Kwame was born to immigrant parents from Ghana and is now a teenager who disagrees with his parents about friends and interests. Which generation is he most associated with?

• A. First generation
• B. 1.5 generation
• C. Second generation
• D. Third generation

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is how generations are defined in immigrant families by place of birth relative to the country you live in. If Kwame was born in the host country to immigrant parents from Ghana, he is the child of immigrants who was born in the host country—this is the second generation. The first generation would be his parents, who were born outside the host country and immigrated. The 1.5 generation usually refers to those who were born abroad and moved to the host country as children, while the third generation would be the grandchildren of the original immigrants. Kwame’s status as a native-born child of immigrants places him in the second generation.