Would you say someone who were born and raised here but had foreign parents are 'essentially immigrants'?

Question

I was born and raised in England. My parents are both Spanish. Someone told me I was "essentially an immigrant".

Do you believe that me and other people like me, who were born and raised here but have foreign parents aren't 'proper' British?

Answer 1

My grandfather immigrated to Canada from England. He was your typical "proper British" person. His children, including my mother, were all born and raised in Canada. They were not British. They were Canadians! (My mother immigrated to America and was in the process of becoming a citizen when she died.)

I don't understand how you are an immigrant of England since you were born and raised there. Are you a British citizen? If you consider yourself British and someone says you aren't "proper" tell them to "GO POUND SAND!"

Answer 2

It is a shame that the term 'immigrant' is now considered derogatory, if not then there would be no real follow through from your question. I'm not sure that 'proper' British exists as each has a personal view of 'proper' There are lots of posts here that address the points but the law is clear.

Born before 1 Jan 1983 - Nationality by birth so British
Born on or after 1 Jan 1983 - Nationality by parentage so if either of your parents has British Nationality then you are British.
If both your parents retained their Spanish nationality then you are Spanish.
You either are or are not, no half measures.

If you were born in 83 or after and have lived in the UK all your life you qualify for British citizenship but you would have to apply.

Answer 3

What's important is what you think you are.

As far as I'm concerned you are a citizen of where you are born or raised. Since you were both born and raised in England, you're English. Unless you prefer to call yourself Spanish, which, given your parentage, you've got every right to.

Essentially immigrants, what an utter crock of sh!t.

I'd guess the person who said that finds Bernard Manning amusing.... ie 'if you're born in a stable does that make you a horse?'

Answer 4

AZ is working on a regulation to not supply start certificates to infants born interior the U. S. with unlawful mothers and fathers. that's a stick to up regulation to their modern arguable anti-immigration regulation. another states are finding at doing the comparable element. the U. S. shape extends citizenship to all and sundry born interior the U. S.. The AZ regulation won't be able to alter that, yet while the scientific institution would not supply a start certificates, the guy might have a harder time organising that they have been born on US soil. that's like abortion rights. Republicans comprehend they are in a position to't overturn Roe v Wade or the U. S. shape, so they are going to make it as complicated as plausible for some voters to apply the rights certain by utilising our shape.

Answer 5

You are legally a citizen.

Lets try and take it step further to try and understand the difference. May or may not be your personal situation but helps open the view for understanding. If 2 white Swedish people legally immigrated to Africa and immediately had a child that was a citizen.....does that make the child "African" in every sense of the word?

Do you find very many legal white African born citizens moving to America as legal immigrants and becomming citizens distinguishing themselves as African-Americans?

In a way you essentially are a new immigrant because you're parents are new and adjusting as well and teaching and learning along the way with you. Does it make you less than? No. But do you truely observe and understand and embrace every aspect of the British culture? Maybe yes, but probably not as much as your child will. (if you aren't trying to keep the total Spanish culture alive and doing it to keep the British way out.) I say that not to be disrespectful but from what I see happening in my own country. We have "citizens" here who are no more "American" than an alien from outerspace. They burn our flag, refuse to speak our language, wouldn't eat a hot dog, apple pie or play baseball and watch a cowboy movie if their life depended on it. Hate George Washington, don't have a clue who John Wayne is and are "offended" by everything American. They hate our laws, hate our lifestyle, hate our citizens and want to change it all. But they are legal citizens. Are they American? Yes...legally. But not really.

Kind of like the guy who is legally married but wants to live the life of a single guy. Paper says it's so....spirit doesn't.

Answer 6

It depends on where "here" is. In America, you'd certainly be American, unless you'd never learned English, which would set you apart from other native born Americans. In Greece, you would always be foreign, or xeni. You can't be considered Greek no matter how many generations you've been there if you're family is not Greek originally. Even if you are ethnic Greek, if your family lived in Anatolia or the Middle East, you're still more than a little bit xeni. Different societies answer this question in different ways. England isn't America and it isn't Greece. And, if your parents came from Morocco and you were born in Spain, would you be considered "proper" Spanish?

Answer 7

If you are born here then you cant be an immigrant.
Thats the attitude the Nazi's had. If you had a jew in your family in previous generations then you were a jew by association and therefore you should be in concentration camps.
They searched family records as far back as they could.
My Grandmother was French, My grandad was Ukranian - what does that make me?

BRITISH!!! (according to my passport anyway).

British people arent british, we are French, Scandinavian, Italian (from invaders over the last 2000 years).
My point is that where is the line drawn? We are descended from immigrants.

You are British and dont believe any differently. The world is too small now to have the attitude that we are different because of which side of an imaginary line we were born.
Borders are obsolete - time to grow up and realise we are human beings, not just nationals of different imaginary countries.

Answer 8

Anyone born in a country is a member of that country (unless in the case of military or vacationing parents). Period.

You aren't "essentially" an immigrant. You're a British citizen. Your parents may be immigrants, but you are not.

Answer 9

I'm in the same position. Personally, I don't feel like an immigrant per se', but I would only consider myself British on paper. I respect the history and culture of this nation, but I will always feel a greater sense of allegiance to my ancestral homeland.

Answer 10

The Duke of Wellington, who was born in Dublin, when challenged over his heritage, the other person asserted that he was Irish because of his place of birth, he replied "If a dog is born in a stable, it does not make him a horse. "

People from closely related Northern European stock, such as German and Scandanavian countries could over several generations become assimilated into British culture and could legitimately call themselves British.