# What presidents have had foreign born parents/immediate family members?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-presidents-have-had-foreign-born-parents-immediate-family-members/435649>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 30, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-presidents-have-had-foreign-born-parents-immediate-family-members/435649 "2008-01-30T23:02:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-presidents-have-had-foreign-born-parents-immediate-family-members/435649/1 "2008-01-30T23:02:04Z")

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Since it’s probably going to be an issue as Obama’s campaign heats up, I’m curious. I’m counting anybody born on North America as American regardless of whether it was before or after the founding of the nation.

Andrew Jackson’s parents were Ulster Scots.

John Quincy Adams’ wife was English born daughter of an American merchant and his English wife.

Who are some others?

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-presidents-have-had-foreign-born-parents-immediate-family-members/435649/2 "2008-01-30T23:38:27Z")

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Chester A. Arthur’s father was born in Ireland. Woodrow Wilson’s mother was born in London.

As far as I know, that’s everyone.

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-presidents-have-had-foreign-born-parents-immediate-family-members/435649/3 "2008-01-31T00:03:46Z")

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Not a President, but arguably the most important of the Founders, Alexander Hamilton, was born on the Caribbean island of Nevis and raised in St. Croix.

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**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-presidents-have-had-foreign-born-parents-immediate-family-members/435649/4 "2008-02-01T18:53:30Z")

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If the rumours about Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings are true, you could say that Jefferson was the father of non-citizens.