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Immigrant Interview Narrative Writing Assignment Tips
You are writing a narrative story, about one person’s migration story from Latin America or the Caribbean.
Write a 5-6 page interview narrative (12 pt. Times New Roman font, 1” margins, double spaced, page numbered) narrating the lived experiences of a first generation immigrant from Latin America: life in the home country, their immigrant journey as well as their life where they settled.
Your interviewee can be a family member, close friend, or a complete stranger. You may conduct the interview in any language, but the final paper must be in English with translated quotations.
You should NOT turn in a transcription of the interview (ie, question and then an answer). You must condense the information gathered into a coherent narrative that tells a story of that person’s lived experience in their home country and in the United States. Your interview questions should inquire about that person’s lived experiences as an immigrant from Latin America, covering the reasons about why they left their home country as well as their settlement experience in the United States.
Keep in mind that you should include the following parts, but the details and how long you write about each part is up to you.
Requirements:
• Covers the following parts: Life in the home country, their journey and then settlement, as well as future
• Some possible questions include:
1. What life was like in their original home country?
2. Why they decided to leave?
3. How they left (Details of the passage to the U.S.)
4. What it was like when they settled, or arrived in the U.S.? That is, what was their incorporation into U.S. society like? What were some of the challenges? What did they like or find surprising?
5. How they are doing now and their hopes for the future?
6. Other possible topics: language, education, jobs, housing, relationships/family
• 5-6 pages double spaced
• Includes details that help to paint a picture in the reader’s head
Interview Tips
*Think of this like it is a conversation.
Ask open-ended questions – meaning ,do not ask questions that can be answered with yes or no or one word answer.
Instead of asking where were you born? Ask, what was life like in the country where you were born? –The first question gives you some information, but the second gives you much more information.
*Prepare 15-20 open ended questions. They may be answered out of order – and that is ok. Ask follow up questions if you need more clarity.
You want people to talk in detail about events and things in their life before they left, during the migration process and then in the settlement place. Good questions let people do the talking and you get more information.
*I suggest writing down your information while you are asking questions.
*I also suggest tape recording your interview (with permission of your interviewee) so you can go back to listen to the details if you need to. You will get a lot of info and it may be hard to get it all down. This also frees you up to talk.
Writing Guides and Tips:
• As you write, you will likely find that there are holes in your story. Good writers and reporters, go back to ask more follow up questions to make sure you have a complete and accurate picture.
• If you’re stuck, write what you know happens next. “Then…,” “After…,” “Next…”
• Don’t let paragraphs get too long! Start a new paragraph when there is any change in idea or time. It’s better to have lots of short paragraphs than really long ones.
• Use writing techniques that you already know: sensory details, embedding quotations (dialogue), character movements.
• If there is sensitive, private information, there are ways we can help make your story anonymous. (see below).
You may want to start with a humorous or interesting anecdote, quote, fact or story that the person told you to “hook” the reader.
*Some tips on how to correctly use quotes in your writing: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/577/01/
ETHICS – IMPORTANT!
Some of your interviewees may be undocumented or may be in the process of changing their citizenship or have changed it at some point after arrival in the US.
Please be very sensitive to their individual situations.
Please tell each of your interviewees, undocumented or not, that this is an assignment only for class purposes.
What you can do to make sure your interviewee feels confident their identity will not be compromised:
You can use another name for them in the write up.
Make sure you tell them that any recording will not be given to anyone (but used for you only for the assignment).
The written paper will only be used for a class learning assignment and not given to anyone else in or out of class.
The goal is to create trust with the person you are interviewing to make sure you get the best stories possible.
**Most people really enjoy telling their stories since they have so few opportunities to really tell them in detail.
**Many students choose family members or friends and consistently, say they really learn a great deal about their interviewee, since many times these conversations have never taken place before.
