How first-generation Americans understand their origins and upbringings

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How first-generation Americans understand their origins and upbringings

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What is something unseen that makes you who you are?

The Split Existence

 

Growing up between cultures creates a split existence for young first-generation Americans that impacts their formative years—and possibly lifetime.

Pressures

From their earliest years, first-generation Americans are asked to think about their origins. Understanding the sacrifices their families have made comes with the pressure to return the investment—to fulfill the promise of the American dream.

A connection to the immigrant experience can look like many things, from the journey from a place of origin to the needs of daily life in the US. Having this awareness so early in life has a big influence on ideas of success and how Connectivists move through the world.

Growing up with this level of expectation and responsibility, first-generation Americans describe themselves as more self-sufficient than their counterparts.

School

For many young first-generation Americans, school brings these feelings of difference into focus. From the classroom to the playground, this early social setting begins to spell out the contrasts of the culture at home and the world beyond.

The Z Factor

When asked about these themes, there are many similarities in how first-generation Americans describe their experience.

QUOTES FROM GEN Z FIRST-GENERATION AMERICAN CONNECTIVIST RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS

  • "As a first generation, it means you are always working extra harder than those around you because your family constantly relies on you to be the most reliable one"

  • “I’ve gotten to the point where I know my identity but I can’t entirely say that I feel it all the time...”

  • “Community is where opportunities are found— opportunities for friends, career-advancement and love.”

  • “Finding your community with other first-gens makes you feel less alone”

ThoughtMatter invites you to participate in this research through the following lenses:

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