Британский национальный характер

British National Identity

By Tilos Mantines

Over the past decades a huge variety of different cultures have immigrated to Great Britain. The first reason why people immigrate is the constantly increasing speed of the currently ongoing process of globalization. The fact that Great Britain in particular is a main target for immigration is due to the history of the Kingdom of running colonies all over the world which eventually resulted in the foundation of the Commonwealth. This multiculturalism, though being a benefit in many ways, may cause problems such as how to clearly define the national character of the British.

According to Robin Cook, who was the British Foreign Secretary from 1997 to 2001, the national character is one of multiculturalism. In his opinion, the British people cannot be defined as a race but as a “gathering of countless different […] races”, whereas Queen Elizabeth II herself defines the British people in her Golden Jubilee speech on April 30th, 2002 as a people with “traditional values etched across British history. In contrast to the Queen, who often refers to the British history, Robin Cook argues that not even the history of Great Britain is pure British one. Throughout history, Britain has been invaded and therefore influenced by many different countries. The main difference between Robin Cook’s and Queen Elizabeth’s points of view on the national character of Great Britain is that cook sees Great Britain as a nation with a whole lot of different cultures and ethnicities whereas the Queen sees it as a nation of British people who tolerate other races.

The problem with Cook’s point of view is that with a national character that is solely defined by multiculturalism there cannot be a true national identity. To him, the British national identity is directly linked to the “sheer pluralism of their ancestry”. But when having a closer look at Europe, this identity may actually fit to many European countries and if not to countries, then to smaller areas where, due to migration, people live whose ancestors did not originate there.

Also, it cannot count as an identity to be a people of different peoples because this aspect works for North America and New Zealand as well.But taken the aspect of globalization into consideration one has to admit that Cook’s approach to the question of national identity is a step in the right direction. In my opinion, in the future it is going to be very hard to identify oneself through one nation. In today’s world it is a relatively easy thing to start a new life in a foreign country. People from different countries will be travelling to other countries for various reasons and the importance of national identity or rather the meaning will slowly fade away.

Finally, I would like to state that even though Queen Elizabeth II may realize this fact as well, as the Queen of England she has no chance to admit it in public. She cannot deny the existence of a true, pure British people with an own national identity because if she did she would not have a people to represent.