ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

From The Peopling of New York City

Oral History Project

In this assignment, you will interview an immigrant to New York City from another country. This can be a family member, a friend or an acquaintance. In the essay you will describe where your interviewee came from, the interviewee's age, the reasons for leaving the home country, why the interviewee chose the United States and New York City, the year of arrival in New York City, the neighborhood where the interviewee first settled, the type of work that the interviewee did before AND after coming to New York, and how the interviewee maintains, or does not maintain contact with the home country, among other issues. An interview guide is outlined below to assist you in obtaining the necessary information for drafting the essay. The essay should be typed (12 point font), double spaced on 8Y2 by 11 inch plain white paper, and should be thorough in its content, and at least five (5) pages in length.

INTERVIEW GUIDE

I. PLACE OF ORIGIN

Where were you born? (Find out country and city/town/village.) When were you born? Where did you live as a child? Where did you live in the three months before coming to the United States? -

II. LIFE IN THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

Who did you grow up with? Who was the head of the household? What was his/her occupation? What was the highest grade of school that you reached back home? Find out the informant's occupational history in the country of origin.

III. MIGRATION

When did you first come to the United States? When did you come to New York City? Why did you move to this country? Did someone help you finance the move? Why did you pick New York and not another city? Did you have any difficulties in moving here? When you first arrived, did you plan to stay permanently? Why? Do you plan to stay here permanently now? Why is that?

IV. FIRST YEARS IN NEW YORK

Who did you live with at first when you came to New York? What was your initial reaction to life in New York? Was it what you had expected? (If YES) Why? (If NO) Why not? What was your first job? How did you get this job?

V. LIEE IN NEW YORK NOW

What is your present job? If possible, get an occupational history for years in the U.S. Are you married? If yes, what country is your wife/husband from? Do they work? If so, what is their job? Do you like living here better than in _____________________(country of origin)? What do you like about living here? What don't you like about living here? Do you have any children? If yes: ages; schooling; jobs

Do you visit your home country? If yes, how often? ; Do people from your home country/community come to New York to visit you? Has anyone come in the last year? Who were they? Do you send money or gifts to anyone in your home country? Who? How often? All in all, are you glad that you came to New York? Why do you feel that way? Do you feel that people from your country experience any discrimination or prejudice in New York? Could you tell me why you feel this way?