Work Cited
Rutherford, Paul. Weapons of Mass Persuasion: Marketing the War Against Iraq. Ontario: University of Toronto Press Incorporated, 2004.
O’Donnell, Patrick, We Were One. Philadelphia, Da Capo Press Books, 2007
Tumber, Howard., and Palmer, Jerry. Media at War. California, SAGE Publications Inc., 2004
Sylvester, Judith., and Huffman, Suzanne. Reporting from the Front: The Media and the Military. Maryland, Rowman &Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2005
Lehrer, Jim. Public Broadcast System. Online News Hour. 2003, 2 Dec. 2009. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media/jan-june03/embeds_04-01.html
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Embedded Journalism. 2009. 1 Dec. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embedded_journalism
International News Safety Institute. Iraq War: Iraq Casualties. 2009. 5 Dec. 2009. http://www.newssafety.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5425&Itemid=100489
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Media and War: Iraq
Most people do not to put themselves in dangerous situations. They do not wish to have bullets miss them by millimeters and do not want to run the risk of losing their lives to improvised explosive devices carefully place on roadsides by people whom want to take their lives. Most people never want to see a person, possibly a friend, lose their lives do to extreme blood loss from losing an arm or a leg. Most people never want to experience the horrors of war first hand. Soldiers are not the only people who put their lives on the line. There are those who prepare for battle in a different way. They do not arm themselves with weapons and ammunition. They arm themselves with cameras and video equipment. These individuals are fighting for the right of information. They have seen firsthand the heartbreak, the victories and the closeness of Soldiers. Media reporters have begun a new era of reporting wars. Never in the past has a war been so widely broadcasted. Reporters during the second Iraq War have gotten up close and personal with the ugly faces of war.
Beginning in 2003, journalists were embedded with military units. Embedded journalism “refers to news reporters being attached to military units involved in armed conflicts” (Wikipedia). In this never before attempted mission, reporters were given the opportunity to become closely involved and report from the front lines. There were around nine hundred and twenty official embedded slots offered to the media. The media organizations were offered those slots, which were divided among the different branches of the military. The Army held the most opportunities for reporters to become embedded, three hundred and fifty one slots, while Special Operations held only fifteen slots. However, not all of the embedded slots were used. Reports vary, but estimates of embedded reporters, journalists and television crews soared over five hundred at the beginning of the second Iraq War. Over three thousand reporters and television crews were scattered within the region (Media at War). There were freelance journalist, television personnel and others in country during the beginning stages of the war. As the fighting continues the numbers have dropped consistently, few remain embedded at this point. The access to the fighting was not limited to large scale media outlets; members of the media community were all given access. Seventy percent of allotted slots were given to the national media, ten percent to local media and twenty percent to international media sources (Reporting from the Front, page 51).
While embedded reporters had been granted never before given access to the front lines the risks were high. Many concerns were voice at the beginning and during the embedded period. Safety of civilian reporters was a major concern throughout the operations. While many reporters were embedded, estimates range between fifty and sixty individuals who were actually directly involved within combat (Media at War). Soldiers have an abundance of training on how to handle combat, the goal of the training is to ensure when in a combat zone and direct combat Soldiers know their mission and roles. Soldiers simulate combat situations and stresses before they ever deploy to a war torn country, reporters do not. However they did receive a small amount of training to ensure their safety. Unilateral reporters did not receive such training therefore, were at a higher risk. The Soldiers were then given the task of ensuring the reporters safety and security. They could not however, guarantee security of individual reporters not embedded within their unit. Reporters who chose to leave their embedded units or were never embedded to begin with ran the even higher risk of being injured, captured or killed. Non embedded reporters were called unilateral reporters, they caught rides with military forces whenever they could and went were ever they could, they would in an essence “surf the convoys” (Reporting from the Front, page 159). There have been casualties amongst the news community, reporters, television crews and journalists have all paid the ultimate price in reporting news front the front lines. From the start of the second Iraq War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, two hundred and fifty six individuals have lost their lives according to the International News Safety Institute (http://www.newssafety.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5425&Itemid=1004. deaths began at the start of the war and continue to this day. Death is quite a penalty to pay for giving the world the opportunity to witness war.
There were also many concerns about the information that the reporters would be allowed to release to the public. Some sources believe that the military censored and withheld information from the public as a way to persuade the people of the world into believing the war was just and necessary (Weapons of Mass Persuasion). However, a very large concern was the operational success and the safety of Soldiers and the media. In the very beginning of the embedding processes journalists and news companies were required to sign documentation concerning what they could and could not report on. “No details of future operations, no private satellite telephones or cell phones, no travelling in their own vehicles whilst in an embedded status, no photography showing level of security or an enemy prisoner of war or a detainee’s face, nametag or other identifying features” (Media at War, page 16). “Under the embedding guidelines, journalists agree not to disclose exactly where they are or everything they see.” (Terence Smith, www.pbs.org). Military operations and safety depended on the reporter’s discretion. If a reporter gave out the wrong information, they could have possibly endangered themselves and the success of future missions. Locations, times, dates and other intelligence information is kept secret for a reason, the safety and success of individuals at war depend on secrecy. Information could not be allowed to pass into the wrong hands. Lines were drawn and were expected to be followed. If a journalist, reporter or other news source crossed the line, they were asked to leave or escorted out of the country and away from the unit they were embedded with. In March of 2003, three reporters were asked, or made to leave the country. Peter Arnett, reporter NBC, agreed to be interview by an Iraqi controlled television channel without authorization. Because of his actions he was not only asked to leave Iraq, but he lost his job. Philip Smucker was escorted out of the country because of a live CNN interview in which he “provided to much information about troop position” (Reporting from the Front). Minute to minute details of the war were readily available. Technological advances let people, who were safe inside their homes across the oceans of the world, see what war is like first hand, in real time footage. Security of those in harm’s way was taken seriously.
