So, today I randomly commented on a tweet, or x comment (which doesn’t roll of the tongue as easily): I disagreed with the post which said, “England is better off with diverse foreign cultures because there is no inherently English Culture nor any indigenous English“.

“Utter Tosh!” I thought.

For me, being English refers to someone born in England or holding British citizenship with strong ties to England. It’s distinct from being Scottish, Welsh, or Northern Irish, though all share UK citizenship. Legally, you’re English if your birth or residency ties you to England, but this doesn’t capture the full picture.

More I thought about it, my forebears rumbled in their graves, swords were rattled, ships rigging groaned as the breeze strengthened and I found my Anglo Saxon rage bubbling up as I became more and more triggered.

I commented that “I am an Englishman with ancestors going back many hundreds of years – surely that that makes me indigenous?!“

She further commented saying “there is no such thing as Indigenous English because all humans come from Africa!!”

I breathed deep and decided to be introspective and look inwards and what makes me believe I am ENGLISH as opposed to any other ethnicity. I decided to blog rather than rage on X….

So here I am, waffling…

Obviously at some part in the dim and distant past the planet probably had one large landmass ‘Pangea’ and if that was the origin of the species then maybe we could all trace our roots back to Pangea?

But to say everyone is African is a stretch.

I’m sure this is wild news to the Chinese people.

George Carlin: The Truth on ‘Indians’ and Native American Identity

In this thought-provoking bit, George Carlin dives into the historical and linguistic origins of the term “Indian” and challenges the modern use of “Native American.” With his signature sharp wit, Carlin critiques the label, questioning both the “native” and “American” aspects of the phrase, while providing a historical perspective that makes us rethink how we categorize people. Watch this iconic comedian tackle history, language, and identity in a way only he can.

I call them Indians because that’s what they are, they’re the Indians!
There’s nothing wrong with the word.
First of all, it’s important to know that ‘Indian’, the word probably does not derive from Columbus believing he had reached India!
In 1492 India was called Hindustan.
In his written accounts he called the Indians ‘Una Gente Indios’ meaning a ‘People in God’ – In Dios = Indians.
Indians it’s a perfectly Noble thing and I simply can’t justify this awkward phrase, Native Americans.
First of all, they’re not natives, they came here from Asia, over the bering land bridge.
Fact – there are no natives anywhere in the world. Everyone is from somewhere else all people are refugees, immigrants or aliens.
If there are natives anywhere it would have to be people still living in the Great Rift Valley in Africa.
So everyone is just visiting so much for Native.
As far as calling them Americans is concerned, well, we steal their hemisphere, destroy 500 cultures, kill 20 million, stick the rest of them on the worst land we can find, and then as a special bonus we name them after ourselves.

George Carlin

I love this from Mr Carlin. Speaking as a modern libertarian Englishman, an atheist, with no political alignment (they are all crooks imho), I identify as an ethnic Englishman, now living abroad I am an immigrant with Anglo-Saxon heritage.

I’m British by birth and English by the grace of God.

Us Anglo’s are often stereotyped by a sense of politeness, queuing, and a dry sense of humour, though these vary widely. We generally have a pride in England’s role in literature (Shakespeare, Austen), science (Newton, Turing), historical global influence, alongside reckoning with Englands colonial past.

To me “English Culture” really means the following key principles:

• Democracy
• The Rule of Law
• Individual Liberty
• Mutual Respect
• Tolerance of Different Faiths and Beliefs
• Freedom of Speech and Opinion

For some, being English is about feeling rooted in its landscapes—rolling countryside, industrial cities, or coastal towns. Others tie it to football fandom, music (from The Beatles to grime), or local pride (Yorkshire, Cornwall, etc.).

But more than that, of course it includes:

• going to the Pub
• a country walk with the dogs on a rainy Saturday in Spring
• A family Xmas Dinner and playing charades after
• Obligatory mug of tea with the full English Breakfast
• Watching grown men chase a ball around in Football, cricket or Rugby
• Passionate love of a Bacon Sarnie but arguing with your mates about wether its better with Brown or Red Sauce
• Going fishing down the canal when you’re a kid
• Waking up on a summer Sunday morning, with the peal of the local church bells in the distance
• Mumbling God Save the King and never fully knowing all the words
• Doing the same mumble on New Years eve with Aul Lang syne
• and so much more

Ultimately, Englishness is a sense of belonging shaped by history, traditions, and shared experiences. It’s not a one-size-fits-all. A Londoner’s Englishness might feel worlds apart from a rural Cumbrian’s. Some embrace it passionately; others feel detached, identifying more with “British” or local identities.

But for me – I am English.

I am a global citizen, but I’ve consumed too many cups of tea over the years to let that Englishness go…