Britishness, Race, Identity & Accent: Who Is Truly British?

Britishness is both a legal nationality and a sense of belonging. It is not determined by skin colour, but neither can Britain's history and ancestral identities simply be ignored. To understand modern British identity, it is important to distinguish between nationality, ethnicity, culture and ancestry.

It means that a person can be Black and British, Asian and British, or have Nigerian, Jamaican, Indian, Pakistani or Ghanaian ancestry and still be completely British in nationality, upbringing and identity. At the same time, people whose families have lived in Britain for generations may reasonably regard their English, Scottish, Welsh or other historical ancestry as an important part of who they are. These identities do not have to contradict one another.

Nationality answers the question, “What country do I belong to?” Ethnicity concerns ancestry and cultural heritage, while culture reflects the traditions, values, language and experiences that shape an individual. One person can therefore possess several layers of identity at the same time.

Britain's history makes this particularly important. The country has been shaped by centuries of migration, empire, trade, conflict and cultural exchange. The arrival and settlement of people from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and elsewhere have significantly transformed British society. Consequently, the idea that Britishness must correspond to a particular skin colour, accent or ancestry is increasingly difficult to sustain.

However, recognising modern multicultural Britain should not mean dismissing the historical identities of the people of these islands. Someone whose family has deep ancestral roots in Britain has a legitimate historical connection to the country. Equally, a Black person born and raised in Birmingham, Manchester or London has a legitimate British identity. These two positions can coexist.

Britishness and Race
Race inevitably enters discussions about British identity because Britain has a complicated history of colonialism, immigration and racial discrimination. Yet it would be wrong to suggest that Britain as a whole does not want people of colour. Millions of white Britons have embraced multicultural Britain, while racial prejudice nevertheless remains a reality in parts of the society. The sensible position lies between these extremes.

Concerns about immigration, integration, cultural change and national identity should not automatically be dismissed as racism. At the same time, legitimate concerns about immigration should never become an argument that people of a particular race can never truly belong to Britain.

Also a Black British Person does not necessarily have to sound white. It is a misconception to believe that a Black British person must speak, behave or sound like a white Briton to be regarded as genuinely British. This is clearly unreasonable. Britain has no single accent or way of speaking. A person from Birmingham can sound very different from someone from Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow or London. Accent is therefore not a reliable measure of Britishness.

A Black Briton may speak with a Birmingham, London or other British accent while maintaining Nigerian, Ghanaian, Jamaican or Caribbean cultural influences. They may also retain aspects of their family's traditions without becoming any less British. Integration should not mean cultural imitation. A Black British person should be able to say: “I am British, but I do not have to become culturally white to prove it.” That is not a rejection of British identity. It is an acknowledgement that contemporary British culture itself has been shaped by people from different backgrounds.

The real challenge is to avoid two extremes. It would be wrong to tell people with deep ancestral connections to Britain that their history no longer matters because the country has become multicultural. It would be equally wrong to tell Black, Asian or other minority Britons that they can never be genuinely British because of their ancestry or skin colour. Modern British identity can accommodate both historical continuity and contemporary diversity.

Britishness can encompass ancestry, citizenship, culture, history, shared institutions and personal belonging. These dimensions may differ from one individual to another without making one person's Britishness more legitimate than another's. Britain should therefore be confident enough to acknowledge where it came from while accepting what it has become.

Britishness does not require a particular skin colour, ancestry or accent. But understanding Britishness requires an honest appreciation of Britain's history, its historical people and the diverse society it has become.

Conclusion
The question should perhaps no longer be simply, “Who is truly British?” The more constructive question is: “How can different dimensions of British identity coexist?”

Britain can honour its historical people without excluding citizens whose ancestry lies elsewhere. It can recognise the contribution of immigration without pretending that migration has had no cultural or demographic consequences. And it can confront racism without making questions about national identity, integration and cultural continuity illegitimate. Britishness does not require a particular skin colour, ancestry or accent. A Black British person does not have to abandon their African or Caribbean heritage to demonstrate their Britishness. Equally, recognising the legitimacy of Black British identity does not require Britain to forget its historical and ancestral roots.

A confident nation should be capable of remembering where it came from while accepting what it has become.

By Georges Macnobleson-Idowu, a UK-based Nigerian veteran journalist writes in from Birmingham.