Individuals covering the war hand many different reasons for risking their lives to bring home the news. Some, like Anne Garrles from National Public Radio, wanted to be the “eyes and ears on the ground”. Ed Timms, Dallas Morning News, went to “provide my newspaper’s readers with some insight into the situation in Iraq” (Reporting from the Front). Patrick O’Donnell, author, went to tell the Marines who took Fallujah story’s. Some of the reporters saw massive military casualties, seventy percent of the unit O’Donnell was embedded with, did not make it home. Reporters, journalists and others felt the world deserved to know what was happening in Iraq. Some reporters concentrated on causalities, some on rebuilding and some on the stories of the people affected by the war. For many family members and communities the reports from the media was news of their loved ones overseas. Small town newspapers had journalist embedded, and those men and women were a direct line to their children, mothers, fathers and friends fighting in Iraq. The articles written by reporters were sometimes the only news family received about the units fighting in Iraq. Others like Bill Owens “took pictures of people and sent them back to wives and mothers via emails” (Reporting from the Front page 159) Having embedded media allowed for the first time family member’s real up to date information their loved ones could not give them.
While in country, embedded reporters were expected to stay within their units unless they were compelled to do otherwise. While embedded they were at least somewhat protected. The media members were not bound to stay with the units forever, they were allowed to leave whenever they felt it was necessary for them to do so. Once ready to leave, they were allowed to, as time and security allowed. Many individuals decided the risk was too high for them to stay embedded with some units, such as the ones who were the first into Fallujah, those units which did sustain high casualties. The reporters were not made to stay with the units, by no means was it required for them to continue if they felt their lives were in jeopardy. Many reporters never saw combat actions and those who did will likely never forget it.
Many first happened within the war that would not have happened without the reporters and journalists being so close to the action. Cheryl Diaz Meyer, a female photographer, was embedded with a Tank Battalion. After telling a female officer in the military what unit she would be embedded into the female officer replied, “You know, if you were a woman Marine, you’d be making history. There are no women who will be as forward in battle as you will be.” (Reporting the Front, page 91) Women are simply not in Tank Battalions, which is a combat driven career in the military, which women are not allowed to do. It was the first war where reporters were embedded along the troops and it was the first war which had so many reporters as causalities.
Reporters and military personnel lived side by side and endured the same hardships together.
There was concern that the reporters would not be objective because of the growing relationships with the Soldiers they were with. Some major news organizations told their employees to use the term them, not we, especially when doing live coverage. Some found that difficult because they were with them and went through everything the Soldiers went through. “It’s generally people who have not been embedded who say, ‘You can’t say we.’ They didn’t live it.” (Cheryl Diaz Meyer, Reporting the Front, page 94) Reporters were directly affected by the actions the military members took while embedded. They had a vested interest in the success of operations; their own survival depended upon it. It is hard to remain unbiased when your life it in the hands of others. “Journalists were slowly enveloped into an unfamiliar occupational world of the military from which there was no chance of distancing themselves.” (Media at War, page 62) Living amongst Soldiers for an extended period of time teaches empathy and sympathy.
Reporters that were embedded told more than a story. They gave family members piece of mind in small town newspaper additions. They bonded with troops and share their lives. They showed the public the different faces of war. The media covered casualty numbers along with welfare missions combat roles and elections. Sometimes they divulged too much information that could have risk people’s lives, but as a whole they contributed to the people’s perception of war. They risked their lives to get information to the masses, and while doing that some civilian reporters and journalists lost their lives. They paid the ultimate sacrifice for their jobs and in doing so they showed some of the true horrors of war.
Beginning in 2003, journalists were embedded with military units. Embedded journalism “refers to news reporters being attached to military units involved in armed conflicts” (Wikipedia). In this never before attempted mission, reporters were given the opportunity to become closely involved and report from the front lines. There were around nine hundred and twenty official embedded slots offered to the media. The media organizations were offered those slots, which were divided among the different branches of the military. The Army held the most opportunities for reporters to become embedded, three hundred and fifty one slots, while Special Operations held only fifteen slots. However, not all of the embedded slots were used. Reports vary, but estimates of embedded reporters, journalists and television crews soared over five hundred at the beginning of the second Iraq War. Over three thousand reporters and television crews were scattered within the region (Media at War). There were freelance journalist, television personnel and others in country during the beginning stages of the war. As the fighting continues the numbers have dropped consistently, few remain embedded at this point. The access to the fighting was not limited to large scale media outlets; members of the media community were all given access. Seventy percent of allotted slots were given to the national media, ten percent to local media and twenty percent to international media sources (Reporting from the Front, page 51).
