<p>I was filling out the UC application and came across the term 'first generation american'.
My parents moved to the US and then became american citizens. I was born in the US.
Does that make me a first gen american or a second gen american?</p>
<p>It makes you second generation, your parents are first.</p>
<p>Jakd is incorrect. You are first gen.</p>
<p>I’ve seen definitions that say first born in US and others that say first born OR first settled. As an example of the latter, I’m 3rd generation Japanese-American, Sansei, meaning my grandparents were immigrants from Japan and my parents were born and citizens in the US. </p>
<p>Does the UC app really ask for first gen American, not first gen college student?</p>
<p>Are you sure of it? Because I have been getting different answers from everyone.</p>
<p>@entomom yes, under the ‘Scholarships’ part of the application, there are hundreds of descriptions that may fit an individual. The application asks us to chose which descriptions fit us most appropriately. First gen american as well as first gen college student are part of the many options there.</p>
<p>Just say yes. If you’re the first generation to be born in this country, then you can call yourself first generation . . . even if others would disagree.</p>
<p>If you end up being selected for this scholarship, they’ll likely ask you more questions before it’s awarded, just to make sure that your definition of “first generation” is the same as theirs.</p>
<p>OP, you’ve been getting different answers because people use different definitions, even dictionaries show both definitions (from Merriam-Webster; sorry the link doesn’t work, but you can find it by googling ‘first generation American’):</p>
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<p>I suggest calling/emailing someone and asking what the UC definition is, or just doing as dogersmom says and check it and deal with it later since you are marking it in good faith.</p>
<p>Erin’s dad
The reason I said second is because the parents are US citizens, they fall under entomom’s definition number two. If they are citizens, then they are first. Number one would apply if they were not American citizens.</p>