--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Both of my parents were first-generation…" description: "\"Both of my parents were first-generation Americans, the children of Jews who left Eastern Europe around the turn of the century.\" — H. Robert Horvitz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/h-robert-horvitz-51581_americans_both-of-my-parents-were-first-generation_139324.jpg" --- # Both of my parents were first-generation Americans, the… ![“Both of my parents were first-generation Americans, the children of Jews who left Eastern Europe around the turn of the century.” quote by H. Robert Horvitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/h-robert-horvitz-51581_americans_both-of-my-parents-were-first-generation_139324.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/h-robert-horvitz-51581_americans_both-of-my-parents-were-first-generation_139324.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/h-robert-horvitz-51581_americans_both-of-my-parents-were-first-generation_139324.jpg) > “Both of my parents were first-generation Americans, the children of Jews who left Eastern Europe around the turn of the century.” [H. Robert Horvitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-robert-horvitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker shares their heritage as children of Eastern European Jewish immigrants who became first‑generation Americans. **In simple terms:** Their family are immigrant Jewish roots. Key Takeaway Honor your family history. Themes heritage identity immigration Mood reflective proud Type personal historical When to use this quote - family storytelling - cultural education - community events Key Concepts cultural legacy generational experience American dream Questions to Reflect On - How does this heritage shape your values? - What responsibilities come with this legacy? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on ancestry may overlook present challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Eastern europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eastern-europe/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) ## Related quotes > [“No matter their age or station in life, Billy can't help but regard his fellow Americans as children. They are bold and proud and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/no-matter-their-age-or-station-in-life-billy-can-t-help-but-regard/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [When Jews left Judaism, they didn't stop being religious. They simply swapped God-based Judaism for godless secular humanism and leftism. For left-wing Jews, Judaism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/when-jews-left-judaism-they-didn-t-stop-being-religious-they-simply/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [As a post-Holocaust kid, growing up in a neighborhood with a lot of Jewish refugees, I had got the idea there were no Jews…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kurlansky/as-a-post-holocaust-kid-growing-up-in-a-neighborhood-with-a-lot-of/) [Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/) > [If we bear all this suffering and if there are still Jews left, when it is over, then Jews, instead of being doomed, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/if-we-bear-all-this-suffering-and-if-there-are-still-jews-left-when/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [Chinese people of my parents' generation who lived through the Cultural Revolution knew so much of death at such a young age, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-zhang/chinese-people-of-my-parents-generation-who-lived-through-the/) [Jenny Zhang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-zhang/) > [Well, I didn't feel that I could do justice to this story of my parents and their generation, and all that they did to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/well-i-didn-t-feel-that-i-could-do-justice-to-this-story-of-my/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [“It is my fault, and the fault of everyone of my generation. I wonder what the future generations will say about us. My grandparents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-brooks/it-is-my-fault-and-the-fault-of-everyone-of-my-generation-i-wonder/) [Max Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-brooks/) > [My parents' generation didn't have any understanding of psychology or emotion or individual temperament. In fact, they were slightly embarrassed by all those words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-faulks/my-parents-generation-didn-t-have-any-understanding-of-psychology-or/) [Sebastian Faulks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-faulks/) > [If the parents in each generation always or often knew what really goes on at their sons' schools, the history of education would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/if-the-parents-in-each-generation-always-or-often-knew-what-really/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [My generation will actually be the first generation that is tamer than the one that came before it, and it will probably be poorer;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shia-labeouf/my-generation-will-actually-be-the-first-generation-that-is-tamer/) [Shia LaBeouf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shia-labeouf/) > [“One of my greatest fears is family decline.There’s an old Chinese saying that “prosperity can never last for three generations.” I’ll bet that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-chua/one-of-my-greatest-fears-is-family-decline-there-s-an-old-chinese/) [Amy Chua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-chua/) > [“A father and a mother who are not honored are essentially adult peers of their children. They are not parents. No generation knows better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/a-father-and-a-mother-who-are-not-honored-are-essentially-adult-peers/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [I think, at the end of the century we'll have a generation of parents and a generation of children who won't have had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/i-think-at-the-end-of-the-century-we-ll-have-a-generation-of-parents/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [“We did not undertake systematic interviews with people now below the age of thirty-five, but in many of the interviews with their parents' generation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-marchak/we-did-not-undertake-systematic-interviews-with-people-now-below-the/) Patricia Marchak > [The trimmings of wealth are not as important to me and my generation as they were to my parents' generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-schrager/the-trimmings-of-wealth-are-not-as-important-to-me-and-my-generation/) [Ian Schrager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-schrager/) ## More by H. Robert Horvitz > [Time and time again, truly basic studies of simple experimental organisms have proved directly relevant to human biology and human disease. An investment in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-robert-horvitz/time-and-time-again-truly-basic-studies-of-simple-experimental/) [H. Robert Horvitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-robert-horvitz/) > [The number of cells in our bodies is defined by an equilibrium of opposing forces: mitosis adds cells, while programmed cell death removes them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-robert-horvitz/the-number-of-cells-in-our-bodies-is-defined-by-an-equilibrium-of/) [H. Robert Horvitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-robert-horvitz/) > [My scientific pursuits have led to many opportunities and responsibilities beyond those of simply doing research. For example, as a beginning graduate student, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-robert-horvitz/my-scientific-pursuits-have-led-to-many-opportunities-and/) [H. Robert Horvitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-robert-horvitz/) > [Because of the relationship between programmed cell death and human disease, the identification of the genes and proteins that function in the process of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-robert-horvitz/because-of-the-relationship-between-programmed-cell-death-and-human/) [H. Robert Horvitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-robert-horvitz/) > [My mother has been a wonderful model for the professional woman - a loving mother dedicated to both her family and her work. