The Pre-interview: Blog #1 (4/9/19)

“Spring: Essay Assignment 5, Oral History”

As I pulled up the page for the upcoming Humcore essay, a series of questions rose in my head.

Who was I going to ask?

How was I going to approach this project?

What questions who be applicable in this context?

Question after question, it started to seem like an overwhelming topic to cover. Moreover, looking down my family line, I felt that it was important to interview one of my relatives, for their stories have always been told to me throughout their childhood. It would be interesting to finally be able to carry on their stories under a new lens—be able to document their past and be able to understand more about my family.

Coming from a chinese immigrant family, my family immigrated to America for better opportunities—a time when the “American Dream” was strongly pursued. Thus, I plan to interview my uncle, who immigrated here as a young teenager. Going into the project, I expect it to go smoothly, for i have heard bits and pieces of stories in the past. However, the background context that I hold is also a concern because I need to be careful of whether or not my knowledge will be clouding the way in which my interview will be run.

To prepare for the interview, I plan to keep in contact with my uncle and schedule a date in which he is free to tell his story. From there, I have written a series of questions as the basis for the interview—general questions to understand the foundation of the story and deeper questions that address the emotional and mental draw of the past.

Moreover, stories that I anticipate to be hearing in this stage would be about my grandfather and how he cared for all five of his children—my father, aunts and uncles—as they embarked on their journey. Leaving Vietnam during a time when communism was prominent, my grandfather made a choice to bring his children to America for better opportunities and growth in their childhood. I expect to hear about the times in which they attempted to leave Vietnam, and their journey for months living on a boat. Thus, they reached America in 1987, where a new set of difficulties and barriers arose.

Ultimately, it will be extremely interesting to hear about the timeline that follows their history and how my family has personally been impacted by empire.