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Old 10-23-2013, 07:27 AM
 
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bernie20 View Post
I was talking about Australians that have been here for a few generations mostly. I think if you have obvious non-European ancestry people often will say they have Chinese ancestry for example. I've never heard anyone refer to themselves as Irish-Australian or Italian-Australian. When I was in primary school there were quite a few first generation Italians kids who insisted they were Australians. Look at Olivia Newton-John and John Farnham both born in England and referred to by themselves and others as Australian. John Farnham is looked on as an Aussie icon. Maybe parts of Sydney or Melbourne that have heavy "ethnic" communities and identify as such are different than the mainstream people that I have come into contact with. My daughter for example identifies as only Australian. She was born here but I was born in Ireland and her father was born in England but both of us came here as children.
Yeah the usage Italian-Australian isn't common, but a lot of Italians will say they are Italian as well as Australian. Of course they vary in how they identify with their ancestral country (most have at least a grandparent born in Italy). Like I said, those of British and Irish descent are more likely to just identify as Australian. When asked 'what' I am I just say Australian, but when pushed further I talk about my parents being born in Singapore and Malaysia.
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Old 10-23-2013, 08:06 AM
 
Location: Harbor Springs, Michigan
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In my experience British people are just British, or English or Scottish or Welsh. Due to lack of records no one can truly trace their heritage back to the Normans, Saxons or Vikings however as we were taught in school those with Norman heritage will more than likely have brown hair and brown eyes, Saxons and Vikings are fairer so you can sort of see where family lines started. Also geographical location gives a lot away, certain parts of Britain saw more activity from the invaders than others, for example the Vikings mostly ran amok in Scotland and the more northerly parts heading down towards Ireland and touching on Wales whereas the Normans being southern invaders never really made it further north than maybe York.

A great cousin of mine traced our family history back 600 years and came to the conclusion that we are English, no Scottish or Welsh or even Irish influences of any note so when folks ask I tell them I am English through and through. My youngest son being born (of English parents) in Scotland has decided since he has a Scottish birth certificate that he is indeed Scottish, unfortunately his family name isn't Scottish but is akin to the Stewarts so on special occasions he gets to wear their tartan.
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Old 10-23-2013, 08:12 AM
 
Location: Gorgeous Scotland
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jan Alaska View Post
In my experience British people are just British, or English or Scottish or Welsh. Due to lack of records no one can truly trace their heritage back to the Normans, Saxons or Vikings however as we were taught in school those with Norman heritage will more than likely have brown hair and brown eyes, Saxons and Vikings are fairer so you can sort of see where family lines started. Also geographical location gives a lot away, certain parts of Britain saw more activity from the invaders than others, for example the Vikings mostly ran amok in Scotland and the more northerly parts heading down towards Ireland and touching on Wales whereas the Normans being southern invaders never really made it further north than maybe York.

A great cousin of mine traced our family history back 600 years and came to the conclusion that we are English, no Scottish or Welsh or even Irish influences of any note so when folks ask I tell them I am English through and through. My youngest son being born (of English parents) in Scotland has decided since he has a Scottish birth certificate that he is indeed Scottish, unfortunately his family name isn't Scottish but is akin to the Stewarts so on special occasions he gets to wear their tartan.
I'm an American 'mutt' but also have UK citizenship so I also call myself British. If Scotland becomes independent I'll get a Scottish passport so will be able to call myself Scottish.
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Old 10-23-2013, 09:28 AM
 
Location: Scotland
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In the not so distance past my family were from Ireland and Switzerland - but I was born in Britain, raised in Britain and my intermediate family are British - so I am British.
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Old 10-23-2013, 10:08 AM
 
Location: Tejas
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Most American's I know have huge fascination with wanting to belong to somebody, whether it be my great great great granddad came from some small town in the West of Ireland to claiming they are 2% Cherokee or something.

I was born and raised in Ireland and couldnt care less where my ancestors came from but its rare to find somebody over here like that. Soon as I get the Where are you from question I always get my family is from X answer.
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Old 10-23-2013, 10:15 AM
 
Location: NJ
2,210 posts, read 7,016,485 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Traveler86 View Post
Brits also Emphasize about their norman, viking and anglo-saxon ancestry, the same way americans emphasize how much british and specially germand and Irish they are (the most overstated ethnicities by far).

Many brits cant simply say they are english, scottish or welsh without having to mention they think they have important norman, viking, etc ancestry. The same way can be said by americans claiming certain nationalities they are not.
No. the don't. All the Brits are telling you that you are wrong. Give it up.
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Old 10-23-2013, 10:19 AM
 
Location: SW France
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnthonyB View Post
No. the don't. All the Brits are telling you that you are wrong. Give it up.
I think you're right.

Most Brits, myself included, don't give a monkey's where they originated from.

Yet again we have another ancestry thread on the UK forum with many Brits echoing what I say and non Brits more interested in the subject.
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Old 10-23-2013, 10:21 AM
 
Location: NJ
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PA2UK View Post
Not true at all - the British are very interested in their ancestry... ancestry.co.uk is very popular here. They just don't think of their ancestry in terms of Viking, Anglo-Saxon, Norman, etc. Most couldn't possibly trace their tree that far back anyway. You might say the British are less interested in their DNA ancestry but in the genealogy bug is just as big here as it is in the US.
Good point. I think it's probably more looking for personal connections and interesting stories as well as long lost relatives rather than ethnic identifiers.
As a Scot in the US I find many Americans (who claim to be "Scattish") are really disappointed at my lack of interest in their clan affiliations. They are even more disappointed to hear that Scots generally don't care and certainly don't feel that they are missing long lost compatriots overseas. Even worse when you tell them their ancient forebears home is a miserable little town of no interest with a high crime rate and drug problem. :-)
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Old 10-23-2013, 11:04 AM
 
Location: SW France
16,612 posts, read 17,371,357 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnthonyB View Post
Good point. I think it's probably more looking for personal connections and interesting stories as well as long lost relatives rather than ethnic identifiers.
As a Scot in the US I find many Americans (who claim to be "Scattish") are really disappointed at my lack of interest in their clan affiliations. They are even more disappointed to hear that Scots generally don't care and certainly don't feel that they are missing long lost compatriots overseas. Even worse when you tell them their ancient forebears home is a miserable little town of no interest with a high crime rate and drug problem. :-)
Sounds like I'm back tracking but that I do agree with- it's interesting to know that my great grandfather did whatever but going back eons I'm not concerned about the origins.
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Old 10-23-2013, 11:22 AM
 
14,249 posts, read 17,885,317 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jezer View Post
Sounds like I'm back tracking but that I do agree with- it's interesting to know that my great grandfather did whatever but going back eons I'm not concerned about the origins.
I'm the same. Went back to around 1700 for my family. It was very interesting especially to know where they lived and what their jobs were (the census gives you that). And you get some interesting factoids. For example, my great great grandmother was born at sea as the family were returning from India where her father (born in Wigan) had been in the army. Or that my great great grandfather had been in the workhouse as a child Or that another great great grandmother had three children out of wedlock Was she a lady of ill repute

M grandmother reckoned that she was descended from Huguenots She wasn't That is about as close to ethnicity that we ever got. Fact is, hardly anyone cares about ethnicity the way Americans do.
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