What does it actually mean to be English? Define!?

Question

With so many people claiming they want the country back from immigrants and they want their sense of Britishness or Englishness back can any of you actually define what it is to be British or English. What are the traditional values of the English that immigrants are harming? Do any of you realise that your culture has been influenced more by America in this century than by any other country?

The Yank influence comes from MTV, Mc Donalds (and various other US businesses) , Hollywood, Rap Music, US business ethics e.g. all night opening, sunday opening etc, legal issues - everybody sues everybody nowdays, just like in the good old US, political spin taken right out presidential campaign handbooks!

Now tell me how for example Polish culture has influenced Britain to such an extent or the Africans, Asians, or South Americans.

How does the royal family fit into the whole Englishness question. The royal family have interbred with many different royals from around Europe. Surely they must rank as immigrants or not true Brits. The Queen married Philip and had children so her children are technically not completely English as Philip wasn't British or English.

Answer 1

to be english? well there is in fact no such thing. For thousands of years this country has been a melting pot of different cultueres, peoples, and beliefs. The fact that we now all have instant access to the media, and thus this information is instantly accessible, makes us more informed about these issues, than ever before.
There is no such thing as being english. Technically you might say that harold godwinsson was the last english king, however his line was a mixture in origin, of being from the germanic areas of europe, so he was english by birth, but not by lineage. Our own royal family are of germanic origin. too.
The only true values of us brits, is that we have fought fiercely to protect a land that we have all called home, and that all cultures and races regard as their home. Proud to be british. now that is a truly british custom................

Answer 2

The British and English population has largely been perceived as a Christian culture. It would be nice if everyone acted as Christians and at least tried to uphold the 10 Commandments.
To see women dressed head to toe in Black and people try and blow up our planes and trains who were actually born in this country beggars believe and shows why Britain will never work as a Multi Cultural Society. Multi Race societies may work, multi cultural societies do not. The sooner the politicians realise this the better, however they tend to ignore the fact as there are sometimes more important things to do. The various Multi Cultural faiths who live in this country tend to hate the white British and their values - yet they love our freedom and welfare.
Just a thought. I feel you can't really state what being British is all about. But for me the country side is one of the things and guess what the Government want to concrete over it to create more housing so they can allow more immigrants to settle on these shores.

Answer 3

To be English means to be born in England, as there is no such thing as being racially or ethnically English. The idea that there is some sort of Anglo-Saxon race of true English people is nonsense.

There was a rather interesting programme on awhile ago called "100% English" and it used DNA analysis to determine the ethnic origins of 10 people who regarded themselves as Anglo-Saxon; not one of them was. Gary Bushel was about 8% African (such a high figure that it is almost certain he has an African ancestor within the last five generations). Carol Thatcher (Margaret's daughter) had a lot of Mediterranean DNA, some crazy woman who lived in a 15th century English house was 10% Native American and Mongolian, and some total nut who went and cried at the site of the battle of Hastings every year was most likely a Romany Gypsy from Eastern Europe (she threatened to sue the programme makers).

The idea that nationality is somehow dependent on racial purity is quite a frightening one in my opinion.

Answer 4

well to be an English person u have 2 be born to a Anglo English family but 2 be British u have 2 have a British passport and live in a British colonised or ruling country. And England 2day has a Multi- cultured background and its not something that the immigrants are harming but adding 2 cause the British invaded as many countries before!! they influenced other countries!

Answer 5

English culture for me is:

Going down the pub
Watching footie
Playing snooker
Great food (contrary to popular belief)
Impressive television documentaries and cinematic features
Love of country and the desire to protect its values (nationalism)

England is and always has been unique among European countries due to its geographic location apart from the mainland and to its legacy as the most significant nation in the history of the modern world. The seed that England spawned in its glory days as the greatest naval power in the world still lives on today in the former colonies and the Commonwealth nations. Yes, there has been much American influence on England as there has been on the rest of the world but I believe that the English have managed to keep much of it at bay whilst retaining their true culture and system of beliefs. I truly hope the England and the rest of Great Britain never lose their uniqueness and proud "Britishness" that made a small island the most relevant nation on the planet.

Answer 6

This will always be a conundrum because Englishness is culturally constructed and will, to an Englishman appear normal and essentially unnoticeable until it is removed from his world view. We can look back and see what used to be English traits and are no more but only outsiders can really see us objectively.

English traits on the endangered list.

An innate sense of fair play
My word is my bond
Punctuality
Waiting ones turn
Self respect
Self discipline
Quiet confidence

Answer 7

Hi,

Well, first of all let us recognise that you don't enter England till you leave London. Londoners are not representative of other English people who have a strong culture and sense of identity.

Our cultural values are not those so often portrayed for instance, on a Saturday afternoon in England their are more people messing about with boats than watching football. But it is important to understand that it is a culture that is happy to assimilate input form other cultures.

It is a culture of invention, computers, television, flight, these are all inventions that owe their origin to Britain though we consistently lack the ability to make them pay.

An ability to laugh at ourselves and be self-critical in a way that would be impossible to imagine state-side. An earthyness as opposed to crudity and a disrespectful attitude to government observable in our political satire that would not be appreciated in US. Horse-riding still figures high in our culture not only in sporting achievement but also here you find the rich and the poor mixing.

The pub, as different from bars as our traditional ales are different from Lager. Our deep seated anti-intellectualism and distrust of non-empirical approaches.

Answer 8

I don't live in England but I can see many things England can be proud of - the language for a start, complex and a mixture of all sorts of origins and popular throughout the world. Then the 'common law' legal system originated in England, now used internationally and a standard for fairness and sensible justice.

England's multicultural cities are part of its vitality, as is its countryside, thatched cottages, village greens and tremendous history.

And lets not forget Morris Dancing and Pearly Kings ;)

Answer 9

It's just a neologism... I bet this word didn't exist before the 60's or 70's. It's not a very etymologically sound word, it's just a combination of "homosexuality" + "phobia." If you didn't know what the word meant in popular culture you would assume that it meant "averse to same" but that's simply not what it means for 2011.

Answer 10

Englishness is an ethhnicity, you cannot be born English unless you come from Anglo-Saxon racial stock, you couldn't claim to be a Japanese unless you were born of Japanese racial stock likewise it is the same with Englishness.

American influnece has really only been in pop music and fashion which change with the seasons anyway, 100 years ago Americans were mocked, next year Germany could be the style everyone wants to emulate.