Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

Where were they from and how do you think it was different than being raised by American born parents?

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

I have one and one.

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

My dad was only 2 when he came to America with my grandparents from Italy.. so he was generally more Americanized than not

My mom was born here..actually so were her parents, so she was very far removed from her Italian roots

I didn't firsthand see a difference, but I do know it was FAR different for my Dad growing up than my Mom.. since my Dad's parents (my grandparents) were strict , conservative Italians through and through.. but then again, that was a LONG time ago as well

Message edited 9/2/2005 12:34:11 PM.

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

My parents were both born in Ireland and came here in their late teens. It was hard because they didn't understand American culture, technology, had minimal education so couldn't help us in school. They just didn't seem to relate to my friends parents who were American born. They were much stricter also.

They were also much older when they had me.

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

Posted by Redhead

Posted by Kelly

I have one and one.

one and one WHAT?

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

Message edited 9/2/2005 12:39:54 PM.

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

I do and me for that case.
Things are so different in Colombia. more chilled, people work less and that means that you are able to spend more time with your family and families are more united.
It's sad because I remember every sunday all the family gathered at my grandma's house for lunch.
WE rarely see each other here.

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

Posted by Kelly

Posted by Kelly

I have one and one.

I sincerely don't understand the misunderstanding.

The question asked if anyone had parents that were born in another country and how being raised may have been different than being born to American born parents.

I said, I have one and one. Meaning, one parent who is American and one parent who was born in another country.

Message edited 9/2/2005 12:42:55 PM.

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

Posted by Kelly

Posted by Kelly

I have one and one.

I sincerely don't understand the misunderstanding.

The question asked if anyone had parents that were born in another country and how being raised may have been different than being born to American born parents.

I said, I have one and one. Meaning, one parent who is American and one parent who was born in another country.

Message edited 9/2/2005 12:43:14 PM.

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

I knew what you meant, Kelly...

My parents were both born in America, but my husband is British, and I can see that the differences in how we were raised will definitely affect our children...

He's more laid back, ahem, socially but he's totally anal around the house. His parents divorced when he was young, he and his brother lived with his mother, who was a teacher and money was tight. They had to help out around the house, fix things that were broken, etc. Even now, it's so ingrained in him that he will squeeze every little drop of toothpaste out of the tube before throwing it away (he says he's gotten over his obsession a little because he no longer cuts the end of the tube and sticks his toothbrush in to get that last little bit ) Party living situation, part British economy.

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

Posted by usuk2004

I knew what you meant, Kelly...

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

my father was born in ireland and moved here in his late teens.
Honestly i dont know if it would have differant for me if he was born here cause although he lived with us he wasn't really part of our upbringing. My mother raised us.

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

I am- and actually- so do most of my friends. My parents were born in Eastern Europe before (dad) and after (mom) the war. My parents were both raised in Israel and met here.

It was definitely different growing up with parents from a different country. They had much different values than the kids I grew up with (in a better sense). A lot of the people I grew up with were materialistic- my parents were SO NOT! Their parents (and my dad) survived the holocaust so having food, shelter, family, education and freedom were the most important things. They were also the only neighbors on the block who owned their own American flag and put it out every Flag day.

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

Mine were both born here but my DH had both.

I know my ILs were strict but I also know that DH got away with alot since his parents weren't born here -

Like in School - he told his parents an "F" stood for Fantastic and they believed him

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

My mom was born here and my father was born in Argentina..didnt come here until he was 12....You can DEF tell a diff..but i'm not sure if thats the way my father was raised or not by his Family....evil ppl!

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

Message edited 9/2/2005 1:30:21 PM.

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

Posted by Redhead

Posted by usuk2004

I knew what you meant, Kelly...

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

Posted by Kelly

Posted by Redhead

Posted by usuk2004

I knew what you meant, Kelly...

Not sure how this deserved a:



To answer the question, I have one parent who was born here and one who was born in another country. AND, I don't believe that their place of birth had any influence on my upbringing at all.

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

Not me, but JT's parents were born and raised in Ireland until their late teens. They are were VERY strict during his childhood, actually, even to the day I met him. Luckily I showed him the ways of the free world

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

My dad was born in 1940 and raised in Queens.

My mom was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1941 and came here in 1959 when she was 18.

Because she had a thick Scottish accent I picked up on it and when I went to school I said "One, Two, Tree" instead of three Plainview School District enrolled me in speech classes for a year... ummmm, hello, instead of spending all that money maybe someone who spoke with my mom could have made the connection.

She also told me stories about growing up after the war and not having fresh fruit, new clothes, etc.

Both of my parents, and especially my Dad's father who came here from Ireland, are/were extrememely patriotic.

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

my parents were born in Italy and came here in there teens...

ETA: I also had to attend speech classes...
and my parents didnt understand why.......

they thought I spoke just fine!

Message edited 9/2/2005 2:31:08 PM.

Re: Who here has parents who were born in a different country?

My mom was born in the US, and my Dad in Germany. He came to the US in his late teens.

Growing up - My dad was VERY strict, and like other posters have said - extremely patriotic, and always a hard worker. It wasn't easy for him.