PDA

View Full Version : What Is A "Generation"?


Athos
Mar 14, 2013, 09:36 PM
If this is in the wrong place, the moderators will fix it.

John and Mary, born in Fredonia, leave that country and come to the United States. . In the US, they have a child, Hubert. Hubert marries Sonia whose parents also came from Fredonia and they have a child named William.

What generation is William? I say William is second generation. John and Mary "generated" Hubert (first generation), who then "generated" William - second generation.

Many consider William third generation because he is the third Fredonian to LIVE here, NOT be born here.

What is William? Second or third?

Wondergirl
Mar 14, 2013, 10:30 PM
I consider myself "fourth generation." My great grandfather was born in Germany, came to this country, and was naturalized [first generation in this country]. One of his sons, born in IL, was my grandfather [second generation], and one of my grandfather's sons, also born in IL, was my father [third generation]. I don't count my mother's side as giving me any "generation" status.

Michael, one of my library volunteers, considered himself a first-generation American. His parents had moved here from China, bringing him along as a baby. They eventually were naturalized, as was he.

Read this for more confusion:

Immigrant generations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigrant_generations)

Good question, Athos!

Athos
Mar 14, 2013, 11:26 PM
I !

Why was my correction deleted? It changes my question. Boooo.

>edited / correction added to original post -WG<

Fr_Chuck
Mar 14, 2013, 11:40 PM
Second generation, in the way we have always done it, my family came from Germany and this is how we count it