BMDN - What's Your Nationality? (Nov 26th)

(Edits have been made to this post to reflect a change of opinion on reflection, and the fact that I sounded like an arse hole in the way I expressed that opinion. I apologise to anyone I may have offended.)

Ohai there!

Today I'm going to talk about identity, and not through films for once! Though just for the sake of dropping some films in here, I had a hungover watch of this gem recently:

COMEDY GOLD. An instant classic. Keeping my eyes peeled for the direct-to-video sequels: 'Bring It On Again', 'Bring It On: All or Nothing', 'Bring It On: In It to Win It', and 'Bring It On: Fight to the Finish'. But let us depart.

People often ask both officially and unofficially what nationality you are.  And there always seems to be three pertinent answers for me to choose from: Scottish, British or Shetland. The other larger options such as European or 'citizen of the world' sound too vague or hippyish to be taken seriously by anyone.

I must say I do have an answer to this. My go to is Scottish, and here's why...

Though I was born in Shetland, my parents are from Glasgow and Dundee, two major Scottish cities. I never grew up with a Shetland speaker in my house, and while my parents were decently integrated into the Shetland community (my dad being a bartender helped), I feel me being a full-blown Shetlander is sort of hindered by the fact I'm not a Jamieson or a Moncrieff or an Irvine.

I love where I'm from - the fellow Shetlanders I associate with are nothing but kind, accepting and fun. I do feel there is a certain exclusivity that exists within a small subset of people in the Shetland community that I find off-putting. Because my family's name doesn't go back generations, I'm never going to get an automatic invite to an Up-Helly-Aa hall or nip up to Skeld for some red tins. A lot of me not feeling solely a Shetlander is I think also to do with my stereotyped view of who a Shetlander is, which is my misgiving, not the misgiving of the actual populace. I don't know what it is, but when I hear 'Shetlander', I think to fisherman and crofters (nothing wrong with this, just not me), not the other Shetlanders I see on a day-to-day basis. Perhaps someone could enlighten me as to why I might feel that way, a way which I know is inaccurate? Am I putting too much weight on history when it comes to national identity?

Exclusivity did come up when we made the documentary about poverty, social exclusion and inequality in Shetland earlier this year:

So that's why I don't feel like a Shetlander, despite how great Shetland is in general. The reason I don't feel British is largely political. We live under a government at the moment whose ideals I strongly disagree with, and I feel a British identity ties me to those ideals, as well as other things I disapprove of like the monarchy. I don't love the world's associations with being typically British, therefore I don't feel British.

But I do feel Scottish. It's a happy medium between the small and the broad. Scotland has this grit, and unwavering patriotism no matter what state we find ourselves in that I find very charming. It's your associations (and maybe stereotypes) with being a certain nationality that is the definitive factor for me. Home is where your heart is!

So while I may not be this guy...

...I do feel like a true Scot.

Tara x

The inspiration for this came from my friend Louise who's doing a project on national identity. If anyone that's not her quotes me for the same project, I will sue! And find out where you live.