While embedded reporters had been granted never before given access to the front lines the risks were high. Many concerns were voice at the beginning and during the embedded period. Safety of civilian reporters was a major concern throughout the operations. While many reporters were embedded, estimates range between fifty and sixty individuals who were actually directly involved within combat (Media at War). Soldiers have an abundance of training on how to handle combat, the goal of the training is to ensure when in a combat zone and direct combat Soldiers know their mission and roles. Soldiers simulate combat situations and stresses before they ever deploy to a war torn country, reporters do not. However they did receive a small amount of training to ensure their safety. Unilateral reporters did not receive such training therefore, were at a higher risk. The Soldiers were then given the task of ensuring the reporters safety and security. They could not however, guarantee security of individual reporters not embedded within their unit. Reporters who chose to leave their embedded units or were never embedded to begin with ran the even higher risk of being injured, captured or killed. Non embedded reporters were called unilateral reporters, they caught rides with military forces whenever they could and went were ever they could, they would in an essence “surf the convoys” (Reporting from the Front, page 159). There have been casualties amongst the news community, reporters, television crews and journalists have all paid the ultimate price in reporting news front the front lines. From the start of the second Iraq War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, two hundred and fifty six individuals have lost their lives according to the International News Safety Institute (http://www.newssafety.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5425&Itemid=1004. deaths began at the start of the war and continue to this day. Death is quite a penalty to pay for giving the world the opportunity to witness war.
There were also many concerns about the information that the reporters would be allowed to release to the public. Some sources believe that the military censored and withheld information from the public as a way to persuade the people of the world into believing the war was just and necessary (Weapons of Mass Persuasion). However, a very large concern was the operational success and the safety of Soldiers and the media. In the very beginning of the embedding processes journalists and news companies were required to sign documentation concerning what they could and could not report on. “No details of future operations, no private satellite telephones or cell phones, no travelling in their own vehicles whilst in an embedded status, no photography showing level of security or an enemy prisoner of war or a detainee’s face, nametag or other identifying features” (Media at War, page 16). “Under the embedding guidelines, journalists agree not to disclose exactly where they are or everything they see.” (Terence Smith, www.pbs.org). Military operations and safety depended on the reporter’s discretion. If a reporter gave out the wrong information, they could have possibly endangered themselves and the success of future missions. Locations, times, dates and other intelligence information is kept secret for a reason, the safety and success of individuals at war depend on secrecy. Information could not be allowed to pass into the wrong hands. Lines were drawn and were expected to be followed. If a journalist, reporter or other news source crossed the line, they were asked to leave or escorted out of the country and away from the unit they were embedded with. In March of 2003, three reporters were asked, or made to leave the country. Peter Arnett, reporter NBC, agreed to be interview by an Iraqi controlled television channel without authorization. Because of his actions he was not only asked to leave Iraq, but he lost his job. Philip Smucker was escorted out of the country because of a live CNN interview in which he “provided to much information about troop position” (Reporting from the Front). Minute to minute details of the war were readily available. Technological advances let people, who were safe inside their homes across the oceans of the world, see what war is like first hand, in real time footage. Security of those in harm’s way was taken seriously.
Individuals covering the war hand many different reasons for risking their lives to bring home the news. Some, like Anne Garrles from National Public Radio, wanted to be the “eyes and ears on the ground”. Ed Timms, Dallas Morning News, went to “provide my newspaper’s readers with some insight into the situation in Iraq” (Reporting from the Front). Patrick O’Donnell, author, went to tell the Marines who took Fallujah story’s. Some of the reporters saw massive military casualties, seventy percent of the unit O’Donnell was embedded with, did not make it home. Reporters, journalists and others felt the world deserved to know what was happening in Iraq. Some reporters concentrated on causalities, some on rebuilding and some on the stories of the people affected by the war. For many family members and communities the reports from the media was news of their loved ones overseas. Small town newspapers had journalist embedded, and those men and women were a direct line to their children, mothers, fathers and friends fighting in Iraq. The articles written by reporters were sometimes the only news family received about the units fighting in Iraq. Others like Bill Owens “took pictures of people and sent them back to wives and mothers via emails” (Reporting from the Front page 159) Having embedded media allowed for the first time family member’s real up to date information their loved ones could not give them.
While in country, embedded reporters were expected to stay within their units unless they were compelled to do otherwise. While embedded they were at least somewhat protected. The media members were not bound to stay with the units forever, they were allowed to leave whenever they felt it was necessary for them to do so. Once ready to leave, they were allowed to, as time and security allowed. Many individuals decided the risk was too high for them to stay embedded with some units, such as the ones who were the first into Fallujah, those units which did sustain high casualties. The reporters were not made to stay with the units, by no means was it required for them to continue if they felt their lives were in jeopardy. Many reporters never saw combat actions and those who did will likely never forget it.
Many first happened within the war that would not have happened without the reporters and journalists being so close to the action. Cheryl Diaz Meyer, a female photographer, was embedded with a Tank Battalion. After telling a female officer in the military what unit she would be embedded into the female officer replied, “You know, if you were a woman Marine, you’d be making history. There are no women who will be as forward in battle as you will be.” (Reporting the Front, page 91) Women are simply not in Tank Battalions, which is a combat driven career in the military, which women are not allowed to do. It was the first war where reporters were embedded along the troops and it was the first war which had so many reporters as causalities.
Reporters and military personnel lived side by side and endured the same hardships together.
There was concern that the reporters would not be objective because of the growing relationships with the Soldiers they were with. Some major news organizations told their employees to use the term them, not we, especially when doing live coverage. Some found that difficult because they were with them and went through everything the Soldiers went through. “It’s generally people who have not been embedded who say, ‘You can’t say we.’ They didn’t live it.” (Cheryl Diaz Meyer, Reporting the Front, page 94) Reporters were directly affected by the actions the military members took while embedded. They had a vested interest in the success of operations; their own survival depended upon it. It is hard to remain unbiased when your life it in the hands of others. “Journalists were slowly enveloped into an unfamiliar occupational world of the military from which there was no chance of distancing themselves.” (Media at War, page 62) Living amongst Soldiers for an extended period of time teaches empathy and sympathy.
