I did not realise that so many people with English ancestry resided in the US. You tend to hear more about Irish, Italian, Scandinavian and Scottish ancestry more. I thought the Irish contingent would be much bigger, but perhaps the Irish diaspora identifies stronger and more vocally with its roots. I am not sure if there are similar maps for people of Asian and African ancestry. Putting it all on one map would be really complicated I guess.
How one views ancestry is quite complicated. I had a German mother and Irish father, and have lived in Sweden for 26 years. I will always only identify as South African though, because that is where I was born and spent my formative years. This in itself is complicated because if you are white, Africa considers you European. Europe, however, very definitely does not. And Afrikaners in South Africa never consider themselves Dutch. Another aspect for how strongly you feel about your heritage could be the reason you left your homeland. Or where you live. If you live in a community surrounded by people from the motherland it must be easier to keep the culture alive. I live a pretty Swedish way of life, mainly because I came here alone and have met very few South Africans in my time here. My family here is Swedish.
I am always confused though as to why British people who have lived in other countries for decades continue to call themselves expats rather than immigrants. I always thought that expat was used for a more temporary stay in a country - perhaps for work. Anyone have any thoughts?
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