally that's what I am lol).

I was born in France but moved to the UK when I was 3. My father's side of the family is all French. My mother's side is all actually Polish apart from the fact that my mother and her siblings were born in the UK (as my maternal grandparents moved to the UK after WWII).

[jumpingjesusholycow]

Considering you have both Irish and British passports, it's a strong possibility you hold dual nationality and just don't know it.

That said, what is it with white people and the obsession with Irish nationality? Just about every white person I know has some claim to Irishness, "Oh, I'm a quarter Oyy-rish, I'm basically from Dublin". No Rebecca, you're a white, middle class, English-Southerner from Kent, who's never experienced even the slightest of genuine Irish culture, sit down.

[Rarrgh]

Australian and British. Aiming to have a collection of passports when I'm older. Don't know why

[kittyb99]

Born in Canada to English parents, but lived in America and France too, before finally moving to England. Got two passports so I have no idea what nationality I really am! I would say English, because I don't have the Canadian immunity to mosquitos (as I have no Canadian blood) and my French is nowhere near good enough to make me a worth French-Canadian, so being born in Montreal, I believe, doesn't make me Canadian. I would say, in that case, I'm English. Hmmm, seem to have answered my own question!

[419]

I actaully do feel extremely nationaless. Dont know which culture I belong to.

Mehndfjksoihw

[cl_steele]

(Original post by Bill_Gates)
have a look on your passport?

But which one though?!

[Gales]

No, I feel quite confident in my Welsh nationality.

[Dusty12]

Yeah, I can really relate. My mother is 100% Irish, my dad is American, but of Irish descent.(and can speak Irish and has an Irish passport) I was born in the US, but moved to Wales when I was 1 years old. I have both Irish and American passports, and could probably sacrifice one of those for a British one if I wanted. I have a Welsh accent and can speak Welsh and a bit of Irish. I secretly support Ireland when they play Wales in rugby.

So basically, confusing. I put 'Irish' and 'Welsh' on my UCAS form; I'm definitely not culturally an American. I think I'm probably Welsh more than anything, but I certainly don't really fit in as the typical Welsh person, so I dunno.
I think I feel more Irish living in Wales because I notice the tiny differences in my irish family's culture compared to here. When I move to England for uni, I think I'll feel more Welsh because I'll probably be the most 'Welsh' person in the majority of social settings.

When all's said and done it's not really a bit deal. You're both Irish and English. Your nationality doesn't define you; you're you.

[Gales]

(Original post by Dusty12)
Yeah, I can really relate. My mother is 100% Irish, my dad is American, but of Irish descent.(and can speak Irish and has an Irish passport) I was born in the US, but moved to Wales when I was 1 years old. I have both Irish and American passports, and could probably sacrifice one of those for a British one if I wanted. I have a Welsh accent and can speak Welsh and a bit of Irish. I secretly support Ireland when they play Wales in rugby.

So basically, confusing. I put 'Irish' and 'Welsh' on my UCAS form; I'm definitely not culturally an American. I think I'm probably Welsh more than anything, but I certainly don't really fit in as the typical Welsh person, so I dunno.
I think I feel more Irish living in Wales because I notice the tiny differences in my irish family's culture compared to here. When I move to England for uni, I think I'll feel more Welsh because I'll probably be the most 'Welsh' person in the majority of social settings.

When all's said and done it's not really a bit deal. You're both Irish and English. Your nationality doesn't define you; you're you.

Random question: can you have more than two passports? It's something I've always wondered!

[Dusty12]

(Original post by Gales)
Random question: can you have more than two passports? It's something I've always wondered!

I think so. I'm sure I heard of some woman with 9 or something, which is awesome!
Not all countries allow dual(or more, I suppose) citizenship though, and sometimes you automatically lose citizenship of one country by getting citizenship for another country. I imagine it would be difficult to build up a collection of passports unless you marry foreigners from obscure countries a lot.