Reporters that were embedded told more than a story. They gave family members piece of mind in small town newspaper additions. They bonded with troops and share their lives. They showed the public the different faces of war. The media covered casualty numbers along with welfare missions combat roles and elections. Sometimes they divulged too much information that could have risk people’s lives, but as a whole they contributed to the people’s perception of war. They risked their lives to get information to the masses, and while doing that some civilian reporters and journalists lost their lives. They paid the ultimate sacrifice for their jobs and in doing so they showed some of the true horrors of war.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Interaction Between Food and Culture
Our group tried to narrow down the topic to pertain to three areas of the globe. One would be able to write an entire book about the food and cultures around the world. The focus of our paper would be on US, Asia and Europe areas.
Body:
Asia
1. materials, cooking styles, details during eating
2. short history and traditions behind those
3. role of food in people's life: celebration, decoration, social gathering, meaning of different food.
4. how food has changed and why. how food affect local people's life and behaviors.
Europe
1. materials, cooking styles, details during eating
2. short history and traditions behind those
3. role of food in people's life: celebration, decoration, social gathering, meaning of different food.
4. how food has changed and why. how food affect local people's life and behaviors.
America
1. materials, cooking styles, details during eating(ex: eating tools, manners)
2. short history and traditions behind those
3. role of food in people's life: celebration, decoration, social gathering, meaning of different food.
ex: what food means during different holidays and festivals. why
4. how food has changed and why. how food affect local people's life and behaviors.
ex: fast food become worldwide popular, why? flavors? no time to cook? culture aspect behind this
food mentioned in language, life style,
Body:
Asia
1. materials, cooking styles, details during eating
2. short history and traditions behind those
3. role of food in people's life: celebration, decoration, social gathering, meaning of different food.
4. how food has changed and why. how food affect local people's life and behaviors.
Europe
1. materials, cooking styles, details during eating
2. short history and traditions behind those
3. role of food in people's life: celebration, decoration, social gathering, meaning of different food.
4. how food has changed and why. how food affect local people's life and behaviors.
America
1. materials, cooking styles, details during eating(ex: eating tools, manners)
2. short history and traditions behind those
3. role of food in people's life: celebration, decoration, social gathering, meaning of different food.
ex: what food means during different holidays and festivals. why
4. how food has changed and why. how food affect local people's life and behaviors.
ex: fast food become worldwide popular, why? flavors? no time to cook? culture aspect behind this
food mentioned in language, life style,
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Outline for final paper
I. Introduction
A. The ongoing Iraq and Afghanistan War
II. What is happening in the war
A. Myths and false beliefs about the war
B. Soldiers making the difference
C. Welfare missions taking place
III. Why it is important not run from war
A. Improved living conditions
B. Stabilizing governments
C. Building Allies
IV. Conclusion
A. The ongoing Iraq and Afghanistan War
II. What is happening in the war
A. Myths and false beliefs about the war
B. Soldiers making the difference
C. Welfare missions taking place
III. Why it is important not run from war
A. Improved living conditions
B. Stabilizing governments
C. Building Allies
IV. Conclusion
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Final Paper
My thought is to cover the government (communist) control over the media in the country of Laos. Laos was one of my interviewee's countries.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Third Interview: Cambodia
Preparations for my third interview began shortly after I concluded my second interview. My objectives were to obtain information about the life of my friend that immigrated to the United States from Cambodia. I wanted to learn the reasons why he came to the United States and what he went through to immigrate here. I wanted the interview setting to be as comfortable and as inviting as possible to ensure that conversation would not be interrupted by any outside noise. My interview questions have evolved over the course of the three interviews. I focused a lot on family and culture within the families in the past two interviews. I touched on each question briefly with this interview, but I did not go to in depth about family in this interview. I set up the interview for Saturday November 7, 2009 at eight o’clock at my friend Tommy’s home. The interview did not happen on Saturday night, because his mother passed away on Saturday. Because of the circumstances, I tried to talk him out of doing the interview at all, but he would not hear of it. He told me we would do it in a few days instead. That is the primary reason my questions did not go too far into the family life. He was doing me a huge favor in letting me interview him at all, let alone right after his mother had passed. I did not want to cause him any more pain by asking about his mother and family. I prepared my tape recorder to make sure it was still working; it is after all practically and antique. I did not printed out two copies of the questions I would be asking, I did not want him to read the questions I had previously prepare because I did not want to make him feel that he had to answer every question that was listed. I gave him and idea about the information I was going to be asking instead.
I have known Tommy for about eight years. Since I was interviewing immigrants and not international students, the interviewee was just a phone call away. I called him immediately following class after I found out that I could do interviews with immigrants. He was willing to be interviewed, I told him that I would schedule a time in the next couple of weeks with him. He was just completing a training course for school and I wanted to give him time to complete it before he had to spend time in an interview with me. Once he completed the course we scheduled the interview. I probably had an easier time securing the interviews then the other students in the class. I knew the interviewees before so I did not have to approach strangers. I would not have originally chosen friends to interview, however it was the easiest thing for me to do with my other obligations like work. I am lucky to have such good friends that were so open about their experiences and their lives. With all of the interviews, we mostly stayed on task and kept chit chat to a minimum, which surprised my somewhat. Since they were my friends I thought we would get off subject quite a bit, but we did not.
