How do you define nationality?

Question

Especially in countries like the US, Australia,Canada and the UK where there is such a diverse range of people.My dad was Irish my mum English if I was born in China does that make me Chinese?
Do we define nationality to the country we are born in or our heritage?

Answer 1

I think it's a little of both, really. Most of my ancestors have been in what is now the U.S. since the 1600s, so I think of myself simply as "American;" but certainly there are times when I also think of myself as Dutch-American, Irish American, and even (a little bit) Native American. Mostly, I think it's the way you think of yourself that matters. Since you were raised by two people from the UK, and presuming that is your genetic heritage as well, I would think that you would probably identify with your parents' countries of origin rather than considering yourself "Chinese." Similarly, I descend from people who are (mostly) European, but some of whom moved to Texas when it was still part of Mexico; I may consider myself a Texan, but I don't consider myself "Mexican" because I have no Hispanic genetic heritage (that I know of), even though, strictly speaking, I could be said to have Mexican lineage.

Confusing, isn't it?? :-)

Answer 2

My nationality is American. I was born and raised in the USA and am proud to wave the Red, White and Blue. And the only time you will see me cry is when they play The Star Spangled Banner.

But heritage is Italian and that definately affects the way my family and I do things.

I am equally proud of my nationality and my heritage. And that is the way I think it should be. You should be proud of your home, whether you were born there or live your life there. And you should be proud of where and who you came from.

Answer 3

To arrive at a proper definition, it is necessary to separate nationality as citizenship from nationality as ethnicity.

Nationality as citizenship is a fairly simple concept, ergo, you are a national (citizen, subject) of one or more countries based on where you were born, your "blood", or oaths of naturalization (every country has different laws).

For instance, under U.S. laws, everyone born in the U.S. is a U.S. national, period, regardless of where their parents are from or why they are here - so the person with full Mayflower descent is as much U.S. national as the person born when their pregnant mum visited New York on holiday.

Depending on chinese laws then (of which I have no knowledge), you may be a chinese citizen (or at least eligible for chinese citizenship) solely based on the fact that you were born in China. If so, then yes, you would be a chinese national.

This differs from the concept (more widely used) as nationality as ethnicity. Ethnicity relates to where your ancestors originate - so if you might be a chinese national, but of english and irish ethnicity.

Originally, the concept of a Westphalian nation-state would have an idealized version of a "nation" for an "ethnicity" - so germans would live in germany, french in france, etc., etc. One can argue if this was ever really true (it wasn't, IMO), but it certainly isn't the case anymore, obviously in countries settled by european immigrants (US, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, etc.) but also in 'old' states that perhaps used to be ethnically homogenous, but are no longer and you have a mix of people who may be of one (or more) ethnicity, but of different cultural identities, and the same legal nationality - so you get individuals like Marcus Samuelsson, one of the top Swedish chefs in the U.S., who was born in Ethiopia.

Answer 4

I think it comes to a region your 'people' came from and THEN allegence to a country. For instance the Celts were all over Briton, Ireland and Germany(?). They were a people, so people from several different countries are very much 'related'. As for 'Irish' or Scottish.. Those are generally modern boundries. Your nationallity is by proximity. As for the U.S. etc.. we (mostly) come from somewhere else and we're a bit lost. That's why it is so common here for people to still be attatched to thier own roots, even if your grandparents were born here. There is no connection really to being American.

Answer 5

Nationality refers to the nation that you are born in and where you have legal residency. If you were born in China and have legal residency in America, you're a Chinese-American. If you just have legal residency in China, then yes, you are in fact Chinese. When considering heritage you're thinking of genealogy.

Answer 6

I think that your nationality is whoever you are blood related to that you can identify with. If you don't feel anything like an Irish person, than you probably are not of Irish Nationality. If you feel more Chinese than, you are of the Chinese nationality.

Answer 7

It is a confusing subject....I mean technically there are no Americans, Canadians or Australians, apart from the original natives.We have created these nationalities when we created these countries.

Answer 8

nationality is a legal relationship involving allegiance on the part of an individual and usually protection on the part of the state.

Answer 9

IDK it seems stupid if you're parents are Italian how comes you're American?! You aren't you are an Italian just born in America. Nationality is the country you come from, you come from your parents so you are whatever your parents are.

Answer 10

nationality means a place that you to be there ,marry , love it, love people,no matter race, age,money,