Poll:Immigrant: experience or heredity?

[Car-Guy]

Both my parents were immigrates to Texas from a foreign, but neighboring state. My family tree on my mothers side goes back to the early 1800's and all were born here in the US. Not as clear on my dads side since I've only been able to trace his back to the 1870's.

 

[GravitySucks]

My ancestors got off the boat from England in 1752.
Surprisingly, they had no trouble being "without papers".
As an Open Borders advocate, I would like to see new immigrants be welcomed under the same rules as my ancestors.

Didn't really work out well for those already here.

All 4 Maternal great grandparents came from Poland.
Father's side never wanted to talk about it and he died last month. The story was German / French via Quebec. I know his grandfather was a pig farmer about 10 miles from my home. DS had DNA test done and it came back half Polish, quarter western Europe and quarter Irish. We never knew we had Irish in the genes. Must be my paternal grand mother was Irish. She was abandoned as a baby and never spoke of her background or past. I have pieced together that she was raised by a single aunt in a one room house on a ten acre farm.

 

[RobbieB]

Both grandparents on Mothers side were immigrants.

 

[esterhazy]

The question is about experience with migration and then every single answer assumes the person lives in America.

I am an American who has immigrated out of America to another country. I would give up my US citizenship if it weren't punitively expensive.

 

[Gumby]

My mother and I immigrated to the US when I was a young child.

 

[Scrapr]

Paternal Grandfather immigrated from Scotland. Through Ellis Island in 1922. You can look up all the immigrants on the Ellis Island website. He was supposed to stay in NYC and then send for his brothers. Instead he made his way to San Fransisco and met my Grandmother. His brother did eventually make it over and was in SF all his life. I have a tape of my GF talking about his life. I could not get through an hour of it I was crying so much. I would like to go to Ellis Island

Maternal GGF was German I think. I think Maternal GF was born in this country

I think a lot about how hard it would be to leave your family and move to another country

 

[Sue J]

My mother's parents had two kids in Romania then moved to the US, coming through Ellis Island. My mother and her sister were born here.

On my father's side they came from Russia, a few generations back.

Our daughter-in-law is emigrating from China. I think about all that she is giving up in order to be here with our son. He must be worth it!

 

[Popeye]

I think a lot about how hard it would be to leave your family and move to another country

+1 to that sentiment. I found the ship’s manifest showing my 3x great grandfather. It shows him as arriving in 1838 at age 60 with 7 kids in tow and no wife listed. She likely died in Ireland. Kids ranged from age 21 down to 4.

There was also a 60 year old female on board listed only as widow with no other travelers of the last name. Maybe he had or found a friend? I have not found anything further on her after arrival.

As to the poll, I voted other. I have 7 of 8 great grand parents born in USA.

 

[audreyh1]

I'm 10th generation from the paternal line (Quakers from Worcester England - built homestead in 1712 so immigrated some time earlier). Maternal line - at least 6th gen, they were probably Scots-Irish.

None of my grandparents were immigrants.

I may have one set of great-grandparents who were immigrants, but none of the others were immigrants.

Does that put me in the Other camp? I guess so.

 

[GrayHare]

Interesting to see several mentions of prior generations not particularly wanting to talk about their past. I experienced that too with my immigrant ancestors, and have wondered why. I'm left to speculate that it was some combination of embarrassment of past poverty, guilt at having left family behind, modesty about what they had achieved in America, and probably other factors.

 

[gerntz]

7/8 g-grandparents born here. All 16 g-g-grandparents immigrated to here along with the 8th g-grandparent and 5/32 g-g-g-grandparents. Earliest got here in 1818. Last ones in 1857 or so.

 

[FreeBear]

My folks immigrated to the US and became proud naturalized citzens.

I'm not surprised that almost a third of responses are from 1st and 2nd generation immigrants since this seems to support the common stereotype of the hard working, financially savy immigrant, now often a skilled professional. I didn't expect to see so many that have had several generations living in the US. I'm also impressed by how many people had some idea of their geneology beyond 2 generations. My folks barely mentioned anyone beyond their parents, my great grandparents.

 

[skipro33]

5 generations of US born citizens for my family tree.

 

[tulak]

Both parents immigrants. I guess that makes me first generation.

But what does that make my children? Their mother is an immigrant. Are they 1.5 generation?

 

[nativenewenglander]

My maternal great, great grandparents came from Ireland around 1820. My Paternal great grand parents from Poland in the mid 1890's my grandfather was born in 1898. He helped many through Ellis Island as he spoke fluent Russian, Polish and German.

 

[target2019]

Parents and Grands all born in the U.S.
Greats all born in the U.S. except for maternal grandmother's parents, who were born in Ukraine.
So, I am a product of early settlers who came from Germany, those who fled the famine (Ireland/Scotland), and fortunate souls who escaped persecution (Ukraine).

 

[DrRoy]

Both parents have fairly deep US roots, but FIL was an immigrant.

 

[marko]

Other:
Mom's side immigrated on the Mayflower. (actually 398 years ago today)
Dad's side came to Canada from France in 1596, moved to US in 1740.

 

[racy]

4 of my 8 great-grandparents were immigrants from Germany/Prussia.

 

[jim584672]

Mother naturalized in the 1950s from London, UK.

Father's side came over in the 1780s.

 

[donheff]

My grandparents on my father's side were immigrants from Ireland . My great grandparents on my Mother's side were immigrants from Ireland .

Same here. My paternal grandmother was a Fenian and always a bit PO'd that my grandfather wasn't interested in returning to Ireland to fight the good fight.

 

[jollystomper]

Both parents immigrants. I guess that makes me first generation.
But what does that make my children? Their mother is an immigrant. Are they 1.5 generation?

Interesting . We are in the same situation, as my wife is an immigrant.

 

[mrfeh]

My ancestors came to the US in the mid-1800s, so several generations ago.

Mostly German, some English.

 

[happy2bretired]

What I heard the most about when growing up was about the German side of my maternal grandmother. My grandfather’s father flew the coop when he was young boy so I had no idea where he originated. I did a 23&Me test and found that I have German and English/Irish in me. My missing great grandfather must have been the English/Irish part.

Quoting myself here to add a little more. The story goes that my maternal grandmother’s father was a draft dodger from the German army and changed his name when he came over.

I don’t know very much about my father’s parents because my father died when I was a baby. I believe that my father’s mother came directly from the Alsace region of Germany/France.

 

[NW-Bound]

Both parents immigrants. I guess that makes me first generation.

But what does that make my children? Their mother is an immigrant. Are they 1.5 generation?

The first-generation refers to those immigrants who were born in another country and have become citizens and residents in a second country after relocation.

If you are not US-born and are now a resident or naturalized citizen, you are 1st generation. It does not matter if your parents come to the US or not.

If your children are US-born to 1st generation parents, they are 2nd generation.