We conducted the interview at Tommy’s house. I did not want to inconvenience him by making him meet me somewhere; we live over an hour apart. I wanted to make him as comfortable as possible, especially since he had just lost his mother. After rearranging the interview time we conducted the interview on November 9, 2009 at about eight o’clock. The first few minutes we exchanges small talk and caught up on each other’s lives. I then explained what we would be talking about and we started the recorder. With the circumstances being what they were, I did not want to be pushy in any way. I asked basic questions and he talked about anything that came to his mind. I was not overly concerned if I missed a question that I had previously written, because he was telling me about his life as an immigrant. I believe whatever he wanted to tell me was worth listening to and being interested in. He did me a huge favor in talking with me so closely to the time his mother had passed away; he did not seem to want to talk too much about his mother or family. Out of respect for him I did not push the family subject.
Tommy Eam is an immigrant from Cambodia. He spent many years in the process of coming to the United States. He became an American citizen shortly before he was deployed to Iraq with the Minnesota Army National Guard a few years back. At that time he decided to legally change his name from Saraut Eam to Tommy Eam. No one could pronounce his Cambodian name correctly and he had been called Tommy for years anyways. I however have a difficult time calling him Tommy. His father passed away before his family fled Cambodia so, his mother took her family consisting of five children to freedom. His life in Minnesota is like any other person living here. He just completed a degree in Criminal Justice and is currently applying for jobs in the Law Enforcement field. He has twin teenage daughters, who are now fifteen years old. He has been in The Minnesota Army National Guard for eight years as a tank mechanic. Tommy does not ever want to return to Cambodia, he is a citizen of the United States and he is very proud of that fact. He told me he despises the government of Cambodia and everything it stands for. He still keeps up with the current affairs of Cambodia because he still has family that he has never met there. Tommy is one of the most patriotic people I have ever met and he continues to protect and help his country.
Many things during the interview with Tommy surprised and shocked me. During the last two interviews I had heard many things about the past conditions of some of the refugee camps in Thailand. However, the experiences that Tommy had and went through are so far beyond what I was told by the other interviewees, I was almost speechless. He witnessed Soldiers raping young women and even throwing one from a guard tower to her death. He told me men would walk around with guns and provoke refugees to run so that they Soldiers could shoot them. The people running the camps would keep most of the United Nations food rations for themselves and their families. This would lead the refugees to search for locus and crickets to eat. I cannot even fathom what that must have been like. Having to endure something like that is unimaginable. Tommy knows and is friends with the other individuals I interviewed, I asked him during the interview about the differences between his time and their time in the camps. The other interviewee’s time spent in the refugee camp while not pleasant was much less severe as Tommy’s. He explained to me that he went through the camps almost ten years earlier than the other two individuals; it must have improved during that time. The cruelty and inhumane treatment of people around the world is unbelievable. This did happen in the past; however, I cannot help but wonder if the same thing is now taking place around the world. The beginning of the interview was almost entirely about the conditions of the refugee camp, I did not push him to tell me about it he seemed as if he wanted to talk about it. During all three of my interviews, my friends were more than willing to tell me about the camps. I am amazed that they were all so open about their lives. I would have previously though that they would not want to talk about the horrors they have seen and experienced. I was very amused to find out that Tommy learned English by watching television, during the interview I forgot to ask him what shows he watched and which were his favorites. I will have to ask him when I see him next. During this process I have learned many things about the individuals that have immigrated to the United States from different countries. I am not sure if a lot of other immigrants have had similar experiences or not. But, I am sure that it has happened too many times. I have learned an incredible amount of information about my friends and hope that I did so professionally and sensitively. I am a lucky person to have such open and honest friend that were willing to share more about their lives with me, and my English class, then they ever have told me before.
The Kingdom of Cambodia is within the area of Southeast Asia. The country is bordered by Thailand to the North and the west, Laos to the Northeast and Vietnam to the East. The country “lies entirely in the tropics” (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia). The Mekong River is a dominant aspect of the geography of Cambodia. The primary agriculture of the Kingdom is rice, with 59% of the population relying on the rice production (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia). The garment industry has had a large boom within the past few years, eighty percent of the exported good from Cambodia are garments (CIA: The World Factbook). Cambodia is a Constitutional Monarchy, ruled by the King Norodom Sihamoni. The prime minister of the country is Hun Sen, who has had ties to the Communist party and the Khmer Rouge. In 1993 the first election in over twenty-five years took place in Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge had been force out of the country by 1991, but still was able to put fear into the voting public by killing United Nations personnel with in Cambodia, to prevent the elections. Even through the fear, ninety percent of registered voters voted between May 23 and May 28, 1993. They were voting for a new National Assembly that would be responsible for the writing a new constitution (Cornell). The people of Cambodia are extremely poor; thirty-five percent of the population is below the poverty line (CIA: The World Factbook). “Being poor in Cambodia means eating less than a pound of meat a month and a family earning less than six hundred dollars from a rice crop that has occupied most of its labor intensively for the equivalent of three months.” (Cornell) The people of Cambodia celebrate many holidays within the year. The Cambodian New Year is an important celebration in the month of April. Within the three day event there are many celebrations and people give gifts to monks and their parents. Children show respect to their parents by giving them money and washing their feet. On the last day of the holiday the Buddha statues in the Cambodian families’ homes are washed to ask for good rain falls within the next year (Fathertime’s). This holiday is celebrated all around the world by Cambodians, my last interviewee Tommy celebrates every year with his family here in Minnesota. Most of the Cambodians follow the religions of Buddhism or Hinduism. Ninety-six percent of the people in Cambodia are Buddhists (CIA World Factbook). Cambodians are very family oriented and often offer food and drink to their family members that have passed on. Family is an important aspect of everyday living, respect for parents and elders are even visible in the dating world. Children often do not date without the permission of their parents. Cambodia is a country with a rich history and a past that has had many civil wars within its borders. In the past they have not only fought among themselves, but with countries that surrounds
Third Interview Transcript
Tommy (Saruat) Eam
6Nov09
M: How many languages do you speak and what are they?
