This Immigrant Interview starts with writing questions. Originally, my questions were open, but didn’t allow for much information. Then, I used starters like “give details” and “tell me” or “describe”. That provoked more answers from my mom during the interview, which was the next step. For my interview, I recorded the whole thing using my mom’s phone. She didn’t give as much information as I expected, but coming up with follow up questions was a lot easier than I originally thought. After the interview, I transcribed the recording into the interview questions document. At first, I actually tried the “Voice Typing” feature but my mom’s voice in the recording was too soft for the feature to catch.

I considered my mom’s life, from birth to now. Also, I asked some reflective questions that would give me some insight on what my mom thought. I focused a lot on the journey and the immigration process, as well. I think that “Sample Immigrant Interview Questions” and “What Kids Can Do, ‘How to Conduct a Strong Interview’ Fact Sheet”. They really helped me think of new questions and inspired me to revise some questions as well.

Me and my mom sat in the living room during the interview. She sat on the couch and I pulled a chair over. Like I said, the responses were shorter than expected, even with the extra “give details” and “tell me”. However, I did get enough answers. Also, I was able to really easily make follow-up questions as my mom’s answers raised more confusion about her experience. I think I learned that during an interview, you should keep eye contact and also pay close attention. I learned that my grandmother (mom’s mom) was a librarian and so my mom was able to read a lot. She told me that she loved reading and also loved spending time at the library.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed interviewing my mom and just talking about her life. My grandfather recently died and my mom was really sad about it. I think that talking about her childhood and life spent with her dad made her feel better and more alive. My mom also taught me a lesson. She came to America to study in a program, and even though she had a baby (my brother) and family at home, she still went. She studied hard and worked hard, and now she’s happier and has accomplished her goal.