Claiming the nationality of parents or ancestors?

Can someone who's born and raised in a country other than that/ those that their parent(s) were born in claim their parent's/ parents' nationality/ nationalities, in your opinion?

For example, do you think an American can identify as Irish if their parents were born in Ireland?

Ethnicity: Yes

Nationality: No

My parents were born in Mexico but I was born in the U.S. I have never claimed to be Mexican or from Mexico but I have claimed to be of Mexican descent.

This. I am an American of Polish/Italian descent

I just say I'm from america. I couldn't care less about anyone's ethnicity/ race/ whatever. Focusing on those so much only causes problems anyways.

If your dad is an italian, you are italian. It is simple.

If your mom is american, you are an american too.

You share your ethnicity with your parents. Citizenship doesn't always depend on ethnicity, though.

Being born in a country doesn't mean so much with regards to my ethnicity. It's just a passport which is just a piece of paper. Your ethnicity seems much more enduring to me.

@Praisedasun:

My father was born in Haiti; my mother was born in Jamaica; and I was born in the U.S.. Can I call myself Haitian?

@themajormayor:

What's your ethnicity?

Jewish and German

@themajormayor:

Ashkenazi?

@BluRayHiDef: I guess so

It depends on the person, I guess. I was born in Bosnia but raised in Canada and I will always identify myself as Canadian because Bosnia is a shithole.

@Aljosa23:

So what if Bosnia is a "shithole"? Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, but I have no shame in saying that I'm Haitian.

You are Bosnian.

I agree with this.

No.

But you can claim ethnicity.

So, in my case, I'm of 100% German descent, but my nationality is American.

No he isn't. If his citizenship lays with Canada, then he is Canadian.

Yes you definitely can, but it depends on the wishes of the person.

For example, my parents are from Nigeria, I was born in the USA and I have been raised here my whole life, yet I have citizenship in Nigeria due to my parents being born in the country. I can claim to be Nigerian since I have both American and Nigerian citizenship.

Most countries base nationality/citizenship off of being born in the country. Some base it on marriage into the country (through an already citizen). Others still base it on extended residency and testing of history/language/etc.

The easiest way to become a citizen of most countries is to marry someone who is a citizen of said country.

No, unless you went back to your parents' home country and became a national somehow.

Also, your parents being born in country X doesn't make you a member of country X's dominant ethnicity. My parents were born in Malaysia, but ethnically they're Chinese, not Malay, and that applies to me as well.

As far as I know, you are a national of the sovereignty you are born into (or "under," I suppose one could say). I could see rebel citizens of a annexed country that has become part of another nation defiantly claiming they are their previous nation in spirit while not in form, but that would be an unusual situation in the modern age.

Same here. I hold both American and Portuguese citizenship. I was raised in the US, but I claim both nationalities.

I'm way too ethnically mixed to be of any nationality of other than where I was born. My brother did some research and found we can claim Italian citizenship if we wanted, I don't really feel like going to live in Italy though. I don't speak the language and I imagine employment would be very difficult, plus Europe has all those fascist gangs that hate foreigners especially during harsh economic times. And I've no respect for the Italian criminal justice system (nor do I really for the US either but Italy make's the US DOJ look divine).

Only correct answer.

I love the colission of Doktor manhattans

@Shottayouth13-: nope not even. I can definitely claim Nigerian citizenship,

It's just a point of reference. Countries were made up by people and so our names. Using it beyond that is just silly. No one really knows where their ancestors came from thousands of years ago.

Is it bad that I find this a little funny?

I'm an American of French and Scandinavian ethnicity, but I mostly just identify with my nationality since my ethnicity isn't hugely held in high importance to me. If I had to choose to identify more with my Scandinavian or French ethnicity, I'd go with French because I look nothing like a (stereotypical) Scandinavian (you know, blue eyes, blonde hair, and skin so white it burns after being exposed to the sun for two seconds). I have dark brown eyes, dark brown hair, and a light olive skin tone that can tan in the summer, so I look more like a southern Frenchman than a typical Norwegian or Swede any damn day of the week.

They will always be glory supporters. They can't handle being on the losing side.

It's not very funny compared to the fact that my girlfriend is Palestinian.