IMMIGRATION INTERVIEW GUIDELINES

INTERVIEW GUIDELINES/               Due:  1/21

Find someone who is at least 50 years old and an immigrant to this country. The older, the better. Do not interview a spouse or yourself. You may interview a parent or grandparent.

Gather the information with as little of your own input as possible. What you should include is not your interpretation of what is said. Instead, copy direct quotes of what is said:           

BAD:    “Subject said she was unhappy at first.”    

GOOD: “I was so unhappy at first.”

If the respondent agrees, you may record the interview; you must bring the transcript on paper.

This may be handwritten. You may bring the interview in another language.

Be prepared for your interview to stray away from the questions below. This is the nature of oral history. Embrace it. Some of the best stories are answers to questions unasked.

Name of Interview Subject: (optional)

1. Where were you born? What was it like in your country of origin? Have you been back?

2. At approximately what age did you move to the United States?

3. Do you remember, or have you been told, why you left your country of origin?(push factors)

4. Was the decision to leave your own or were you pressured to leave by someone else? Explain.

5. What made you come to the United States instead of somewhere else? (pull factors)

6. Did you deal with immigration officials or anyone else in government as part of your journey or at some point after your arrival? How was that experience?

7. What difficulties did you face during the journey?

8. What difficulties did you face in the first years after arriving?

9. Did you find a community of other immigrants when you arrived? What was that like?

10. What do you think are the biggest problems facing immigrants today?