Sociology: Interview with an Old Black American about Immigration
Writing Intensive Section
Interview with an Older Person
Overview
Interviewing is a qualitative research method carried out by sociologists to gain knowledge about society. The purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to apply this method by interviewing an older person - someone 65 years of age or older about a topic of your choice. You will write questions and ask them in an interview. In your paper, you will describe the interviewee and tell how you know that person; state the subject you chose; present your questions; share the responses you received; explore the meaning being those responses; and describe the interview setting and the experience of interviewing.
Steps to Follow
1. Choose ONE of these subjects:
Work Experiences
Family and Community Life
Immigration
Health
Politics
2. Write ten questions on some specific matter related to your subject, seven of which are open-ended and three of which are closed-ended. An open-ended question aims to "open up" the interviewee, allowing that person to talk at some length. A closed-ended question provides answers from which the interviewee choses or asks the interviewee to give a numerical response.
3. Invite an older person you know to be interviewed. This may be a family member.
4. Decide whether you will write during the interview, whether you will record it or whether you will do both. Ask permission if you would like to record the interview.
5. Conduct a semi-structured interview with that person asking the questions you have composed. In a semi-structured interview, you ask all of your questions but allow new questions to emerge (from yourself or the interviewee) as a result of responses given to your prepared questions.
6. Make notes about the context in which the interview took place was it a public or private setting; were others present or was just the two of you; etc.?
7. Analyze - on the same day of the interview, if possible - the answers you received to your questions, evaluating what they mean. If questions beyond those you composed arose during the interview, indicate what those questions were and what you learned from them
Your Paper
Write a paper in which you do all of the following:
A. Describe - without giving personal information - the person you interviewed and tell how you know that person
B. Indicate the subject you chose
C. Present your questions, including any that came up during the interview
D. Summarize the responses you received
E. Examine the meaning behind those responses, making use of at least three sources to support your discussion
F. Describe the setting in which the interview took place, specifying its potential influence on the outcome
G. Describe the experience of doing the interview
Sources
You may use academic or journalistic sources. Academic sources are available through the BCC library database. Accepted journalistic sources include the New York Times, the Washington
Post, the Guardian, the PBS Newshour, Gathomist.com, Le Monde Diplomatique.
Professor’s name
Course
Date
Interview on Immigration
The United States is a country of immigrants. There are around 44.9 million foreign-born persons residing in this nation. The majority are naturalized American citizens, although the most recent Pew Research survey puts the overall number of undocumented immigrants at 10.5 million in 2019 (Waters et al. 420).
Me: Grandfather, good morning. Today, we shall talk about immigration and immigrant rights and your thoughts, feelings, and experiences on the subject. I will start by asking some basic questions.
Respondent: Good morning. Alright great.
Me: How old are you?
Respondent: I will be turning 69 years in four months.
Me: What is your ethnicity or race, and how long have you been a citizen in this country?
Respondent: I am Black American. I have been living in this country for the last 54 years. My parents immigrated here when I was 14 years old.
Me: Which country did you immigrate from, and what were the main reasons?
Respondent: My family came here to get away from the conflict raging in our homeland (Sudan). As a result, we came to seek sanctuary. My parents moved here in search of more prospects and a better quality of life than they had in Sudan. American schools have a better educational quality than African ones.
Me: Did your family, groups, or communities help you when you first arrived in this nation? How did the assistance assist you in assimilating into this different society?
Respondent: We were aided by a family member who had communicated with my parents when we arrived. He explained how the cultures of the United States and Africa differed. He emphasized the need to treat women and other people in society with dignity. Males were always correct in our African culture, and women revered men. Women were grouped with youngsters and were not permitted to speak in a convention of males.
Me: What has been your journey as an immigrant in the United States?
Respondent: In our community, the American experience was not horrible. The biggest issue has been dealing with the authority. Older black American men are labeled as offenders, regardless of the administration's claims to be democratic. The church created a welcoming atmosphere in which everyone was treated equally. Because of our location, we attend a black American church. It was a difficult time in school for me. Because I was black in school, white classmates were more interested in learning about my native country. They demanded to discover whether the African stories they heard were genuine. One of the students once inquired whether we used to wander around nude in Africa. Stereotyping lowered my self-esteem, particularly during class presentations. My English was not the same as that of the other pupils.
Me: Has there ever been a moment when you felt bound by your status as an immigrant?
Respondent: Yes, all of the time. The Foreigners were revered and held to a different standard than the natives back home. In contrast to the residents, visitors were provided with protection and high-quality accommodation. Due to my experiences, being in their nation made me feel inferior. I never envisaged myself applying for a new job with a white American and the corporation picking me over him. Because authorities stereotyped young black American males as criminals, we have had a more challenging time finding work than other communities. Asian immigrants are more likely to get hired than black immigrants, even when black Americans have a higher academic background. Compared to white Americans, black Americans have inferior health standards. We had a lower health state throughout our early years. I felt that we had not been fully incorporated into the American educational system. Even though the American school system was designed to be inclusive, it was not acceptable for all cultures. Until lately, there were restrictions on the degree of school or institution that a person might attend.
Me: As an immigrant and a black American, have you encountered discriminatory practices?
Respondent: Yes, I've encountered prejudice in public places and at college. We are placed in the same bracket as black Americans born in the United States. Even before you break the law, our ethnicity is labeled as violent. Because most scholars see black people as deficient in complexity, a one-sided perspective of black society contributes to prejudice in school and the workplace, which frequently contributes to stereotyping from other people and students. For a long time, Democrats have fought for equality and freedom, most of whom are people of color. Due to a lack of opportunity to enhance their talents, blacks have been unable to progress throughout time. When Barack Obama was president, black folks felt like they had a voice. Surprisingly, the problem improved, although it was never completely gone. Racism in the public realm inhibits black people's access to the same opportunities as white people. As a result, they have a lower likelihood of entering society rich.
Employees mainly in science, technology, and mathematics (STEM) earn less than their white counterparts. Inadequately trained whites make more than black American people with the appropriate qualifications. Most of the time, blacks are harassed while whites rest and advance. It takes many years for a black employee to succeed in a company or get a raise in income. As a result, most black workers are compelled to accept jobs below their skills. They are subjected to deplorable employment conditions and must work overtime to meet their basic needs and assist those they have left behind in their homeland.
Me: Do you believe you have the freedoms and rights you expect as an immigrant who has become an American resident?
Respondent: The problem of equality, um, is a significant worry. Although the United States claims to be an immigration nation, immigrants are divided into categories based on race or ethnicity. They are then regarded as though they were native-born Americans. Stereotyping in schools and open places contributes to the inequality problem. One of my worries is the problem of language, in which everyone is required to talk in the same manner as white people to be deemed American. Communication is the foundation of identification, and although certain words are pronounced differently than others does not render them inferior.
In the American commun...