What does it mean to be English & Proud ?

Interesting question this. You would think this would be an easy question to answer. The obvious answers are based on bloodline and place of bith, in other words, if you have an English parent or parents and born in England then you are clearly English. Few people would disagree with this view.

What if neither parent is English but you are born in England ? What if you have an English parent or parents but were not born in England ?

I know one person, in particular, a good old friend of mine who has Irish parents (in other words, no English bloodline) but was born in England. He insists he is English and I would agree with him (although he is English by birth and not by race, I would say he is Irish by race). Strangely though, he believes (and I am not joking) that he is more English than I am; I was born in England (the capital, London) and I have an English mother; had English Grandparents, English Great-Grandparents and other English ancestors going back centuries. I could say I am more English than he is because technically I am but I don't begrudge him his Englishness. He says this is because he looks more English than I do, whatever this means ! I could say I look more Irish than he does, I think I do but I am not Irish ! Furthermore, I can or do look English when I am clean shaven. There are a lot of people like him and I have had many friends like him also.

Who is the most famous Englishman ? Probably Churchill. He had one English parent. The monarchy in Britain also have mixed race parenthood. Cliff Richard was not born in England, I think he was born in India. Nobody questions their Englishness, maybe its because they look more English or perhaps they don't.

Also, I have an English son (his mother is English) and he looks English, whatever that means !
Proud to be mixed race and English ! There are many like me and we are not less English than any other Englishman or woman.

Some people, in certain situations, like to present me as an Iranian or Ayatollah or mongrel. Don't get me wrong, I am proud of my Persian bloodline (and I consider myself English and Persian - note the use of the word 'and') and but they do it deliberately to cause offence. I once talked about being English and being proud of my Englishness and was told I was "over-compensating" ! They could be racist or just ignorant. I hasten to add that I have never accused anybody of being racist although some almost certainly were. Also, of course, there are racists who do not know they are. Fortunately, most of my friends and family recognise me as an Englishman first and Persian second. The truth is I consider myself 100% English and 50% Persian. I was born in England, English is my first language (I am learning Persian), brought up in an English household, lived an English way of life and think like an Englishman; I just happen to have an additional identity - Persian but I have not lived in Iran and not been exposed to Iranian influences and culture to any great degree.

There are also those who say I shouldn't say I am English because I am British and not English. They think that if you say you are English instead of British then you are a racist because Englishness has racial undertones. Some people actually think this way.

My English grandfather fought in WW2 and my English great-grandfather was killed in action in WW1. Why do I keep mentioning this ? I mention it because I am proud of my grandparents and great-grandparents and of my Englishness. I am not insecure and / or over-compensating, just proud to be English !

Many people still do not understand what it is to be English (and proud) !

What if your parents are English and you were born in England but left your country in your first year or as a child and never returned to your country. Can you still call yourself an Englishman, despite having no exposure to the internal culture of your country? Another interesting question which I won't answer.