When is a person British, American , French, German, Canadian, Indian, Turkish..or whatever nationality?

Question

HOW TO YOU CLASS SOMEONE AS HAVING THE SAME NATIONALITY AS YOU?



I'm asking this because in the country I live there is a debate going on..about Multi-culturism..and 'if foreigners don't like our way of life they should leave'
This debate is often about British Asians... Most of them happen to be born in Britain. And in my opinion just as British as anyone else..and with the same rights to dislike or like the UK as any other British citizen


So what I'm asking is how long does a person have to be in your country before they are counted as having an equal voice with 'native' born citizens..One generation..2 generation..3, or 4..

Must they be of the same ethnic stock of the majority..ie pure born English or French..What about tradional minorities in Europe such as the Roma..?

Can you please state the country you live in and your nationality..
I would be interested to hear veiws of people from different countries..

Answer 1

I am American. I don’t consider myself anything but. My nationality would be Irish-French, but that only states where my generations came from. It’s funny here. People who have been in this country for many generations tend to attach a hyphen on their ethnicity, such as African-American, Italian-American, ect. Those who come here from other countries consider themselves American as soon as they get here. They have left whatever hardships they had in their country for whatever reason, and have come here for a new start. They are grateful to be here. Those who have been here and attach that hyphen feel they have lost their ethnicity. Being American isn’t enough. It doesn’t separate you from another person. They don’t see any specific culture in being American since so many different kinds of people are. They feel they have lost who they are and where they have come from. Contrary to what other countries believe, we see ourselves no better or worse than anyone else. We are just a country with a lot of different ethnicities together. Some come here just for economic reasons and they don’t change into an “American” attitude. They try to take the country that they have come into, and make it the one that they left by trying to change laws and the countries language. I firmly believe that if you are planning to live in another country you should acclimate yourself to that country, not try and change that country into what you would like it to be. That is just insulting to the people who already live there.

So there are different people who think different things. Back in this nation’s history there was a lot of prejudice about other ethnicities, not just black. In fact, slaves were considered valuable, whereas the Irish and Chinese were not. They would actually give life-threatening jobs to these people. They were on the bottom of the economic pole. Every one of the Irish immigrants on the Titanic died due to their ethnicity. But this can be traced for anyone if you go back far enough.

Answer 2

I believe any minority ethnic group living in a country of adoption (including those born in that country) will never be fully accepted as a "natives" even though they enjoy all or most of the privileges and rights accorded to the majority of the country. They may hold the same passport but will not enjoy the similiar benefits. For example: a white English man would not be expected to go through US immigration as speedily as that of a British born Indian - both carry the same United Kingdom passport. Similiarly an Algerian French national in Paris would find it difficult to be accepted as French.

It will take generations to blur the distinction of races because of contrasting cultures - integrating immigrants into mainstream societies is a near impossible task. Many do not want or accept the culture of the predominant group - this will be the way until kingdom come.

Answer 3

Well, this is always be an ongoing debate. Your nationality is really defined by two things if you are a first generational son or daughter. Its defined by 1. where you were born 2. your parents homeland. Integration into a different culture is an ongoing process and it takes many generations. As for citizenship, I think it would be better if all ppl who were citizens or applied for citizenship to have to do civil service for a year. It could be as few hours a month, for example to help elderly citizens get around or clean garbage off the street.
I'm from the US, and its an ongoing debate to what an 'American' is. To me, its not the color of your skin but what ideals you agree with your country.

Answer 4

Perhaps my answer will be more satisfying, because my country had a lot of ethnic problems. I am from Hungary (it's a small country in Central Europe, I don't know if you're familiar with it). Many different nationalities lived in this country for long centuries, when nationalism showed up in the 19th century and tore the country apart. Today more than 20% of the Hungarians live outside Hungary. Nationalism is a very important issue here, because the differences lead to many atrocities. Here in Central Europe it is important to define ourselves:

- Ancestry, as a definition for nationality fails, because most of today's Hungarians origin from many peoples from Iranians to Germans.
- Citizenship was never a real criterium, since people may acquire it only for benfits (tax or sportsmen, for example)
- Common culture (language, history, traditions) fails too, becuse most of the nationalities who live in this area share many similarities (just look at the Czechs and Slovaks, for example)
- The problem with territorial identity is that many Hungarians still consider themselves Hungarians, it's just that their native places were given to other countries after wars (but I could mention Jews as well, who were scattered across the world)
- At the moment we consider someone Hungarian if he/she claims to be one. Of course, this is not a perfect definition as well. The ideal Hungarian is a mixture of all the defintions mentioned above (and he/she should be a white Christian - but these aspects are not really significant, although it would be strange to hear a black voodoo witch call herself Hungarian :)

EDIT:

We do consider Romas Hungarians, but there is a lot of discrimantion against them. They are gypsies at first place, but even the biggest fascist would say they are Hungarians.

Answer 5

This is tricky, citizenship is based of orgin and birth country. Whoever u may be if u happen to born in the USA, u r eligible to become a US citizen, I am from India, Here if any one from other countries happen to be born also he cannot become a citizen. On otherhand even if anyone born outside India but roots or orgin from india they are automatically become an indian citizen. In India U also have assylum seekers getting naturalised citizens.

If u are from Australia and happen to live here for over 50 years also u cannot become a indian citizen. However if u happen to marry an indian, then, ur children can become indian citizen.

There are no time limits unlike in the US, Australia etc. Do you know cannot become a citizen in the Middle eastern countries, irespective of any number of years you reside there.

Only Canada, US Australia encourages people from other countries to come be part of them.

Answer 6

I was born and raised in the US, so legally I am American. However if you want to go with Genetics or ancestry I am a mixture of Irish, British, German, Scottish, and French. In America if you were born there you are a citizen and you have just as much rights as the next person, and just as much opportunity to make a difference. I love my country!!

Answer 7

First, it depends if they are legal citizens.
Second, if they have blend in with the new country,
Or If they choose to speak a foreign language in public rather than the language of that country.
Third, if they have loyalty to that country or still consider themselves as the country they left. Debate is good and questioning when they see things very wrong. If they do it to make the country better not to destroy it.
Fourth, have they come to the new country because they want to be that nationality or have they come to get everything they can out of the country and send their money back home.
Legal Asians in my country are quickly accepted.
Mexicans who steal across the border illegally, send their money made here back home and want to change the language to their own are not accepted. They do not pay taxes, strain our social services, schools, hospitals and are a burden to American tax payers.
If you don't want to be part of that country you should stay in your own country.
America

Answer 8

(US) A citizen qualifies as such if native born or having been born abroad with either one or both parents already being US citizens. Naturalized citizenship is awarded after meeting a variety of requirements, including residency in US for 5 years (minus 90 days), or, in some cases, 3 years (minus 90 days).
Other thoughts are just subjective discussion.

Answer 9

I am American. Anyone born in the United States *or* applied for and received citizenship is just as American as I am. I don't care if it was yesterday, they are just as American as I am.

My ancestors came to America 15 generations ago in the year 1630.

"GEORGE (LEWES) LEWIS, born 8/31/1600 Brenchley Kent England, and died in 1663 in Barnstable, Barnstable County, Massachusetts. His will being exhibited in court the 3rd of March, 1663. George Lewes is the first lineal Lewes ancestor to have come from England to the "New World". He was a clothier in East Greenwich, Kent County, England. He came to Massachusetts in the ship Griffin in 1630 along with his wife Sarah and three of his children"

Answer 10

I was born in USA, but living in India. I can choose whether I want to be an American or an Indian.