All right, my first topic as the new me.
I have often wondered the true meaning when people say "I am 2nd generation" American. Does this mean their parents or grandparents came to America (or any other country for that matter)? If one of my grandparents came from a different country, does that make me 2nd generation American? But then I have ancestors that have been in America since the early 1600's; how could I be 2nd generation if I have ancestors who were in America then?
hmm i've usually heard it used as "i'm a second-generation (name of foreign country)" not "i'm a second-generation american". so if you have irish ancestors from the 1600's and italian ones from the 1910's, you would say something like "i'm tenth-generation irish and third-generation italian." i think.
If everyone else wants to be Americans, why do Americans want to be everyone else?
I understand a little, perhaps. I live in Belgium and intend to stay here forever. Doesn't change the fact that all my formative years were spent in England.
mmm. for most people it's not so much a desire of "wanting" to be something. it's usually used to state fact. immigration plays a big part of our personal histories--it's a huge event in the life of a family, and so we remember who came from where. i guess most europeans wouldn't understand that.
Sorry, I should have said 2nd generation "any nationality." But since I am in America, and we Americans are known for saying things like "I have Danish, Chinese, Greek and Egyptian in me..." I just put Americans down because we always say things like this (well, not always).
My thoughts exactly about remembering where our ancestors came from.
I quite agree with Simon. I do not understand why some Americans want be everyone else either. If an American has Mexican ancestors, he cannot actually be a Mexican, although they think this one. Moreover, if most of them can seldom speak Spanish, it's still more understandable.
American and European views about ethnicity are also different. Most Europeans know "what" they are, unlike Americans who generally have diverse European backgrounds (there are also African and Asian-Americans as well).
But there are people like me who know what they are for the most part, but choose to be close or partial to one nationality/ethniciy. People like this are also the Irish, the Italians and the Germans. Or should I say the Irish-Americans, the Italian-Americans and the German-Americans.
I agree with hp20 and Clark.
I'm a third-generation ChiuChau-Hong Kong-Chinese:
(By no means trying to bring this up again, just to let you know what my background is, in case you don't know already.)
Even though I'm Chinese, and 97% of Hong Kong population is Chinese, I'm still concerned with which part of Mainland China my ancestors were from, how and when they moved to Hong Kong, what kind of lives they had back then. It's not about trying to be a different person other than myself. It's about knowing more about myself, my family, and my family culture.
Both sides of my grandparents were from ChiuChau, therefore I can understand some of the ChiuChau dialect of Chinese, which is very different from Cantonese. Even though I can speak very few words in ChiuChau, that still contributes to what I am today. I'd tell people (other Hong Kong people only) I am a ChiuChau, but that only tells where my family originally came from. However that does help to explain what defines part of my family culture, say dialect, family dishes, habits, etc. But that doesn't make a big difference between me and my friends who are not ChiuChau, since we are all Hong Kong people. I won't mention my family origin to any foreigners because that means nothing to them, which I'm telling you this now only for the sake of disscusion.
Again, this is not about trying to be somebody, this is just a mean of understanding yourself, your family, and the experiences of the ones who came before you. No offense, but if orphans still want to know about their roots, why not us?
ChiuChau people are known for being tough, hardworking and the habit of giving the best to their guests even that means suffering of themselves. Of course I hope I can be just like them, since I think I have that in my blood and I have grown up in such a culture. But before I can actually do that, I can't really be proud of being a ChiuChau. Not trying to be someone else, but just a better me.
I guess this whole root thing is hard for someone whose roots have always been the same. If my great-great grandparents, my great grandparents, my grandparents and my parents all share the same culture and were brought up pretty much the same way (except for some time-varying difference), what will be so special about my roots? Simply because I've already known about how it all came down to "me". Everything is so "default" and I guess I have no more questions to ask about my roots and therefore who cares?
So you are an American citizen, KT?
With most Americans, we are all varied, and our grandparents were probably not all the same. I know some people my grandparents' age that are full-blooded Irish, but they are third or fourth generation American (as in their grandparents or great grandparents all came from Ireland). For me, three of my four grandparents are American. And the three who are American, all have ancestors in America from a long time ago (probably 1700's). Two of my great grandparents were full-blooded; one was Danish and one was French. Their parents came from France and Denmark respectively. So, would they be 1st or 2nd generation Americans considering their parents were imiigrants?
