Immigrant generations
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[edit] First generation immigrant
The term First generation immigrant may be used to describe either of two generation [1] classes of people:
- An immigrant to a country, possibly with the caveat that they must be naturalized to receive this title.
- The children of immigrant parents, first in a family line to be born in the new country.
As with most terms about human identity, it is difficult to find clear consensus on this meaning of the term [2]. Many users do not recognize ambiguity in the term, however, due to their own disposition or an unambiguous familial or colloquial use for it.
Nonetheless, due to the obvious ecological nature of semantics, whereby one term's meaning is shaped by that of related terms, the usage of the term "1.5 Generation" for people who immigrate as children or teens, supports the usage of "first generation" for people who immigrate as adults.
[edit] Second generation immigrant
The ambiguity of this term extends to the term "Second generation immigrant," which may refer to the first generation born in the new country, or the first generation born to parents who were themselves born in the new country. Incidentally, the less common term 1.5 generation was unambiguously coined to refer to those who immigrate early in life, thus remaining consistent to the notion that "first generation" refers to immigrants themselves, and "second generation" refers to the first generation of a family born in the new country.
Generation labeling of immigrants is further complicated by the fact that immigrant generations may not correspond to the genealogical generations of a family. For instance, if a family of two parents and their two adult children immigrate to a new country, members in both generations of this family may be considered "first generation" by the former definition, as both parents and children were foreign-born, adult, immigrants. Likewise, if the two parents had a third child later on, this child would be of a different immigrant generation than its siblings. For every generation, the factor of mixed-generation marriages further convolutes the issue, as a person may have immigrants at several different levels of his/her ancestry.
Despite the ambiguity of generation labeling, it is frequently used in common discourse, news articles [3], and reference articles without deliberate clarification. It may or may not be possible to determine, from context, which meaning is intended.
[edit] 1.5 generation
The term 1.5 generation or 1.5G refers to people who immigrate to a new country before or during their early teens. They earn the label the "1.5 generation" because they bring with them characteristics from their home country but continue their assimilation and socialization in the new country. Their identity is thus a combination of new and old culture and tradition.
Depending on the age of immigration, the community into which they settle, extent of education in their native country, and other factors, 1.5 generation individuals will identify with their countries of origin to varying degrees. However, their identification will be affected by their experiences growing up in the new country. 1.5G individuals are often bilingual and find it easier to be assimilated into the local culture and society than people who immigrated as adults.
Many 1.5 generation individuals are bi-cultural, combining both cultures - culture from the country of origin with the culture of the new country. Some notable members of 1.5 generation are: Elaine Chao (immigrated from Taiwan to U.S. at the age of eight), David Ho (immigrated from Taiwan to U.S. at the age of twelve), and Karina Smirnoff (immigrated from Ukraine to U.S. at the age of fourteen).
[edit] Japanese immigrant terms
The term Nikkei (日系) was coined by a multinational group of sociologists and encompasses all of the world's Japanese immigrants across generations.[1]
| Generation | Summary |
|---|---|
| Issei (一世) | The generation of people born in Japan who later immigrated to another country. |
| Nisei (二世) | The generation of people born in North America, Latin America, Australia, or any country outside of Japan either to at least one Issei or one non-immigrant Japanese parent. |
| Sansei (三世) | The generation of people born in North America, Latin America, Australia, or any country outside of Japan to at least one Nisei parent. |
| Yonsei (四世) | The generation of people born in North America, Latin America, Australia, or any country outside of Japan to at least one Sansei parent. |
The immigrant Nisei, their parents, children and grand children are changing the way they look at themselves and their pattern of accommodation to the non-Japanese majority.[2] In the face of a declining birthrate and return migration, the Japanese government is also turning its attention to Issei, Nisei, Sansei and Yonsei emigrants.
[edit] External links
- Dictionary citation for 1.5 generation from Double-Tongued Word
- Generation 1.5 Students and College Writing
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "What is Nikkei?" Japanese American National Museum.
- ^ McLellan, p. 68.