T: I speak Khmer and English
M: Where does Khmer originate?
T: What I know is our blood line comes from India, but we as Khmer are mix with Chinese and Vietnamese
M: Is Khmer and ethnicity also?
T: Yes, and it is what we speak.
M: Did you know English when you immigrated here?
T: No, I had to learn as I went and I didn't learn English in school. I learned English by watching TV.
M: Did they not have English as a second language classes available to you?
T: No they did not have English as a second language.
M: Where did you immigrate from?
T: Cambodia, through Thailand then the Philippines and Georgia. Cambodian bloodlines come from India. Most Cambodians are mixed with Chinese and Vietnamese, I am a quarter Chinese. My grandfather was full Chinese.
M: Why did you leave Cambodia to come the United States?
T: In 1969 a civil war broke out and by the time I was born the war was really bad. The Khmer Rouge was based on communism, but we believed in democracy. My father was part of the Royal Cambodia Force, he was a colonel. Because of that the government was searching for our family to execute, us so we had to flee.
M: Was the civil war involved with the Vietnam War.
T: When the Vietnamese did invaded our country the Khmer Rouge and the Royal Force joined together to fight against the Vietnamese, but once the Vietnamese were gone they started to fight again between themselves. Both forces hated each other, but they hated the Vietnamese more.
M: Did you go through a refugee camp in Thailand?
T: Yes, first one was on the border of Thailand and Cambodia. We lived in a hut; we didn’t have much we slept on a bamboo bed with no mattress.
M: What were the living conditions like?
T: Very bad.
M: Did they feed you well?
T: No, the United Nations was in charge of the refugee camp, but the employees that ran the camp were all Thai people and Soldiers. When we got there we had five people in my family. We were supposed to get food rations from the UN. When they gave us our food rations we only received a small portion of what we were supposed to receive. They kept at least half of the food rations we were supposed to receive for themselves and their families. We were treated badly by that Thai people and the Thai government.
M: How many camps did you go through?
T: We went through 2 camps in Thailand before we were exported to the Philippines.
T: The second refugee camp was Kowdan, I have no idea how it is spelt. In the refugee camp they treated the Cambodian like dogs. They would rape the women and kill people Thai soldiers did not care about rights. They would beat you up and run you down.
M: Even the children?
T: Yep, I remember one time they raped a young girl and then just dropped her off of a guard tower, killing her. They would also round up all the kids and make them, including me, shine their boots and give them massages. If you didn’t do it you would be beat. They would force the refugees to cross the borders in to Cambodia, just so they could shoot at them. They had the guns so you had to do what they told you to do.
T: If there was fighting with the Khmer Rouge on the borders and they didn’t win, they would take it out on the refugees. They would try to make them run to shoot at them.
T: We would get up really early to catch crickets and locus to eat. We were starving, because they were stealing our food for their own families, we ate whatever we could just to get some protein.
T: I do not respect of like the Thai government or the Thai people.
T: They would give you appointments to begin the process for you to be exported to the Philippines. They would make you walk to Bangkok. This was to make sure you could leave the refugee camp. They gave you an identification badge that you had to have pinned to your shirt to show who you were. If you got caught without the badge it they would pin it to your skin to give you a message not to forget to wear the badge.
M: So it was like the star the Jewish people wore during WWII?
T: Yep, exactly like that it identified us as refugees.
M: I know the Tous went through camps in Thailand also. I know it was bad when they went through, but it seems like it was a lot worse for you?
T: Yeah, I went through the camps in the seventies they went through in the eighties, it must have gotten better. I am a bit older then they are.
M: Did you go school in Cambodia or in the refugee camps?
T: It was available in the refugee camps. They taught in Cambodian, but I did not go.
T: After the process for leaving the refugee camp we went through to the Philippines. I was there for three years. When I first got there they tried to assimilate us to the United States culture because they knew we were going to the US. They gave us item that were “American”, we got butter and a few other things. I had never seen butter before.
M: Did you like the butter?
T: Nope, I still don’t like butter.
M: Where the conditions better in the Philippines?
T: Yes, the government was very nice to immigrants; we had electricity and running water. We had freedom, I can’t remember if there where food rations, but if we were hungry were could go hunting in the jungle for food. We weren’t allowed to do that before. The school in Philippines started to teach us English, but I thought it was more fun to skip school. So, the only thing I learned was yes and no in English.
M: So you didn’t get in trouble for skipping school?
T: No
M: What is the government like in Cambodia?
T: It is like a Communist country. The prime minister is like a puppet to the Vietnamese government Hun Sen was captured by the Vietnamese when they invaded Cambodia, he was a Colonel in Cambodian
Khmer Rouge. The Vietnamese basically put him into power. The king’s son is still in power also, but the prime minister is more powerful because he is backed by Vietnam.
M: So, is Cambodia still at war?
T: Yes, because the two government faction is still at war, but Hun Sen has more power.
M: Philippines to Georgia how long were you in Georgia?
T: Six months.
M: Did you go to school there?
T: No were left there after 6 month and when to California.
M: How long were you in California?
T: From 1985 to 1991 and then we came to Minnesota.
M: Why did you come to Minnesota?
T: For better schooling and Long Beach was a gang infested town.
M: What is the Cambodia culture like?
