It's fine to be Scottish, Welsh or Irish, you can even be proud of being part of those nations, but if you call yourself English and not British (which includes all of the above) you are classed as a racist. Why is this?
125471
2 reasons:\n\n1. In many former colonies, 'English is used to dfine the imperial British empire, while 'British' is used to define the current, friendly 'United Kingdom'. THis can get especially funny here in America, where britian is both our greatest ally and the people we shot at to become a country.\n\n2. Before and during the change from 'Britian' to the 'United Kingdom' it was considered 'polictally correct' to refer to oneself as 'British', an inisuation that the old ethnities (irish, Welsh, Brition, Scottish, etc.) were no longer important, but that everyone belong to the unitied kingdom's 'british' ethnicithy. This backfired in the scottish and irish cultures and the use of the term 'English' is often seen as assoiciating oneself with the old, imperial empire.\n\nAmericians have a simliar issue with the term 'conferate' or 'southern dixie'.
140917
because americans are idiots. you know, it happened to me today, i was wearing my Celtic #7 Zurawski jersey and this guy goes like "how come you're wearing celtic jersey, you're not irish"
634076
The Welsh tend to do it more in humour and friendly rivalry can be seen as good clean fun.\n\nUnfortunately Scots are becoming seen as very racist lately.  Perhaps this follows all those films like Braveheart.  But is does Scotland's reputation no good at all.\n\nNot too many years ago Scotland were the thugs of football and violence followed them everywhere.  All the interested parties in Scotland got together and produced a strategy that dealt with it and violence ceased within a couple of years.  Perhaps they should look at racism by Scots in the same way.\n\nWith the Scots saying 'anyone but England' it had to be only a matter of time before such a saying was returned and at Wimbledon someone wore a tee shirt with the slogan 'Anyone but Murray'.  Hopefully that was just humorous.\n\nIf people living together can't get on what hope is there for the world?
318544
No I entirely disagree with these citizenship exams and I don't need three reasons to tell you why. The main problem with this is who decides what "Britishness" is? The answer is the British Government and I don't need them telling me that to be British you need to know what happened in 1066 or who is 5th in line to the throne.\n\nIn any case my perception of Britishness is certain to be very different from yours, which will be different from your grandparents, etc.\n\nThis is just another example of the increasingly prescriptive nature of Blair's government. For example I read over the weekend that the government has decided that there will be a two minutes silence for the victims of the 7/7 bombing. Surely this is a matter for the individuals conscience? Apparently not.
631673
It happens everywhere..because there are a- holes everywhere.\nI'm Irish living in the US legally and have heard people actually say oh we don't mean the Irish we mean the one's that can't speak English..\nThe Irish went through the same thing in the UK in the 50's and there are imigrants in Ireland hearing it now.\nPeople need to be aware of their own histories and maybe they wouldn't be so ignorant.
177793
I agree, I'm from the US, but I can see the problems starting across the pond.  We were a nation based on LEGAL immigration.  UK has always been a semi-homogeneous society.  It doesn't have to be lilly-white, but I can see that the openness of Euro countries is taking a toll on national identity
365305
There are some jobs that BME's can get preferential treatment over White British. The Police Force, some Fire Authorities and Civil Service departments for example. Oh I forgot 'under-represented'. Shouldn't it be the best person for the job regardless of colour or which 'group' you belong to?
233560
There's no getting around the fact that people from different geographic locations sound differently.\n\nThere's no getting around the fact that people with higher education typically have a better vocabulary.\n\nI would never presume to attach a skin color to these statements, nor should anyone else.\n\nPS. Every time I open my mouth people ask me if I'm from NY and if my family is in the mafia.
621678
NO, NO, and a thousand times: NO! Despite the comments I made answering a question on a different issue earlier, I wish to set the record straight and state that I am proud to call myself a citizen of the United Kingdom. I always will admit to being a fiercely proud Englishman, but I have a great affinity with Scotland and Wales, and I do love visiting both countries. I always wear a red rose and red & white ribbons on 23rd April (St George's day), but a close friend of mine always wears a daffodil or leek badge on March 1st (being a proud Welshman), and we always wish each other well on our respective Saint's days. Being Northumbrian-born, I have always loved many things Scottish, and my family and I always have a haggis on Burns' Night (we love it). So it's fair to say that despite devolution, the UK is still as cohesive as ever. God save the Queen.\n\np.s., Oh and Starshafter 1, kindly get off your high horse. We don't all hate Scotland or it's people. Be proud of who you are and learn to laugh at it, and yourselves too. We can take a bit of flack from you guys, so please learn to take a bit too.
