The Old Country

This chapter examines the intersection between “the old country” and the new one. Immigrants who grew up in one place and spent a large portion of their life in another may often feel that they live in a third “country,” i.e., one that is a combination of the two real countries. What did these oral history project participants do to stay in contact with their first home? And what about their children? Did they make an effort to maintain that cultural connection for them? This chapter answers these questions and more.