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What makes a person British or American?
..or any nationality?
Is it the holding of that countries passport - or the entitlement to do so legally, or is it that they have been naturalised or it is their country of birth, or is it also important that they hold social values that support the majority of the nation?
What if a child (baby) is taken to a country and their parents are given citizenship or nationality, is that child then automatically entitled to stay and be of that nation?
Or is it a combination or something totally different? And how different is it for most countries?
Hi capitalgentleman,
Are 'you' as British still able to vote here and get NHS cover etc?
And also, if Canada was under British rule would you think as yourself as British in Canada or a Canadian from Scotland?
And secondly, do you think of yourself as Scottish or British when asked about your UK routes?
Hope you don't mind me asking, find the subject so interesting.
By 'here' I mean in the UK.
5 Answers
- myayroLv 51 decade agoFavourite answer
I think it mostly depends on how excepted you feel in the country you associate your nationality with.
- capitalgentlemanLv 71 decade ago
I was brought to Canada as a baby from England. I had to apply for citizenship separately, although I did it at roughly the same time as my Dad - well, a little later, but it was not automatic. My mother remained Scottish, afaik.
So, I am British by birth, and under UK laws, and an still considered a British subject- I can move there, and get a passport. However, I am a Canadian citizen as well. Culturally I am pretty much Canadian (albeit with a British flavour).
Technically, you are a nationality if you are 1. born there, or 2. are naturalized - that is, be accepted by another country, and given that country's citizenship (as I was).
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Generally I think if you're born there, or are naturalised you can claim to be of that nationality when talking to other people, although obviously for official purposes you have to state your nationality as that which your passport dictates.
I'm from the UK but live in the Netherlands, if asked I refer to myself as English, not because of any nationalistic pride about England specifically but because most Scottish and Welsh refer to their homes as Scotland or Wales respectively and I see no reason why as an Englishman I get to claim the larger area of Great Britain as my home.
My wife is Dutch, so when we have kids I think their nationality will depend entirely on where they're born, possibly dual nationality? If that's anywhere near as complicated as trying to get married as individuals from two different countries it'll be a small miracle if they don't end up bobbing about somewhere in the North Sea.
- ?Lv 71 decade ago
it used to be being born in that country but times and value shave changed. for example ewe give out thousands of british passports all over the world every year. this mean as they are entitled to use them and claim to be 'british' even having never set foot in the country.
this was initially part of a deal when british pulled out of certain colonies offering the residents a passport as they were under British rule. it has escalated due to politics to encompass those whom the far left feel should be part of our ever widening 'all welcome to stay' approach. hence immigration problems as we get swamped.
