I also notice that I read in what you write a kind of "Ho-Hum" attitude, kind of laid back, easy going,
The Lyrics of Gilbert and Sullivan's 'For he is an Englishman' come to mind as I read your words,
"For he himself has said it
And it's greatly to his credit
That he is an English man.
(That he is an English man.)"
With my own refugee parents I am also English without being a native yet feel something out in the world of my Englishman-ness, a kind of colonial attitude/ advantage/ disadvantage, a kind of welcome to certain countries in the world and a non-welcome to others.
I'm English, although I have a Gibraltarian mother - the Gibraltarians are
not regarded as a 'people' either by the British or the Spanish
Then you also write this about your mother, not being considered a "people" and I wonder at that and about that.... does she ever talk about that?
- but I can
imagine them developing a 'nationalist' movement if the British and Spanish
insist on treating them as imperiously as they're doing at the moment...
Do you mean, that they could demand nation status of their own? I dont know much about Gibraltar other than John and Yoko getting married there, and the Rock of course. My ignorance alone makes me feel my Britishness.
...but nationality is always impure for me... nations do have myths,
however, and people embody their national myth in different ways, but people
can never, for me, be reduced to their nationality...
Do you wonder though why some people might actually want to be reduced to their nationality?
I'm happy to say I'm English, and say that part of this identity is a
willingness to treat it as accidental rather than essential...
Really? Is there nothing about it that you are identified with, nothing about it that you stand for in the world, that you use to explain why you are able to do one thing and not another?
Are there ever moments that you think "that's not very British" etc?
nationalists often depend on notions of purity because of the idea of 'the
people'
Yes, and that is quite obviously almost impossible anywhere outside the most isolated places on the planet no?
perhpas that's what makes the English odd - the nation was one of
the earliest modern ones to be formed, and it was already very mixed - there
was no 'purity'..
So, that brings me to my question - why make a nation? Why make a 'people' out of many diverse people's?
Is it really only purely political? Economic?
Why do we want that identity when we want it, and not want it when we dont?
Why does anyone ever say they are "proud to be a ___________?"
Again I am back to the personal level with my questions.
I hope i have not asked too many questions, they are not only directed at you Franc, just questions that come up for me with your letter.
Thanks again for the historical overview,
Susan
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