Newsvine Q&A: Second Generation Americans

The "is it first- or second-generation?" thing has been a subject of much discussion in the newsroom...I'd always considered myself 'first generation' also (my parents moved here from Quebec in the '60s), but I'm told by the folks who researched this extensively that my parents are the first generation. Hmmm...

What I liked about Wednesday's report was the focus on the language gap - to this day, I wonder how different my communication with my mom might be had we shared the same first language (not that we don't communicate well...but let's just say growing up there was plenty of room for miscommunication!). And my sister and I always laugh about how we manage to turn even the most common American colloquialisms into malaprops...I'm sure that comes from growing up in a bilingual home.

I am in the same category as Oz, born here of immigrant parents from Peru. I can tell you that Oz struggled to convince his parents to let him try out for the soccer team. He did it by saying it would make him a more well rounded candidate for a university and it worked. But after he began playing, his parents really got into seeing him play. They got more involved in the school because he got more involved. The soccer team at Jordan Matthews has been a real bridge for these families to develop deeper ties to the community and to feel like a part of it.

I think parents should remember to let their children take advantage of everything our schools and society offers, from learning to sports to music. We have so much abundance here. They need to let their kids take advantage of it. I remember talking about this with my dad when I told him I wanted to be a writer. A scary thing for any parent to hear from their kid, let alone an immigrant family that pushes achievement. But he believed in me. He wanted me to have the freedom to choose my own destiny and life that he never had--even if it meant not becoming a lawyer. And I know later, for him it was a bit of living the dreams he couldn't achieve through me. But the lesson is to let your children have free reign of that freedom to be who they need to be.

One of the things that the segment today and yesterday's gets into a little bit is the idea that the country is changing demographically. Siler City, NC has changed dramatically in the past 15 years. It has gone from having a 1 percent population of Latinos in 1990 to today having more than 50 percent Latinos in the town. All across America, this same demographic change is being played out. Sometimes in acrimony and confusion and anger. Are your communities seeing this change and how are your towns handling it?

Hello and welcome! This is a discussion on immigration in America with a special focus on second generation new Americans. But please feel free to comment and add to the discussion on immigration in general here as well.

Hi I am still here and will carry on. The NBC News story presents the story of one high school second generation kid named Oz in a little town of about 8,000 called Siler City, NC. The thing is Siler City is a poultry processing town--the major employer and slaughters tens of thousands of chickens every day. Latinos began arriving to Siler City in the 1990s to fill the plants. Today, the population is more than 50 percent Latino.

One thing that people who are interested in immigration fail to understand is that agribusiness is deeply involved in the migration of people to work in rural areas in the U.S. and is or has been the catalyst for cultural and demographic change. Check out today's story in the New York Times about Grand Island, Neb and how after ICE raided the plant and took away some 200 Latino immigrant workers for being in the country illegally, the company brought in refugees from Somali to take over those positions. The result has been more confusion and consternation as the company and the town have to adjust to the unique needs of these new immigrants.

A discussion on immigration cannot be done without one that also looks at labor and big business. Thoughts?

This does present a burden to the kids--as Oz confesses in the NBC piece. My personal experience, I played this role in my family, is that it makes a kid grow up faster. No kid wants to learn that their parents can't make the rent or car payment one month. That insecurity is disturbing to a child, even a teenager as it burdens them much too soon for adult worries. But many kids go through this. I have a kid on the soccer team right now that told me he was going to miss practices from now on because his mom lost her job and he needed to work extra hours after school.

This has been hard on public institutions especially in light of the backlash against Latino immigrants today. Many are now reluctant to provide translators or material in Spanish to help out these families because of the rabid anti-immigrant and anti-illegal immigrant and anti-Hispanic restrictionists in our communities. This is, of course, cutting off your nose to spite your face.

But communities are doing their best to resolve this. One thing to remember the language barrier is a generational one. Oz speaks perfect English and Spanish. But his kids will be dominant English speakers with a little Spanish. I know this. I am seeing it among the soccer players right now.

Ok, folks. This discussion was scheduled from 10 am until noon and it is almost noon. I will check in periodically during the day to add anything else that people respond to.

I want to leave you all with one thought: kids like Oz exist in every town in America today, living between two worlds and trying to do the best they can for themselves and their families. They are the heart of this country's spirit and the true well from which the American Dreams springs from. Often they are alone in their education, navigating through the system's waters by themselves and applying to college. If there is a scholarship program that can help them near you, think about contributing. Your investment in these kids will pay off.

Hope hear from you all soon.

Paul