February 8, 2006--Stiff Upper Lip and All That

As most countries in Western Europe are currently struggling with notions of national identity—especially how to deal with (welcome and assimilate?) new residents from their former colonies and the descendents of “visiting” workers from the Islamic world who chose not to end their “visits” to places such as Germany—as they struggle with these perplexing and at times dangerous issues, as one might imagine, it is taking particularly curious form in Great Britain, in England. (See linked below Alan Cowell’s article from a recent issue of the NY Times.)

In England they are posing the following question, a version of which could serve the rest of the continent:

"If this multicultural society is to embrace all its disparate strands after decades of immigration from the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and most recently Eastern Europe, what common values should bind a new Britishness transcending faith, race or origin?"

In America, we of course have needed to grapple with this as well, and continue to. But with our notion of the “Hyphenated-American”—Italian-Americans, Polish-Americans, Mexican-Americans, and so on, we at least indicate to all the people’s of the United States that though the melting pot ideal was and is a national fiction, we do want all people to somehow become American while at the same time continue to embrace their Italian-ness, Mexican-ness, etc. We even have national holidays such as the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and Thanksgiving that are enthusiastically celebrated by all Americans, though Italian-Americans traditionally serve lasagna along with the turkey! And certainly we have a long tradition of patriotism, at times quite contested, that involves the embrace of national symbols such as he Statue of Liberty and of course the flag.

Democracies that are striving to become as pluralistic as the US do not have close at hand either our assimilationist ideology, the concept of national hyphenation (there are no Turkish-Germanys, Algerian-French, or Pakistani-Brits), or the equivalent of our national celebrations.

In Britain, there is now a 146-page book called Life in the United Kingdom published by the Home Office that aspiring citizens need to assimilate and be quizzed about. It includes British history from the time of the Roman conquest but also some behavioral characteristics that are considered to be essentially British. For example, and I'm quoting, “If you spill a stranger’s drink by accident [type of drink not specified!], it is good manners (and prudent) to buy another.” This is in a section of Life entitled “Pub Advises.” That should get the job done.

But in case it doesn’t, Prime-Minister-In-Waiting, Gordon Brown mused in public recently that perhaps the English should emulate the Americans (that will get him a lot of votes) by setting aside a day for the British to celebrate their Britishness—their version of the Fourth of July (Boxing Day?) or indulge in more flag waving. This latter suggestion would undoubtedly unleash considerable debate since not everyone in, say, Scotland, part of the UK, would agree to run around on that day waving the Union Jack. You see, as part of Britain’s attempt to acknowledge and empower Scottish and Welch and Northern Irish identities these nationalities within the UK have been allowed to fly their own flags.

So this notion of defining Britishness will also continue to prove to be a sticky wicket.