It’s OK to be English!
YES! It’s OK to be English! If you stopped most any Caucasian American on the street and asked them about their families roots, you are most likely to hear them say that they are Irish, Native American, Scottish, German, Viking, Italian, or any other European county. Why is it that so few claim, or admit to being English?
As a genealogist I’ve learned that when it comes to our ancestors, the number one thing that most Americans want to know is, what country, or countries did their ancestors come from. The fact is most of us Americans are extremely English. But… why do so many of us mention that in passing? I hear people say, “I’m half Irish, and half Cherokee”, or “I’m Irish, Scottish, a bit German, and Viking”. Sometimes folks do mention they are English but it’s usually at the end. I hear, “I’m Irish, Cherokee, Viking, Scottish, a bit Italian, oh, and of course some English, but we won’t talk about that.” Why are we ashamed, or embarrassed to be English? Why is it considered “vanilla” to be English?
In this article we will discuss why this is, and why so many of us deny our English roots. I also want to mention that this video is NOT directed at the English today. This is not a political video about the current problems that England and Great Britain currently face, those are totally different subjects. I should also mention that yes, English, and British are two different things, but to simplify this video, I will use the names interchangeably. Also, for you folks watching this video in England, yes, we know we are Americans, not English, or British. We Americans look at our roots as our heritage, not our nationality like so many Europeans do. This video is directed towards those of us from countries that were colonies of Great Britain.
The main reason why so many of us Americans want to deny our English roots is the simple fact that we fought two wars against them. We earned our independence as a nation from Great Britain, so in a sense, many of us think that it would be “anti-American” to claim to be English. Part of our American culture are phrases like “don’t tread on me”, “sic semper tyrannis”, or thus always to tyrants, and “give me liberty, or give me death”. Now, those that know me will certainly agree that you will be hard pressed to find someone more patriotic than me and I’ve proved my love for my country many times. However, I’m going to challenge you Patriots to look at things from a different angle.
Many of us Americans have a hard time dealing with being mixed up ethnically. It’s within our nature to choose a side and support it all the way. Knowing my own roots, I have tried to instill pride in my children of where our ancestors came from. In my family, we have deep Celtic roots, and we have spent many weekends attending Scottish and Irish festivals and events. A few year ago, one of my daughters was looking at our families DNA results and mentioned that she couldn’t believe that we had so much English DNA, and how it was so embarrassing. How could we be so Scottish, Irish, and Welsh and have all of those English ancestors too? They don’t mix, do they? Well, me knowing our family tree and how many English immigrant ancestors that we have I realized that I needed to do a better job of explaining our roots and that’s when I realized that I needed to make this video.
Another reason that the English have become so unpopular to many of us today is that they subjugated so many peoples and in modern culture that is seen by many to be a very negative thing. I’ve heard that the most common holiday in the world is Independence Day from British Rule. The English subjugated the Scottish, the Irish, the Indians, East Asians, Africans, Arabs, and scores of other peoples. It was once said that “the sun never sets on the British Empire”. Great Britain became one of the first super powers and there was a time when you could say that they had conquered the world, at least in trade and commerce.
English has become the world language used in trade and travel. I’ve been all over the world and usually there are people that speak a little English and you will find signs that are written in the local language and in English. Airports usually have announcements in the local language, and in English. The English have played a huge part in bringing modern civilization to the world. Now, that statement has become very unpopular lately. I have heard the phrase “Colonizer” used more and more in the last few years and it’s often used as a negative and even as a slur. Calling someone a Colonizer is often used as another way of calling someone a thief, or a destroyer of cultures.
I fully expect the comments of this video to be full of the horrible things that the British Empire has done over the centuries. While I can’t deny that the English have certainly had their fair share of atrocities in world history, I must say that I’m hard pressed to find a group of people that are innocent. All groups of humans, in all times in history have done horrible things, the English don’t have that monopoly.
With all the accomplishments the English have had over the centuries, why do so many dislike the English, and so often deny their English roots? Well, in my opinion, I think it’s because most of us love an underdog story. An example that some of you will understand is the fact that the Ohio State and Alabama football teams are two of the most hated teams in college football. You can travel anywhere in the country and make some friends by hating on the Buckeyes and the Crimson Tide. If you ask people why they dislike these teams folks will often tell you that it’s because they have had so much success and they win all the time. We as people just can’t help cheering for the underdog and we often resent success.
With all the things that our English ancestors achieved we should be proud of them. We should embrace their accomplishments. This tiny percentage of the worlds population, in a little corner of the earth built an empire that spread their culture all over the globe. It is possible to celebrate your English ancestors as well your roots with peoples that fought against them. History and DNA is complicated. You won’t hear me say “God Save the King”, but I’m proud of my English ancestors.
So, what do you think? Are you proud of your English ancestors and their accomplishments? Has this video shed some light on why having English roots is a positive thing, or are you going to continue to mention them last when you talk about your ancestors? I’d love to hear what you have to say in the comments below. Also, be sure to see our videos similar to this one, called, “No! You are NOT Cherokee”, and “No! You are NOT Irish!”
I am known for saying that no matter who your ancestors are, you should embrace them and be proud of them. Their struggles are what brought us to where we are today, and we should honor their sacrifices and achievements. In God’s eyes, no group of people are above another and we should never forget who we are, and who got us here today. Be sure to check out the video below.
-Colonel Russ Carson, Jr., Founder, Family Tree Nuts