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-robert-horvitz/my-mother-has-been-a-wonderful-model-for-the-professional-woman-a/) [H. Robert Horvitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-robert-horvitz/) > [It was my father who - after, at age 15, I had attempted unsuccessfully to drive the family car using a 'borrowed' key and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-robert-horvitz/it-was-my-father-who-after-at-age-15-i-had-attempted-unsuccessfully/) [H. Robert Horvitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-robert-horvitz/) [Explore all 7 H. Robert Horvitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-robert-horvitz/) ## More Americans quotes > [“People – Americans, mostly – realise how attached they are to material comforts when they arrive in India.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-william-roberts/people-americans-mostly-realise-how-attached-they-are-to-material/) Paul William Roberts > [Music has an intrinsic value that touches Americans - they love their music, and want more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-rosen/music-has-an-intrinsic-value-that-touches-americans-they-love-their/) [Hilary Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-rosen/) > [Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is what Americans are and that is what always upsets the foreigner, who deals with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/americans-are-very-friendly-and-very-suspicious-that-is-what/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [Just because the Americans are so good at rattling out accessible and cheap junk food, nobody looks twice when it comes to their food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-oliver/just-because-the-americans-are-so-good-at-rattling-out-accessible-and/) [Jamie Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-oliver/) > [My parents don't care what Americans think of us; we just care what the other Indian people in our community think of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himanshu-suri/my-parents-don-t-care-what-americans-think-of-us-we-just-care-what/) [Himanshu Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himanshu-suri/) > [When Americans, who have no idea who I am, laugh at my jokes, it's exactly the same if someone loves you even if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-elmaleh/when-americans-who-have-no-idea-who-i-am-laugh-at-my-jokes-it-s/) [Gad Elmaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-elmaleh/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We Americans tend to be a prodigal lot. We are as careless with our personal resources as we are with the resources of nature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-crook-de-camp/we-americans-tend-to-be-a-prodigal-lot-we-are-as-careless-with-our/) [Catherine Crook de Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-crook-de-camp/) > [Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/americans-will-put-up-with-anything-provided-it-doesn-t-block-traffic/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [Most Americans believe in fairness; we believe that people should work hard but there should be a safety net. We believe in saving the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-maclean/most-americans-believe-in-fairness-we-believe-that-people-should-work/) [Nancy MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-maclean/) > [“Using a wide variety of media, we could demonstrate for our fellow Americans their anxieties, desires, insufficiencies, and frustrations--and how to assuage them all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-ferris/using-a-wide-variety-of-media-we-could-demonstrate-for-our-fellow/) [Joshua Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-ferris/) > [The Americans say that we are ungrateful-but I ask them for heaven's sake, what should we be grateful to them for-for murdering our fathers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-walker/the-americans-say-that-we-are-ungrateful-but-i-ask-them-for-heaven-s/) [David Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-walker/) > [So many Korean Americans like me came to this country with the hope of achieving their own American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-steel/so-many-korean-americans-like-me-came-to-this-country-with-the-hope/) [Michelle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-steel/) > [You are Americans. You love this country. Together we are entrusted with the principles that represent mankind's greatest political and social achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tsongas/you-are-americans-you-love-this-country-together-we-are-entrusted/) [Paul Tsongas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tsongas/) [Browse all 1,536 Americans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Both of my parents were first-generation Americans, the children of Jews who left Eastern Europe around the turn of the century.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "H. Robert Horvitz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-robert-horvitz/both-of-my-parents-were-first-generation-americans-the-children-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Americans" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-robert-horvitz/both-of-my-parents-were-first-generation-americans-the-children-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/h-robert-horvitz-51581_americans_both-of-my-parents-were-first-generation_139324.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/h-robert-horvitz-51581_americans_both-of-my-parents-were-first-generation_139324.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/332/h-robert-horvitz-51581_americans_both-of-my-parents-were-first-generation_139324.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Both of my parents were first-generation Americans, the children of Jews who left Eastern Europe around the…” — H. Robert Horvitz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "H. Robert Horvitz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-robert-horvitz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Both of my parents were first-generation...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-robert-horvitz/both-of-my-parents-were-first-generation-americans-the-children-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-robert-horvitz/both-of-my-parents-were-first-generation-americans-the-children-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```