For the families of immigrants, in which parents and children grew up in cultural environments where upbringing, language, behavior and outlook were all different, it has been said that "generation breach" or even "generation gulf" would be the more apt phrase.
但由於兩代處在相同的文化背景，較易縮小距離；對移民家庭而言，父母與異鄉成長的子女，直接代表兩種不同的文化，在教養、語言、行為、觀念和種族認同的差距，有人笑說應該用「代『溪』」、「代『河』」或「代『海』」來形容。