In recent years, ethnicity and heritage have become increasingly prominent in public discourse. Questions of identity, belonging, and ancestry dominate political debates, social media arguments, and even discussions within families. While understanding our heritage can be valuable, there is a growing danger in placing too much emphasis on ethnicity as a defining feature of who we are.
The qualities that matter most are not inherited through ancestry. They are demonstrated through character, actions, and contributions to the communities we live in and the wider world we share.
Ethnicity is not destiny
A person’s ethnicity does not determine their worth, intelligence, character, or potential. Human beings are far too complex for such simple categorisations.
Even within the same ethnic group, individuals differ enormously in their beliefs, personalities, talents, ambitions, and values. The variation within groups is often far greater than any average differences that may exist between groups.
History is full of examples of people who made extraordinary contributions to humanity regardless of their ethnic background. Scientists, artists, teachers, engineers, doctors, carers, and volunteers are remembered not because of their ancestry, but because of what they did.
When we meet someone for the first time, the most important questions are not “Where did their ancestors come from?” but rather “How do they treat others?” and “What kind of person are they?”
Family is more than heritage
Some argue that nations are like extended families bound together by common ancestry. Yet our understanding of family itself demonstrates the limitations of this idea.
If an English family welcomes a son-in-law from Nigeria, a daughter-in-law from Spain, or adopts a child from another continent, those family members are not treated as outsiders. They become family through relationships, shared experiences, mutual obligations, and love.
In my own family there are English, Yoruba, and Spanish roots, alongside other backgrounds through marriage and extended relatives. What binds us together is not ethnicity but our shared lives, responsibilities, memories, and affection for one another.
The same principle applies more broadly to society. Shared citizenship, shared institutions, shared values, and shared participation in community life often create stronger bonds than distant ancestral connections.
The English identity debate
The current debate about who can or cannot be considered English illustrates the problem.
Some people argue that being English requires belonging to a particular ethnic group descended from historical English populations. Others argue that Englishness is a civic identity open to anyone who embraces the country, participates in its society, and contributes to its future.
The ethnic definition quickly runs into practical difficulties. Modern England is a highly interconnected society shaped by centuries of migration, intermarriage, and cultural exchange. Millions of people have mixed heritage. Many families contain English, Irish, Welsh, Scottish, African, Caribbean, South Asian, European, and countless other ancestral backgrounds.
If two neighbours are both citizens, both speak English, both care about their local community, and both contribute positively to society, why should the ancestry of their great-grandparents be considered more important than their actions today?
A nation is not strengthened by endless disputes over bloodlines. It is strengthened when people work together to improve the society they share.
The risks of ethnic politics
There is another reason to be cautious about elevating ethnicity above all else.
Throughout history, political movements have often relied on dividing people into competing groups. In the modern era, some politicians, activists, media figures, and wealthy interests increasingly frame social issues through the lens of ethnic identity.
This can create a powerful “us versus them” mentality. Citizens who share the same schools, workplaces, streets, and concerns are encouraged to see one another primarily as members of competing ethnic groups.
Such divisions can be politically useful because they distract from issues that affect everyone, including housing, healthcare, education, wages, public services, and economic opportunity.
When ethnicity becomes the primary lens through which society is viewed, social trust declines and resentment grows.
The responsible use of Ethnicity Data
None of this means that ethnicity should be ignored entirely.
Researchers and public institutions often collect ethnicity data for legitimate reasons. Such information can help identify inequalities, improve public services, understand health outcomes, and ensure that policies are serving different communities fairly.
However, ethnicity data must be handled carefully.
Statistics can easily be misunderstood when presented without context. Differences between groups may reflect economic conditions, geography, age distributions, educational opportunities, historical circumstances, or numerous other factors. Presenting ethnic statistics without adequate explanation can reinforce stereotypes or encourage simplistic conclusions.
Public institutions therefore have a responsibility to communicate findings accurately and responsibly. Data should be used to understand and solve problems, not to categorise people or encourage division.
The goal should be better outcomes for individuals, not the permanent sorting of society into ethnic boxes.
A better standard
Ethnicity and heritage can be meaningful parts of personal identity. They connect us to stories, traditions, and histories that many people rightly value.
But they should not be the primary basis on which we judge ourselves or others.
A healthier society places greater value on qualities that people can actually choose: integrity, kindness, responsibility, creativity, hard work, courage, and service to others.
The question that matters most is not where someone’s ancestors came from.
The question is what kind of neighbour, colleague, friend, citizen, and human being they choose to be.
If we want a more cohesive and prosperous future, we should spend less time debating ancestry and more time encouraging positive contributions to our communities and to humanity as a whole.
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First dropped: | Last modified: June 08, 2026