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How do you define your nationality?


YellowJacket

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I got into this discussion and wondered what you guys would have to say.

Some people go by where they live. I don't. I get called a Canadian a lot (not that there is anything wrong with it :) ) but I consider myself American because that is where I am originally from. Yes, I live in Canada but I do not have Canadian blood in me at all. I have American, English and Ukrainian blood.

How do you guys define yourselves? Do you consider yourself a certain nationality based on where you live or where you were born?

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AFA I'm concerned, I live where my birthplace is..India; And thats the same nationality I possess.

I think nationality is where you've lived for a considerably long time and grown there over the years and stuff; and not where you were actually born. In most cases, an individual lives in the country he/she was born. So this is a cause of concern for those who don't live where they were born. IMO, their nationality should be considered where they've lived and worked for comparatively more span of their life.

Edited by TOXIC
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^ Some people agree but I think that living somewhere shouldn't determine what you are. Besides, what if someone travels a lot? They stay in some cities for years and then move on. Does that mean they have no nationality because they don't live in a certain place for a long time? That is one reason why I think it makes more sense to consider yourself whatever nationality you are based on where you were born.

Pulling a random name out of my head, Russell Crowe lives and works in America yet is still defined as Australian.

Edited by YellowJacket
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Well, this may hurt someone's emotions or such, but here it goes..

what if someone travels a lot

Probably they don't possess a nationality as per we know the meaning...I don't say they're refugees and stuff; but they actually don't reside anywhere much and so they are not belonging to particular nation, I think thats why you are giving importance to birth place in such cases.

Nothing wrong, after all its your opinion.

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My parents were from India, and they moved to England around the 70's I think. I was raised here (Leicestershire) for most of my life. So I wouldn't call myself a Asian fully, more like British-Asian or something like that, and I believe that's what most of my friends are because they are Indian as well, so I'm not the only one.

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My parents were from India, and they moved to England around the 70's I think. I was raised here (Leicestershire) for most of my life. So I wouldn't call myself a Asian fully, more like British-Asian or something like that, and I believe that's what most of my friends are because they are Indian as well, so I'm not the only one.

Yeah similar story here, my Grandad came to England in around the 60s time because he used to work in the British army in Pakistan I think and so he was allowed to come to England. After he did so my dad and his brothers came around in the early 70s and my dad has been here ever since. So I would say I am half Asian and half British. Although I was born in England.

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Well, this may hurt someone's emotions or such, but here it goes..
what if someone travels a lot

Probably they don't possess a nationality as per we know the meaning...I don't say they're refugees and stuff; but they actually don't reside anywhere much and so they are not belonging to particular nation, I think thats why you are giving importance to birth place in such cases.

Nothing wrong, after all its your opinion.

Everyone has a nationality. I am sure if you ask that person what their nationality is, they will give where they were born. That is why I think going by birthplace makes more sense.

Everyone uses either one or the other as their answer, I was just wondering what the people here chose as their definition :)

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If it's on a random form or something i have to fill in usually 'prefer not to say', just for the laughs.

Having been born, raised and living in Britain, I'd call myself British. But had i been born in another place to British heritage, I'd still call myself British. Make sense?

It's dependant on your heritage, IMO... Where you live / where you were born doesn't mean anything i don;'t think.

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I'd define it by what you feel you truely are.

And your passport of course. I've got 2. One saying that I'm Dutch, the other that I'm English. I'm born in England so I see myself as one of English nationality (legally I am too), yet I don't have any English blood.

My dad is Dutch and I'm living in Holland, but never have I actually felt Dutch so I'll never say I am either, though I do have Dutch blood.

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Just go by what country(ies) you have citizenship to, what your passport says. I'm British (English), born and raised.

For example if you were born in France but moved to Germany when you were a few months old. You have German citizenship, and therefore a German passport, you speak German - are you still gonna call yourself French? I'm not sure I would, but would acknowledge the fact I was born there and call myself French-German or something.

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