Ethnic minorities could be given new titles in order to strengthen their sense of identity with Britain.
The government is considering whether hyphenated U.S.-style titles such as Asian-British or Indian-British might be welcome by communities as part of a drive to increase the sense of social inclusion.
Home Office Minister Hazel Blears told the BBC Monday that the move was among a "range of ideas" being discussed with Muslim and other groups.
Blears, head of a government commission on integrating minorities, told the Times of London the use of terms such as Italian-American or Irish-American in the United States was "quite interesting."
"I think it's really important, if you want a society that is really welded together, there are certain things that unite us because you are British, but you can be a bit different, too."
However Iqbal Sacranie, secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said similar efforts in the past had failed.
"What of the second generations⢠Why should they be defined as other than British?" he said.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
