--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm first generation American, and my…" description: "\"I'm first generation American, and my parents were both from Nigeria. And so I always say that I'm literally an African American. So my last name is Fa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/terry-gross-9637_able_i-m-first-generation-american-and-my-par_372066.jpg" --- # I'm first generation American, and my parents were both… ![“I'm first generation American, and my parents were both from Nigeria. And so I always say that I'm literally an African American. So my last name is Famuyiwa, it's different. And so that was a part of my experience from people not being able to pronounce it to not sort of having sort of a shared…” quote by Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/terry-gross-9637_able_i-m-first-generation-american-and-my-par_372066.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/terry-gross-9637_able_i-m-first-generation-american-and-my-par_372066.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/terry-gross-9637_able_i-m-first-generation-american-and-my-par_372066.jpg) > “I'm first generation American, and my parents were both from Nigeria. And so I always say that I'm literally an African American. So my last name is Famuyiwa, it's different. And so that was a part of my experience from people not being able to pronounce it to not sort of having sort of a shared, common history with a lot of the kids that I was growing up with because my parents were from Africa.” [Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/) ## 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 reflects on being a first‑generation American, highlighting cultural identity, name pronunciation challenges, and feeling different from peers. **In simple terms:** Being a first‑gen American involves navigating cultural identity and social differences. Key Takeaway Embrace and share your cultural heritage. Themes identity culture belonging Mood thoughtful reflective Type personal cultural When to use this quote - school environments - workplace interactions - public speaking Key Concepts first‑generation experience immigrant narratives social integration Questions to Reflect On - How do you celebrate your heritage? - What strategies help bridge cultural gaps? A Different Perspective Identity challenges can cause isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [African](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african/) [African american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african-american/) [American Famuyiwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-famuyiwa-3392804/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Famuyiwa Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/famuyiwa-different-3392803/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Growing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Literally African](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literally-african-3392805/) [Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names/) [Nigeria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nigeria/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [My mother's from Texas. Small town outside of Waco called Downsville. And my father's from Nigeria. 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Its about a first-generation African family living in America that has to return home to Nigeria…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/i-loved-ghana-must-go-by-taiye-selasi-its-about-a-first-generation/) [Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/) > [Fifty-eight percent of African- American youth don't have jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/fifty-eight-percent-of-african-american-youth-don-t-have-jobs/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [As an African-American actor, a lot of our stories haven't been told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chadwick-boseman/as-an-african-american-actor-a-lot-of-our-stories-haven-t-been-told/) [Chadwick Boseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chadwick-boseman/) > [We're all African-American, so we're all influenced by each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaak-shabazz/we-re-all-african-american-so-we-re-all-influenced-by-each-other/) [Malaak Shabazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaak-shabazz/) > [For people of color - especially African Americans - the idea that racist cops might frame members of their community is no abstract notion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/for-people-of-color-especially-african-americans-the-idea-that-racist/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [I'm African-American. There are more eyes on me than anybody. They're going to take the negative before the positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bubba-wallace/i-m-african-american-there-are-more-eyes-on-me-than-anybody-they-re/) [Bubba Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bubba-wallace/) > [Everyone says we have our first African American president. Has there ever been a Jewish president? An Italian president? They don't say a damn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monte-irvin/everyone-says-we-have-our-first-african-american-president-has-there/) [Monte Irvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monte-irvin/) > [How many African American champions have there been over the course of WWE's history? It's something that was the elephant in the room. Nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-kingston/how-many-african-american-champions-have-there-been-over-the-course/) [Kofi Kingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-kingston/) > [Obama's a great speaker. 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I mean, he - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/dad-mistook-for-some-reason-unbeknownst-to-me-he-mistook-his-family/) [Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/) > [I respect someone's right to privacy and I want them to know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/i-respect-someone-s-right-to-privacy-and-i-want-them-to-know-it/) [Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/) > [I was thinking about comedy and how comedy in many ways opens us up to ideas and really being influenced by Richard Pryor and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/i-was-thinking-about-comedy-and-how-comedy-in-many-ways-opens-us-up/) [Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/) > [My parents were pretty open about a lot of things, especially my mom. And any kind of little crazy thing I was into, she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/my-parents-were-pretty-open-about-a-lot-of-things-especially-my-mom/) [Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/) > [I was in an adolescent psychology class at Citadel when the guy said, if you had a mother who was beaten, there's a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/i-was-in-an-adolescent-psychology-class-at-citadel-when-the-guy-said/) [Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/) > [You know, how am I leading my own life? What am I denying? Since I brought such great powers of denial into my adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/you-know-how-am-i-leading-my-own-life-what-am-i-denying-since-i/) [Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/) > [So when the book came out, my mother stunned us all by leaving my father. I think three months before the book came out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/so-when-the-book-came-out-my-mother-stunned-us-all-by-leaving-my/) [Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/) > [Sometimes when I'm on the internet, I'll get this, like, which of these ad experiences would you prefer? And I'll have a choice of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/sometimes-when-i-m-on-the-internet-i-ll-get-this-like-which-of-these/) [Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/) > [I mean, Dad's - you know, Dad's friendliest tone was a scream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/i-mean-dad-s-you-know-dad-s-friendliest-tone-was-a-scream/) [Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/) > [That era in the late '80s through the '90s was really when the music was so new, fresh, energetic, but still creative. 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If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. 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