Questions about nationality

[Tedwonny]

1) Aside from saying "what's your nationality", I've heard of another version like "What nationality are you of?"? Is this correct?

2) If two persons of different nationalities get married, do we call it a "mixed marriage"?

3) And following on from 2), how do you call their kids - colloquially, a 'mix' as in 'They are mix'? [I know you can say they are half A and half B]

Thank you

 

[Tdol]

1 You could use What nationality are you?
2 Mixed is used for people of different ethnicities; I haven't heard it used for different nationalities, though some may use it.
3 I wouldn't- I'd use half.

 

[BobK]

1 You could use What nationality are you?
...

There was a time when the question 'Where are you from?' didn't cause offence. 'Where are you from? Jamaica...Barbados?...' 'Nah, Peckham, innit.'

b

 

[emsr2d2]

1) Aside from saying "what's your nationality", I've heard of another version like "What nationality are you of?"? Is this correct?

2) If two persons of different nationalities get married, do we call it a "mixed marriage"?

3) And following on from 2), how do you call their kids - colloquially, a 'mix' as in 'They are mix'? [I know you can say they are half A and half B]

Thank you

What nationality are you?
What's your nationality?

A note about this: in BrE "nationality" denotes the country of which you hold a passport, regardless of where you were born, where your ancestors are from, what colour you are etc. In AmE, I think the word for that is "citizenship".

I have only ever heard "mixed marriage" used to refer to two people of different religions (a Christian marrying a Muslim) or different colours (a white guy marries a black girl). If a Brit married a Belgian, that wouldn't be a mixed marriage.

There used to be several ways of describing a child whose parents were of two different races (that usually meant colour). As far as I am aware if it's absolutely necessary to refer to it at all, then a child would be referred to as "mixed race". However, I would advise against using any description of this kind in casual talk as offence is easily caused, even if not intended.

 

[BobSmith]

I would say that in AmE, your

- nationality is where you were born, or where you identify your immediate heritage and/or loyalty to belong.
- citizenship is where you hold a passport from, typically where you reside, and can be more than one (eg. dual-citizenship).
- ethnicity is where your ancestors are from, or what culture you subscribe to.
- race is what color you are, or what culture you subscribe to.

They "categories" are certainly not mutually exclusive.

 

[SoothingDave]

To me, if you ask someone's "nationality" you are asking where their various ancestors came from. Like I'm half-Irish and quarter Scots and Swedish. My wife has German and Irish and Croat.

Of course, I was born in the US, as were my parents and grandparents.

 

[emsr2d2]

The variation in definition explained the many and varied responses we used to get when I worked at an airport and arriving passengers had to complete a small white card with their personal details, including the line marked "Nationality". Almost everyone completed it in the way it was intended, with the name of the country whose passport they hold, apart from those from the USA. I recall seeing some spectacular combinations of things written in that line:

Caucasian
Irish/German/Spanish
Black/Hutu
Afro-American
and my favourite "Jewish/Italian/overweight Armenian"!!

 

[Tdol]

There used to be several ways of describing a child whose parents were of two different races (that usually meant colour). As far as I am aware if it's absolutely necessary to refer to it at all, then a child would be referred to as "mixed race". However, I would advise against using any description of this kind in casual talk as offence is easily caused, even if not intended.

Dual heritage is a term that I believe is in favour at the moment.