Why don't Welsh and English people get along very well?

Question

Why don't my (English) mother and my (welsh) father get along very well? Why do they compare so much? Is it just me or do Welsh and English people have too much pride and think that their 'former' country is better?
I am a u.s. citizen born and 'raised' the way I see it is that they are basically both 'American', why do they insist on holding on to their past allegiance? I mean we're 'American'. (except that my mother only has her residency and we can't figure out why she is too lazy to get her citizenship even though my father has been a citizen for over 50years)

Answer 1

nations which share a common border tend to annoy each other. the french dislike the germans, the slovaks think all czechs are poseurs, beninois accuse nigerians of dishonesty.

this is simply because it is much easier to dislike someone you know than somebody you have never even heard of. at the beginning of book xiii of the iliad homer says how everybody liked the abians. everybody liked the abians because they lived a long way away from anybody - in the wild mountains of thrace. nobody knew anything bad about them, because nobody knew anything about them at all.

having said that, for neighbours the welsh and english get on spectacularly well. i have had more english girlfriends than welsh ones (though the best one of all was welsh) and of my closest friends at the moment the english outnumber the welsh by about 2:1. i don't think this is because the english are nicer than the welsh, i just think it is because there are a lot more english.

there have been no wars between the welsh and english for six hundred years, and even when there was one it was a welsh king of england (henry v) fighting an english lord who had raised an army in wales (owain glyndwr). the tudors were a welsh family (henry v's widow, catherine of valois, married owen tudor whose family was from anglesey) which never stopped henry vii from becoming king of england.

wales gave england one of its greatest prime-ministers (lloyd george), england gave wales one of its greatest writers and nationalist politicians (saunders lewis).

the welsh and the english get on very well indeed as a rule. i think your mother and father probably have different issues (and in any case they are both americans).

Answer 2

The welsh were the original occupiers of what is now known as England. During numerous invasions from the continent these people were driven further and further west until they occupied what is now Wales. So historically there has always been "issues" shall we say.

To add to that the English have always controlled the Welsh. Just like Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Welsh want their own government and to look after themselves. They have their own culture and ideas and don't feel that people from London should control them. Obviously in recent years we have the Welsh Assembly but they still want more freedom from England.

However, if you think the Welsh and the English have a problem find out which part of Wales your father comes from. If he is from North Wales as him about people from South Wales and vice versa. North and South Wales residents tend to hate the other more than they hate the English. I have no idea why.

Answer 3

Hey there, well, my mother is english and father welsh, and i was born and raised in another country too.
All of what you say I could have asked myself!
They think their former country is better?- well no, think they are just hanging on to the good memories really. America has no real history- that may be part of your folks problem with it.
The welsh don't like the english at all- that's normal, just as the scottish -really- dislike the english... that's normal too. It's something that is in their blood... it will never change. But the fact that they are still together is a good sign that they do love each other!! But know what you mean.... quite confusing isn't it....

Answer 4

I don't know about your mum and dad but I am English and have some very good Welsh friends - we get on really well and I was even best man at one of my Welsh friends' wedding. It is true that there is a lot of friendly banter between the English and the Welsh, as there is with the Scots and the Irish, but as a general rule we get on just fine.

Answer 5

Did you know that due to a 13th century by-law it's still legal to shoot a Welshman with a longbow in the grounds of Shrewsbury cathedral? That may explain a lot. Although to be honest my sister-in-law is Welsh, my brother English, they've been married for 6 years and don't seem to have any problems. The Welsh/English thing may be a symptom of something else entirely...

Answer 6

Everyone hates us English, especially the people we have land borders with.

I mean, the Welsh; we came over from Germany and pushed them out of what is now England, into Wales and Cornwall. We had our own culture, language and religion, and we kind of slaughtered them at the time. Even the word Wales means foreigners in Old English.
After that we went and took Wales over anyway, and it's been a principality of England ever since.

So, not a happy history.

Answer 7

Sounds as though your parents may have some other areas of dispute going on, other than the Welsh and English difference, which is more of a funny tradition than an actual fact.

Answer 8

actually any two countries that are on borders will hate each other, scots dont like the english either. its just that these are areas that warred with each other in the past and they always want to argue, here in the states even though most states didnt war with each other, indiana hates kentuckians and so on. its just that human nature is to war, and to think their side is the best. most all games are based on war, look at football and so on. two teams trying to win in a game that is physical and they end up hating each other and the city they are from and so on, and there is really no reason for it other than the human race cannot get past the idea that they must kill to have what they want. its stupid. as for your mom, shes either afraid she wont pass the test or she just doesnt want to not be english. such is life.

Answer 9

the welsh/english thing goes back centuries but more recently affluent english have bought so many quaint welsh houses for holiday homes that they have pushed prices beyond the reach of locals.. would you wanna be homeless in your home town while half the houses are only used a few weeks a year?

Answer 10

the Welsh seem to arrogant, Ive worked in wales a few times and found they ignore us English in the north and as you go down they become friendly people. as a whole tho they ain't that bad and the Welsh coast is breath taking at times.