T: The Cambodian cultures are very traditional, respect the elders, boys and girls can not start dating without their parent’s approval.
M: So the family is important?
T: Yeah, the family unit is very important in the Cambodian culture.
M: What kind of religion is believed by Cambodians?
T: Most Cambodians believe in Hinduism and Buddhism, a lot of people follow both. Hinduism ruled for a very long time, but people kind of thought it was too strict so they converted to Buddhism.
M: When you first got here was it hard to adapt?
T: Yes, it was very hard to adapt a new culture and a new language. Like, I never saw people kissing in public before that was something that was forbidden in our culture. You were supposed to be in private for that. The food was also different.
M: What you say that hardest difference was?
T: Adapting an over coming, just trying to fit in.
M: Did people treat you ok?
T: Ah, yes and no, the American culture is afraid of the unknown, there were racial slurs. That’s why they say alien, its unknown, even our green card said alien, and I mean why do you call us aliens? I mean you were and “alien” at one point to this new land.
M: What kind of traditional and cultural things do you celebrate here that you did there?
T: The New Year, we go to the temple. On the Day of the Dead we go to the temple and we offer food to our passed on elders. My sisters will still set aside food, for the people that have passed on, during meals. I don’t really do that anymore. The food is for our family, I guess my mom now.
M: Do you celebrate the American holidays?
T: Yeah, Christmas and Thanksgiving.
M: Do you ever want to go back to Cambodia?
T: No, I despise the government of Cambodia and everything they stand for I divorced the country to become an American. They have done nothing but hurt the people and my family, American is the country I choose to love.
M: Do you have family there?
T: Yes, I do my uncle and aunt and cousins, I never met any of them.
M: Would you be interested to meet them?
T: Yeah, I have heard a lot about my dad’s side of the family but never heard it from him or them.
M: So did your dad stay there in Cambodia?
T: No, my dad died during the war of malaria.
M: So what do you do now?
T: I enlisted in the military because I believe so much in the constitution and because of everything it has done for my family. That’s why I love the United States, because they treat everyone the same. I would not have what I have if I didn’t come here. People here can complain about the government but, they have never lived in a third world country. I mean we have freedom of speech, welfare, food, and shelter you don’t have that in a third world country. You could die on the streets there; here you have all that help you can get.
M: So that is why you became a citizen?
T: I became a citizen because this is the only country I know. I am no less or no more than anyone else here.
Work Cited
“Cambodian History and Personal Stories”. Cambodia: A Classroom Study. 6Nov2009. http://www.einaudi.cornell.edu/southeastasia/outreach/resources/cambodiawebunit/History.html#Cambodia%20Today
“Cambodia.” CIA-The World Factbook. 6Nov2009. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cb.html
“Cambodian New Year.” Fathertime’s.net. 7Nov2009. http://www.fathertimes.net/cambodiannewyear.htm
I have known Tommy for about eight years. Since I was interviewing immigrants and not international students, the interviewee was just a phone call away. I called him immediately following class after I found out that I could do interviews with immigrants. He was willing to be interviewed, I told him that I would schedule a time in the next couple of weeks with him. He was just completing a training course for school and I wanted to give him time to complete it before he had to spend time in an interview with me. Once he completed the course we scheduled the interview. I probably had an easier time securing the interviews then the other students in the class. I knew the interviewees before so I did not have to approach strangers. I would not have originally chosen friends to interview, however it was the easiest thing for me to do with my other obligations like work. I am lucky to have such good friends that were so open about their experiences and their lives. With all of the interviews, we mostly stayed on task and kept chit chat to a minimum, which surprised my somewhat. Since they were my friends I thought we would get off subject quite a bit, but we did not.
We conducted the interview at Tommy’s house. I did not want to inconvenience him by making him meet me somewhere; we live over an hour apart. I wanted to make him as comfortable as possible, especially since he had just lost his mother. After rearranging the interview time we conducted the interview on November 9, 2009 at about eight o’clock. The first few minutes we exchanges small talk and caught up on each other’s lives. I then explained what we would be talking about and we started the recorder. With the circumstances being what they were, I did not want to be pushy in any way. I asked basic questions and he talked about anything that came to his mind. I was not overly concerned if I missed a question that I had previously written, because he was telling me about his life as an immigrant. I believe whatever he wanted to tell me was worth listening to and being interested in. He did me a huge favor in talking with me so closely to the time his mother had passed away; he did not seem to want to talk too much about his mother or family. Out of respect for him I did not push the family subject.
Tommy Eam is an immigrant from Cambodia. He spent many years in the process of coming to the United States. He became an American citizen shortly before he was deployed to Iraq with the Minnesota Army National Guard a few years back. At that time he decided to legally change his name from Saraut Eam to Tommy Eam. No one could pronounce his Cambodian name correctly and he had been called Tommy for years anyways. I however have a difficult time calling him Tommy. His father passed away before his family fled Cambodia so, his mother took her family consisting of five children to freedom. His life in Minnesota is like any other person living here. He just completed a degree in Criminal Justice and is currently applying for jobs in the Law Enforcement field. He has twin teenage daughters, who are now fifteen years old. He has been in The Minnesota Army National Guard for eight years as a tank mechanic. Tommy does not ever want to return to Cambodia, he is a citizen of the United States and he is very proud of that fact. He told me he despises the government of Cambodia and everything it stands for. He still keeps up with the current affairs of Cambodia because he still has family that he has never met there. Tommy is one of the most patriotic people I have ever met and he continues to protect and help his country.
