Oral history interview entails collecting information from individual about their past. It encompasses recording their feelings as well as thoughts about their future. The information tends to dig deep an individual's past life and experiences (Neuenschwander, 2014). Oral history interview is the best methodology for collecting information about the past either on social or cultural life. The information could be obtained from a family member, close friend, a relative or person in the community as one tries to understand their past event experiences (Dogan, 2015). Also, in communication, it seeks to understand how information is conveyed from one person to the other in oral history interview. The oral interview will understand the cultural aspect of Jaclyn who is my wife. The interview will focus on her past life and mainly on her cultural aspect as she grew up and interacted with people and even after migrating to a new country (Ritchie, 2003). The interview with Jaclyn demonstrates the cultural aspect of life through interaction and living with diverse communities.
The interview follows the recommended line of the interview question given based on the cultural aspect as Jaclyn grew up and interacted with people. Jaclyn is a married woman with three children. She has been married for the last ten years. She was born in a small rural area with little exposure to life. However, she loved her place of birth and said she cherished every moment she spent there before migrating to a different place. The interview questions are structured in a way to try and understand the cultural aspect of Jaclyn as she grew up and interacted with people and after she migrated to a new country (Batty, 2009). She narrates of how life has been and the past experiences she went through. The childhood experiences are clear and fresh in her mind as though they happened yesterday. When asked about her past childhood memory, Jaclyn had one interesting memory that was vivid in her mind. She recalls the interactions they had with other children as they played various games. First, she recalls the games they played with other female because according to their culture males did not interact with females.
Also, she recalls the social status groups that children had formed as they interacted. Having come from a humble background that meant she interacted with children of her same level. There were group children who came from higher ladder families or well up family per see. Therefore, the children from high social status family excluded themselves from interacting with children from low class. As Jaclyn grew up, that was something that kept her thinking. She kept asking why the children from the high ranked in the society did not like to associate with other poor children. With the childish mind, her with other children from the low-income families they felt discriminated and felt outcasts in the society (Charlton, Myers, Sharpless, Chamberlain & Dean, 2008). Every day she asked her parents why they were poor and could not afford a decent life. Although that discouraged her at times, it also motivated her at school to work hard and be a better parent in life with a decent life. Jaclyn also felt that growing in the small area was the source of them being poor and little did she know that was the life her parents could afford.
Also, in her childhood memory, she said that different roles belonged to different genders. For example in their home, her mother was entitled to household chores and childrearing roles. She said that throughout her life, her mother was the only one involved in rearing, feeding and even cooking for them. Her father was never seen in the house during the day but popped in late at night. He was always out working hard to ensure the family was fed. Therefore, that was evident to her that there were roles for males and females. Therefore, as she grew up, she knew that a woman is entitled to child rearing roles and man as the sole provider of the family. In her community, women did not have decent or formal jobs, but only men were in the office and other better job. However, her dream was to work hard at school and beat all the odds by working toward getting a better job.
As Jaclyn records, she was an immigrant in the United States. She was also asked about her experience as an immigrant. According to her, being immigrant was the most difficult life she would never want anyone to pass through in life. First, when they migrated with her husband as she said, they did not know anyone in the new country. The most heartbreaking thing is that they had lost social ties from their family members, friends, and relatives. In the new country, there was no one to call a brother or sister, and that meant they were to depend on themselves solely. They were to start a new life and rely on themselves before making new friends. According to her, having come in a new country without the knowledge of their language, food, clothing, religion and other cultural aspects was difficult. The most challenging thing was the language barrier. There was nothing Jaclyn could do if she cannot communicate even with her closest neighbor. Again, it was hard to find a person from her previous origin to communicate with.
