Views about national identity in the US and much of Europe have become less restrictive and more inclusive of diversity in recent years, according to a new study.

Research by the Washington-based think tank the Pew Centre looked at attitudes in 2016 – when a wave of migrants arriving in Europe and Donald Trump launching his presidential campaign turned immigration and diversity into divisive political issues – and attitudes today.

The survey found that in the US, France, Germany and the UK attitudes have become less restrictive and more inclusive with fewer now believing that to truly be American, French, German or British, a person must be born in the country, must be a Christian, has to embrace national customs, or has to speak the dominant language.

“People in all four nations have also become more likely to believe that immigrants want to adopt the customs and ways of life in their countries,” the survey said.

“Nearly two-thirds of Americans (65 per cent) now hold this opinion, up from 54 per cent in 2018, and the share of the public expressing this view in Germany has jumped from 33 per cent to 51 per cent over the same time period.

The survey found that more people think their countries will be better off in the future if they are open to changes to traditional ways of life. But the issue is still with significant minority in each country preferring to retain traditions.

Issues around ‘political correctness’ are also divisive with 40 per cent of participants saying people should be careful what they say to avoid offending others – even while around half or more in every country but Germany say people today are too easily offended by what others say.

But, except for France, more people say it’s a bigger problem for their country today to not see discrimination where it really does exist than for people to see discrimination where it really is not present.

There is also division over which groups are facing discrimination in society today.

“In the US, for example, nearly half say Christians face at least some discrimination, though less than a third say the same in the European countries surveyed. Similarly, in France, the public is somewhat evenly divided over whether Jews face discrimination. In every country surveyed, though, a large majority think Muslims face discrimination,” the report said.

“All of these issues are also ideologically divisive. In every country surveyed, those on the right are more likely than those on the left to prioritise sticking to traditions, to say people today are too easily offended by what others say, and to say the bigger societal problem is seeing discrimination where it does not exist,” it said.

Issues of national pride have become ideologically tinged in the US and UK, the report said.

“In every country, around four-in-ten say they are proud of their country most of the time, one-in-ten or fewer say they are ashamed of their country most of the time, and the balance say they are both proud and ashamed,” the Pew report said.

“But, while those on the left and right are equally likely to say they are proud most of the time in both France and Germany, in the US and UK, those on the right are more than three times as likely to say they are proud most of the time than those on the left.

“In these two countries, those on the left are equally likely to describe themselves as ashamed most of the time as to say they tend to be proud,” the report said.

See the full report here: National Identity Becoming More Inclusive in U.S., UK, France and Germany | Pew Research Center