595422
I agree.  I don't like to use the term because I believe that it is incorrect.  It is also promoting segregation and misunderstanding.  When people choose to separate themselves by racial titles they are saying that they are unwilling to be a part of this culture.  This breeds contempt amongst other groups who feel that they are being pushed aside or belittled because they don't have a special title for themselves too.  \n\nI find it amusing that some black people are offended for being called black but then the next words out of their mouths are about white people.  If I'm white you're black.  I really don't see what's wrong with that.\n\nAlso, almost no one in this country is all of any ethnicity.  I don't want to be called French-Canadian-Belgian-Spanish-Lebanese American.  What a freakin' mouthful!  Blacks are no different.  If you go back into your geneaology you will find many different groups represented in there.  Why would you choose to leave those out?  They are as much a part of you as any other group.
524320
In the last form I filled out I was referred to as               Non-Hispanic White. How's that for racism?\nAn implication that I am lacking as I am not a member of this group or that group. I have Black friends who also have problems with the hyphenated Americanism implying they are not "fully" American.\n\n I am Irish,\nNorwegian,\nEnglish,\nFrench,\nScottish,\nGerman-American :)\nThey would not let me hyphenate the whole way, they kept cutting it off at French, even when I used commas instead of hyphens
185076
have you ever watched braveheart? The Scots have been fighting the english for hundreds of years.  If we go south of the border today many english shops won't accept the Scottish pound not, claiming it's not leagal tender.\n\nThe english think they are better than us.  If the olympics are on then a Scot wins something they speak on T.V. about them being British, if they loose they are Scottish.  When an english person wins they are english.\n\nThe T.V. news always spend longer covering english soccer, showing video clips and interviews but if it's a Scottish report that follows it gets a quick mention
61360
Take it a step further: why are there some white people that can be proud of their heritage (Irish, Scots, Italians), but other white people who can't (English, American)
317708
I think those who don't live in one of the countries within the UK should not keep saying that the UK is a country. I expect that those who actually live in a place would know whether it's a country or not. Anyway, in answer to your question, it's probably because they are American sites. Many Americans, as has been proven here, think that the UK is a country. As for the map thing. If you look on a map of Britain or the UK which is printed in one of the UK countries, you will find that it mentions each as a seperate country. Maybe maps made in America or wherever represent them as one.\nI am offended that stupid Americans(or wherever else you uneducated people are from) insist that MY COUNTRY is not a country. Why do you dumb people keep trying to tell English(and Scottish and Welsh) people that our country is not a country?
112463
No it does not make you a racist, it just means tht you, as I, am completely pissed off withthe extreme liberalness of this country (UK).  Anybody who wants to work hard, pay their taxes and generally try to be a good citizen just get F**KED OVER.  Step off a plane claim Assylum and everything gets handed to you on a plate.  Does that make ME a racist?
613578
Perhaps it is a few African Americans that complain about this, these are probably just as bigoted as you are. Perhaps you should also re-educate yourself with regards to politics, the English are part of the British people but so also are the Scottish and the Welsh. As far as I am aware neither of these cultures were part of the slave trade just as Ireland was not, and I am sure they would take offence to you including them in this inaccurate association. Was your intention just to have a go at the English or are you a complete xenophobe.\n\nWith regards to American slavery the originators were the Spanish and Portuguese, their monopoly of the slave trade was broken by the Dutch in 1650, and the English decided to enter the transatlantic slave trade as well in about 1660.\n\nIgnoring the fact that slavery has been around almost as long as man and that the English have been in the past sold as slaves themselves, modern day slavery resurfaced in the Portuguese colony of Brazil. Following the settlement of the eastern state of Bahia in 1549, Portuguese settlers brought sugar cane to the region and imported African slaves to raise it. At the height of the slave trade, Brazilian traders sailed up to a 100 "negreiros" (slave ships) yearly between the Bay of All Saints ("Todos los Santos") and the port of Ouidah on the Gulf of Benin. It is believed between two and five million slaves were brought from the Slave Coast to Brazil\n\nAs a final point I am English and proud of it, although one side of my family were Norwegian and the other side of the family were Irish, my family has also had nothing to do with the English slave trade either, nor the Spanish, Portuguese or Dutch slave trade, or any other modern slave trade. Although I dare say if you go back far enough you would be able to trace my ancestors back to the Vikings who were possibly one of the earlier slave trading nations, depending upon your definition of slave trading. How long must we continue to pay the price for acts that were committed in the past?
438792
I think a lot of peoples attitudes towards race are caused by a particular races behaviour,\neg muslims hate everything of the free world.\nBlacks blame the british empire for failing to progress\n\nbut , i have never heard anyone complain about a sikh.Of all the ethnic minorities in britain, they are the cleanest, they all speak english, they for the most part are professionals,they respect our country.\nThey also fought bravely with britain in north africa against the germans and italians(when they could catch the italians!)