English is a ethnic group ; its Culture and language really - In England you will not hear people speak scots gaelic and wear kilts . In Wales you will not see St Georges Day parades like in England. English people are a ethnic group as they share a cultural and DNA history back to the invasion of the Anglo saxons - Now it is based on majority DNA - There will be Huge mixes . But DNA shows a distinct general difference between Welsh and scottish from the English who have a far higher percent of Germanic DNA and a lower amount of Celtic DNA . But its a mix . -Its the culture that binds the ethnic group together where DNA is more clouded as it is with the british ethnic groups. English nationality is a question too - Alot of people will claim to be english yet be of african descent with both black parents . This is where the context of claiming being something is muddy - I believe these people are claiming to have a english nationality - But they are not Ethnically English - As Wikipedia defines the ethnic group "English People" . As such they are technically British as a english nationality does not exist unless britain dissolves as a state. Its a sad and odd way to put it but its almost true. Is there a english nationality ? - Not really its british - and as such when people claim to be english when they are of foreign extraction - this is primarily why there is conflict as native english will mistake their comment for claiming the english ethnic group rather than the english nationality (take for example french and being french etc) this concept does not exist in britain due to british being a nationality - Not english.