Half and Half

When talking about nationality, how would you describe yourself? English, Scottish, British, half-Irish? I describe myself as English, and I'm just coming round to the idea that the rest of the world doesn't acknowledge the individual countries in Britain, and therefore my nationality is actually British - to the point where the Americans talk about a 'British accent'. What a joke.

But I'm not here to discuss the differences between Great Britain, the United Kingdom, the British Isles, or whether Wales is actually a country or not (many refer to it as a region or a principality). No, I'm here to discuss nationality itself.

So back to my original question - I used to work with a girl who described herself as Italian. She was born in England, educated in England, and still lives and works in England. Her primary language is English and she betrays no trace of her Italian parentage. So I asked what makes her Italian? The answer, it seems is just down to choice. She is undeniably British in every way, but chooses to say she's Italian as it gives her a different sense of identity. Clearly she's not Italian, but if she feels Italian, then who am I to comment?

What I did think was particularly strange though was that she said her kids would be Italian. Errr...no. I'm sorry, but when you are born in a particular country, and both your parents were born in that country, there is absolutely no way you can claim nationality from another country altogether. By all means say you are of Italian descent, but even this has to stop somewhere. I, for instance, don't go around saying I am of Saxon descent, or go on about by Norman ancestors- but I'm sure somewhere up the line I could trace back to them.

My grandmother was born in Belgium, but think it's a bit of a stretch to say I am a quarter Belgian. Even more of a stretch for the Americans of New York to say they are full-blooded Irish. It's just a desperate attempt to have an identity different to your own - it's like when you were young and used to dress up as Superman. You are not Superman. Or Italian.