Why can you be Black and British but not Black and English?

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robert_john

It's simply because nationality is always expressed as British or as citizenship of the UK. Because the English don't have a minority status to trumpet as do the Welsh or Scots English nationality has largely been subsumed into the British Natonality leaving the word English to take on more of the sense of Anglo-Saxon ethnicity. It would be interesting to note what might change if ever a strong European nationality were to become established. It is interesting to reflect upon and compare how the Northern Irish consider nationality. One might say that some see an ethnic British-Irish divide in the way language is used to express nationality; others would claim that it is political or even religious.
If we had no concept of the United Kingdom Britishness would become a collective term for a group of nationalities as European citizenship is now. English nationality would then take on a very different sense which would describe a status with a greater sense of citizenship and would become more inclusive of other ethnic groups.

adroc4579

I think English is meant to refer to an ethnicity, while British refers more to a nationality.

Johnny12

Who says you can't?
You can be half english and half african.
That makes you english and british.

Q,way

its just crap ,i cant be a english white man

Moglai

Some Black people born in the UK call themselves Black and English, others, (like myself) like to say Black British. I know that some people don't see Blacks, (or any other ethnic minority) born in England as being English. I think people who see themselves as English identify very strongly with the attitudes, values and culture of the English...fair enough I say. Each one of us are what we think we are, not what other people think we are.

Sybaris

There's usually a box which says, for instance, "Black - Other" or "White - Other", which is what I go for. It's the blood. I was born here and happy about it, but my origins are completely different. I'm proud also of my family. Therefore, I tick "White - British" rather than "White - English", because I am not English, nor Welsh, etc. I'm proud of both and happy to declare it!

DORA

Get over it and get a life. Why do black people have such a hard time accepting this?

bty

The English are western European and white. Our English culture is diluted enough already.

Mike

For the same reason you can be white and African, but not African and white. White and black refer to ethnic origin, British and African refer to citizenship.

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