Looking back, my experiences with the statistical profile and the interview project were mixed. I was a bit intimidated by the idea of having to write such a long paper for the statistical profile assignment and conduct such a long interview for the interview project! However, it turned out much better than I expected. In terms of the statistical profile, The Newest New Yorkers provided me with tables and graphs that were relatively easy to comprehend, and I was able to analyze the data based on my prior knowledge of immigration. The numbers and statistics actually made sense to me.
I had a tough time researching the immigration history of Dominicans to America and New York City. Most websites were more eager to talk about the current issues that Dominicans face in New York City rather than explain why they began to migrate in the first place. However, I eventually found a couple of websites that narrated the history of Dominican migration and was able to use this information for my statistical profile assignment.
The interview project also had its ups and downs. The interview itself went much more smoothly than I expected. This was due to the fact that I managed to come up with a lot of relevant questions and that my interviewee was quite eloquent in responding to my questions. He did not hesitate to go into great detail and elaborate on his thoughts. The worst part of the interview project was transcribing the entire 50 minute interview! It took me several days to finish and I had to fight boredom and extreme fatigue when working on it. After the transcription was finished, however, I was so familiar with the interview that I was able to write up an analysis fairly quickly.