Also, with the language barrier that meant no employment for you because you cannot communicate with colleagues at work and no employer was willing to employ people from other cultures. She felt as if she was in her life. The only thing she felt was she was discriminated, but that was not the case. It took her quite some time to learning the language, but as said, after few years of struggle she was able to learn the language. The thing that impressed her most in the new country is that women had equal opportunities with men. As recalls, at the immigration department, she was served by a lady who seemed to have a decent job. That encouraged her most and felt that she had an opportunity to secure a decent job in future. Despite the challenges she encountered as she tried to settle, she appreciates that they were an eye opener to her. She was determined to work hard and achieve her goals. It was through motivation from family and friends that kept her moving. Also, she knew that she was to work hard as she had children who were dependent on her for everything. As she recalls her old life back in the village and the struggle they faced as they grew up, she wanted to give her children a decent life.
At first, Jaclyn had challenges in her new job with her colleagues. However, in the job place, there was diversity in that employees were from different racial and ethnic groups. At first, it was difficult interacting with people from different cultures and practices. She felt that some people from the native culture felt superior to other employees. Although that seemed to discourage her, she chooses not to quit her job but work hard to be best. With time she realized that she was even better than some of the colleagues from the native country. Some of the medical procedures she was better, and most times she was consulted whenever a difficulty came. She also realized that she was weak in some areas too and therefore needed assistance. With time she was able to cope with people and appreciate their cultural differences. Through working in a diverse community has helped her view life in another perspective. She said that she well understands the importance of diversity at work. She came to learn that no one can be good in everything. You need people around to exchange ideas and support in achieving the best goals. She said that different races and ethnic groups are talented in various ways. Some are good in one area while others are better in the other area. Therefore you need each other to exchange ideas and build each other career wise and in professionalism.
Also, Jaclyn was asked to discuss the difference between her native languages with English. According to her, she thinks that the English language was better than her mother tongue because most people can understand it. The English language can be used officially and informally. It is the best language to use at work like most people and well understand and communicate with the rest with ease. She was asked to describe her native country regarding transportation, economy and geography compared to the new country. Jaclyn said the topography of her country was very different from the new country. She said, back in their rural area, the place was very dry faced with drought. There was no much vegetation and rarely did they receive rain. However, to her surprise, the new country they migrated in was full of vegetation and the tropical rainforest. The place is evergreen and frequent rain. She said it is a country she would love to remain the rest of the life. The infrastructures are better compared to her native country. Also, the economy of the new country is much fair than back at home. In the new country, a large population is employed compared her situation back at home whereby only small population can afford a living. The large population especially in the rural area she grew up depends on help because the place was dry and nothing can grow in the area.
Besides, Jaclyn said she finds much difference in her every day to day life compared to past life. First, she appreciates diversity in which she lives in compared to her rural town where they lived people from the same ethnic group and social classes. She has learned to live with people diverse cultures and appreciated every individual's culture. She can freely interact and communicate with people, unlike the past where her life revolved around her family alone (Mackay, 2006). As a mother and career woman, she works hard to balance them. She always finds time for her family despite the busy schedules at work. She appreciates that her children can interact with other children from differences races well unlike her who could not interact with people at a tender age due to the environment they lived. Life has changed and has learned to appreciate and love people despite the differences.
References
Batty, E. (2009). Reflections on the use of oral history in social research. People, Place & Policy Online, 3 (2), 109-121.
Dogan, Y. (2015). How should an efficient oral history interview process be conducted according to the views of pre-service teachers? Education Research and Reviews, 10 (8), 1097-1108.
Mackay, N. (2006). Curating Oral History: From Interview to Archive (1st Edition). New York: Routledge.
Neuenschwander, J. A. (2014). A Guide to Oral History and the Law (Oxford Oral History Series. United States: Oxford University Press.
Ritchie, D. A. (2003). Doing Oral History (2nd Edition). Boston: Oxford University Press.
Thomas L. Charlton, Lois E. Myers, Rebeccas Sharpless, Mary Chamberlain & Pamela Dean. (2008). Handbook of Oral History. California: AltaMira Press.
