Issei, Nisei, Sansei, Yonsei, Gosei,...?
Everyone agrees that Issei denotes the first generation - the immigrants. Nisei are their children. Sansei are the children of the Nisei. Yonsei is the fourth generation. Gosei and Rokusei follow.
What happens when your father is Sansei and your mother is Nisei?
Some possible variations:
- If you follow the paternal line, you would be Yonsei.
- Following the maternal line, you would be Sansei.
- If you go by the side in the country the longest, you would be Yonsei.
- If you go by the shortest, you're Sansei.
- Or, are you a blend? Does that make you a Sansei and a half?
...and what about the Shin-Issei? Are their children considered Shin-Nisei or just Nisei?
How do you define what you are?
I consider myself Yonsei.
My father's parents were both Issei, so that makes him a Nisei.
My mother's father was Issei, but my mother's mother was a Nisei born in Southern California. She considers herself a Sansei. (Actually, she's a Kibei Sansei)
I consider myself a Yonsei. A lot of it is in honor of my maternal grandmother, because she's the grandparent that had the most influence on me growing up. Both grandfathers died before I was born, and my paternal grandparent only spoke Japanese which I didn't really speak. Plus, as one of MANY grandchildren, I didn't see her as often. As a Nisei, my Omoto Ba-chan was fluent in English, and she often took care of me and my sister while we were growing up.