Sour moments for the Big Apple's Brits

Last week I found myself squirming at a screening of a new hit mini-series, John Adams, based on David McCullough's book about America's second president. In this portrayal of this country's fight for independence, the British are represented as fascist tyrants led by a maniac king.

Fortunately, this Sunday-night blockbuster is directed by the ultra-talented Brit, Tom Hooper. This goes a long way to making one feel better about one's heritage. Nonetheless, having sat through scenes of British warships pounding civilians from Boston Harbour, I found myself repeatedly murmuring apologetically, "Not our finest hour," to every non-Brit I encountered at the dinner afterwards.

This event aside, ordinarily I have found it helpful to be British in New York. I have been told often that being British here is an advantage; that people "love my accent", that "it makes me sound intelligent even if I am reciting the alphabet" - although the head of a TV network did once say to me before putting me on air, "What are we going to do about your accent?" On TV in particular no one wants to sound patronising. Sometimes a British accent gives that impression.

The irony is that far from feeling intellectually superior, most Brits who live here spend a good deal of time playing cultural catch-up. Unlike our neighbours, we did not grow up watching I Love Lucy (a Fifties sitcom); as children we did not sing along with the TV character "Mister Rogers"; we are not as familiar with the works of American thinkers and writers, just as they are not that familiar with many of ours.

But being British imbues one with the appeal of seeming adventurous and unafraid to step outside of the cosy environment in which you grew up (even if the reality is that you were dragged here by your spouse because of his job).

The only time, other than last week's screening, that I have found being English to be held against me professionally is as a result of great disdain for the British "tabloid culture".

And when I am reluctant to "share" my innermost emotions on a given subject, particularly with someone I don't know very well, I get told, "You are so British." I don't let this bother me. After all, as I was reminded this week, Americans founded this nation on the belief that "All men are created equal". Even Brits too, I assume.