Being Black and British

i just wanted some views on this im black and british i was born in england as were my parents yet i dont know what to call myself i am repeatedly being told that im not english yet i know no other culture, i live her , i eat the food that people eat hear, i dress the way we dress here i celebrate the history i have stereotypical (english) forget british but english habits i would die for this country in any war when i go abroad people dont have to talk to me to know im english yet sometimes im made to fell like im not english but british which basically means i ran here from some where im not saying english people are racist but im saying that black english people are not really concidered black and everybody in britain comes from somwhere else so please no crap about coming from somewhere else because from what i see unless its in the EU i need a visa to go there so please dont tell me that im really from some third world country in africa or the caribbean and also does anyone know aproximately how how long black people have been in britain if so please let me know and i want replies from people of all races and how comes black americans can be cosidered real americans ?

reply to post by crazyashdenton15


sorry my mistake i meant to say not considered english instead if black

Firstly, welcome to the waning days of Social Issues. If you haven't heard, these threads will soon be joining ATS on the Political Issues forum.

Secondly, it would help immensely, if you would use punctuation and paragraphs in your posts.

This will help others to make sense of your writing and invite more responses.

Unfortunately, I'm not English or British, except so far as my ancestry is concerned, so I'm not very well versed in your culture.

It would seem to me, however, that if you were born in England and if you are loyal to her government and her laws and honor her heritage, traditions and mores that that would be sufficient for you to consider yourself to be an Englishman. Certainly, I would think that the law would be on your side in this regard.

You should know that there are certain kinds of people who feel that only themselves and those who have similar pedigrees to be the only ones who have a rightful claim to some name or category of beings.

Such is the case, I'm told, with those whose ancestors came to America on the Mayflower. There are those here in the southwestern US who feel that their Spanish heritage is more authentic than those who are of Indian or Anglo extraction.

The most important thing is that you live loyally according to the principles that are right and good and that you treat others with the respect that you expect from them. It would also help if you associated with those who hold those values, also. If you cannot find such a group, then take the initiative to start one.

Most of us have very little control over the behavior of others, but regardless of that, we always have control over ourselves and how we present to the world.


[edit on 2008/4/18 by GradyPhilpott]

Mate,you define yourself as what you want. Not what people tellyou. If you feel english,then that's what you are. Skin colour is just that,the colour of your skin. it doesn't make you any less English than me. My family stems from eastern Europe,my grandfather was Austrian,his parents Slovakian. I consider myself English,and so should you,if that's what you want.

It is only the ignorant people who will see your skin colour and say "you can't be English" As they have problems seeing past their own herratige. (most of them won't be 100% English,probably not even 50% English)

Good luck in finding an identity you're comfortable with. And welcome to ATS.

[edit on 22/4/2008 by Acidtastic]