Oops...I meant two of my great-great grandparents were full-blooded. And that is "immigrants."
If your parents came from France, Denmark, Ireland, etc. and you were born and raised in America, Australia, Canada, etc. I'd say that you are first generation. Your kids would be second generation if and only if their other parent is also second generation or an immigrant.
I think "second generation" means that at least one of your grandparents came to the country but none of the previous generations had been there. You have ancestors that have been in America since the early 1600's. The only way that you could be second generation American is if, on average, in your family, people have childeren when they are 200 years old.
Simon is going to live in Belgium but he'll always be British. Even if he becomes a citizen he won't be first generation because he was born and raised elsewhere. His kids would be first generation Belgium, unless their mum is Belgian. Children of immigrants are first generation. If your father is nth generation and you mother is mth generation then you're either (n+1)th generation or (m+1)th generation, whichever is greater (or, of course, both if they're equal). For the purpose of this algebra I'm counting immigrants as zeroth generation, though in reality you never use this term. This is the way I see it.
My great great great great grandfather came to Australia from Ireland. He was Irish. His son, my great great great grandfather was the first generation to be born and raised in Australia so he was first generation Australian. That makes my grandad the fourth generation and so I'd be sixth generation Australian. It wouldn't matter if I have more recent arrivals to Australia in my family tree. That's as many generations that my family have been in the country (as far as I know).
Now here's the puzzle. I was born in Canada so am I still sixth generation Australian or first gerenation Canadian? I suppose I could say I'm both I've got two passports but I grew up in Australian and almost all my family is there so I feel more Aussie than Canadian.
Simon, I'm afraid that I don't agree with you here. Neither do all do Americans want to be someone else nor does everyone else want to be Americans. Knowing your heritage is more about knowing who you are. You can over do it I suppose though. There is more to who someone is than their ethnic background and you shouldn't let yourself con yourself into believing that you're someone who you're not.
Why do I feel I should have written "... you shouldn't let yourself con yourselfself into believing ..."?
If your parents came from France, Denmark, Ireland, etc. and you were born and raised in America, Australia, Canada, etc. I'd say that you are first generation. Your kids would be second generation if and only if their other parent is also second generation or an immigrant.
I think "second generation" means that at least one of your grandparents came to the country but none of the previous generations had been there. You have ancestors that have been in America since the early 1600's. The only way that you could be second generation American is if, on average, in your family, people have childeren when they are 200 years old.
Simon is going to live in Belgium but he'll always be British. Even if he becomes a citizen he won't be first generation because he was born and raised elsewhere. His kids would be first generation Belgium, unless their mum is Belgian. Children of immigrants are first generation. If your father is nth generation and you mother is mth generation then you're either (n+1)th generation or (m+1)th generation, whichever is greater (or, of course, both if they're equal). For the purpose of this algebra I'm counting immigrants as zeroth generation, though in reality you never use this term. This is the way I see it.
My great great great great grandfather came to Australia from Ireland. He was Irish. His son, my great great great grandfather was the first generation to be born and raised in Australia so he was first generation Australian. That makes my grandad the fourth generation and so I'd be sixth generation Australian. It wouldn't matter if I have more recent arrivals to Australia in my family tree. That's as many generations that my family have been in the country (as far as I know).
Now here's the puzzle. I was born in Canada so am I still sixth generation Australian or first gerenation Canadian? I suppose I could say I'm both I've got two passports but I grew up in Australian and almost all my family is there so I feel more Aussie than Canadian.
Simon, I'm afraid that I don't agree with you here. Neither do all do Americans want to be someone else nor does everyone else want to be Americans. Knowing your heritage is more about knowing who you are. You can over do it I suppose though. There is more to who someone is than their ethnic background and you shouldn't let yourself con yourself into believing that you're someone who you're not.
Why do I feel I should have written "... you shouldn't let yourself con yourselfself into believing ..."?
My messages aren't getting through.