The information should be under "Oral history assignment" and the work sheet is there as well.
Oral History Sources:
I have curated the following list of websites that contain oral histories/interviews/life stories of various individuals. You should explore them and find one that is of interest to you and also touches on various main themes in this course.
1) StoryCorps:
The podcast includes several interviews and there is a searchable archive at:
https://storycorps.org/stories/Links to an external site.
See especially : Storycorps: "American Pathways"
https://storycorps.org/stories/?collection=american-pathwaysLinks to an external site.
See especially : Storycorps: "Historias"
https://storycorps.org/stories/?collection=historiasLinks to an external site.
See especially : Storycorps: "Military Voices"
https://storycorps.org/stories/?collection=military-voices-initiativeLinks to an external site.
See especially : Storycorps: "Griot"
https://storycorps.org/stories/?collection=storycorps-griotLinks to an external site.
2. For another excellent source of stories see: "The Immigrant Story" and especially
“I am an American” series:
https://theimmigrantstory.org/immigrant-story/Links to an external site.
3. The Center for Oral History at the Univeristy of Hawaii has an excellent website with oral histories and transcripts:
https://oralhistory.hawaii.edu/oral-history-transcripts/Links to an external site.
See especially the tag for "Ethnic Groups":
https://oralhistory.hawaii.edu/tag/ethnic-groups/Links to an external site.
4. Studs Terkel: Conversations with America
http://www.studsterkel.orgLinks to an external site.
A collection of interviews conducted by Studs Terkel for his books and for his radio program, this gallery showcases the remarkable depth and diversity of Studs Terkel's talents and provides an excellent model for those interested in the methodology underlying oral history.
For an interview with Cesar Chavez:
For sources on Civil Rights among other things, see especially:
https://studsterkel.wfmt.com/explore/people/studentsLinks to an external site.
Worksheet:
Name and address of the website you accessed the oral history interview:
Name of your subject:
Date of Birth: (If given)
Date of immigration (if applicable) to the U.S. or date of immigration of the family member who first came to the U.S. (if applicable)
Analysis: (2-3.5 pages, double spaced) In this section provide an analysis of the how selected parts of the interviewee’s responses provide insight into the themes of the class. For an A , you should describe a minimum of three historical trends in the history of US immigration and ethnicity that pertain to the life history of your subject.
–For instance, if you chose the life history of a Hawaiian born Japanese American citizen who was incarcerated in WWII, you can refer to the readings on a) Japanese American incarceration, as well as the b) the history of racism against Asian Americans starting from the Chinese Exclusion Act and c) US expansion into Hawaii. You should cite the readings on these topics.
–You must include readings from the class with citations.
–This assignment is meant to help you prepare for the Final Exam. You will be able to use your analysis of this oral history in the exam.
,
Oral History Worksheet
Name of your subject: (They can remain anonymous if they prefer and no information will be shared)
Your relationship to the subject:
Date/Location of your oral history interview. How did you conduct and record your interview?
Date and Place of Birth: (If they are willing to share that!) Ethnicity/Racial Identity: (You can invite them to answer this in several ways : How they identify themselves; How others identify them; How they are identified in "official" records such as the Census.
Date of immigration (if applicable) to the U.S. or date of immigration of the family member who first came to the U.S. If they do not know this, or if their family has
been in the country for several generations, invite them to talk about how they
describe their ethnic or racial or national identity.
Write your own questions (minimum 5) for the interview that touches on themes from the course. (For instance: their American national identity; what prompted them to come to the US; experiences with racism; labor issues; etc). Here are some ideas for you, please also develop your own.
1. How would you describe your American national identity?
2. What prompted you to come to the U.S.?
3. Have you experienced instances of racism since your arrival in the U.S.? Are you comfortable sharing some examples or situations that you were involved in?
4. Have you experienced difficulty in finding employment or problems at work as a result of your race or immigration history?
5. In what ways do you balance or belong to both cultures and how does this transcultural identity impact your everyday life experiences?
6. When you first immigrated to the U.S., what cultural differences were most
apparent to you? Was it difficult to adjust to your new environmental and cultural surroundings?
7. Were the people you met supportive of your immigration to the U.S. in helping you adjust or not?