Many things during the interview with Tommy surprised and shocked me. During the last two interviews I had heard many things about the past conditions of some of the refugee camps in Thailand. However, the experiences that Tommy had and went through are so far beyond what I was told by the other interviewees, I was almost speechless. He witnessed Soldiers raping young women and even throwing one from a guard tower to her death. He told me men would walk around with guns and provoke refugees to run so that they Soldiers could shoot them. The people running the camps would keep most of the United Nations food rations for themselves and their families. This would lead the refugees to search for locus and crickets to eat. I cannot even fathom what that must have been like. Having to endure something like that is unimaginable. Tommy knows and is friends with the other individuals I interviewed, I asked him during the interview about the differences between his time and their time in the camps. The other interviewee’s time spent in the refugee camp while not pleasant was much less severe as Tommy’s. He explained to me that he went through the camps almost ten years earlier than the other two individuals; it must have improved during that time. The cruelty and inhumane treatment of people around the world is unbelievable. This did happen in the past; however, I cannot help but wonder if the same thing is now taking place around the world. The beginning of the interview was almost entirely about the conditions of the refugee camp, I did not push him to tell me about it he seemed as if he wanted to talk about it. During all three of my interviews, my friends were more than willing to tell me about the camps. I am amazed that they were all so open about their lives. I would have previously though that they would not want to talk about the horrors they have seen and experienced. I was very amused to find out that Tommy learned English by watching television, during the interview I forgot to ask him what shows he watched and which were his favorites. I will have to ask him when I see him next. During this process I have learned many things about the individuals that have immigrated to the United States from different countries. I am not sure if a lot of other immigrants have had similar experiences or not. But, I am sure that it has happened too many times. I have learned an incredible amount of information about my friends and hope that I did so professionally and sensitively. I am a lucky person to have such open and honest friend that were willing to share more about their lives with me, and my English class, then they ever have told me before.
The Kingdom of Cambodia is within the area of Southeast Asia. The country is bordered by Thailand to the North and the west, Laos to the Northeast and Vietnam to the East. The country “lies entirely in the tropics” (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia). The Mekong River is a dominant aspect of the geography of Cambodia. The primary agriculture of the Kingdom is rice, with 59% of the population relying on the rice production (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia). The garment industry has had a large boom within the past few years, eighty percent of the exported good from Cambodia are garments (CIA: The World Factbook). Cambodia is a Constitutional Monarchy, ruled by the King Norodom Sihamoni. The prime minister of the country is Hun Sen, who has had ties to the Communist party and the Khmer Rouge. In 1993 the first election in over twenty-five years took place in Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge had been force out of the country by 1991, but still was able to put fear into the voting public by killing United Nations personnel with in Cambodia, to prevent the elections. Even through the fear, ninety percent of registered voters voted between May 23 and May 28, 1993. They were voting for a new National Assembly that would be responsible for the writing a new constitution (Cornell). The people of Cambodia are extremely poor; thirty-five percent of the population is below the poverty line (CIA: The World Factbook). “Being poor in Cambodia means eating less than a pound of meat a month and a family earning less than six hundred dollars from a rice crop that has occupied most of its labor intensively for the equivalent of three months.” (Cornell) The people of Cambodia celebrate many holidays within the year. The Cambodian New Year is an important celebration in the month of April. Within the three day event there are many celebrations and people give gifts to monks and their parents. Children show respect to their parents by giving them money and washing their feet. On the last day of the holiday the Buddha statues in the Cambodian families’ homes are washed to ask for good rain falls within the next year (Fathertime’s). This holiday is celebrated all around the world by Cambodians, my last interviewee Tommy celebrates every year with his family here in Minnesota. Most of the Cambodians follow the religions of Buddhism or Hinduism. Ninety-six percent of the people in Cambodia are Buddhists (CIA World Factbook). Cambodians are very family oriented and often offer food and drink to their family members that have passed on. Family is an important aspect of everyday living, respect for parents and elders are even visible in the dating world. Children often do not date without the permission of their parents. Cambodia is a country with a rich history and a past that has had many civil wars within its borders. In the past they have not only fought among themselves, but with countries that surrounds
Third Interview Transcript
Tommy (Saruat) Eam
6Nov09
M: How many languages do you speak and what are they?
T: I speak Khmer and English
M: Where does Khmer originate?
T: What I know is our blood line comes from India, but we as Khmer are mix with Chinese and Vietnamese
M: Is Khmer and ethnicity also?
T: Yes, and it is what we speak.
M: Did you know English when you immigrated here?
T: No, I had to learn as I went and I didn't learn English in school. I learned English by watching TV.
M: Did they not have English as a second language classes available to you?
T: No they did not have English as a second language.
M: Where did you immigrate from?
T: Cambodia, through Thailand then the Philippines and Georgia. Cambodian bloodlines come from India. Most Cambodians are mixed with Chinese and Vietnamese, I am a quarter Chinese. My grandfather was full Chinese.
M: Why did you leave Cambodia to come the United States?
T: In 1969 a civil war broke out and by the time I was born the war was really bad. The Khmer Rouge was based on communism, but we believed in democracy. My father was part of the Royal Cambodia Force, he was a colonel. Because of that the government was searching for our family to execute, us so we had to flee.
M: Was the civil war involved with the Vietnam War.
T: When the Vietnamese did invaded our country the Khmer Rouge and the Royal Force joined together to fight against the Vietnamese, but once the Vietnamese were gone they started to fight again between themselves. Both forces hated each other, but they hated the Vietnamese more.
M: Did you go through a refugee camp in Thailand?
T: Yes, first one was on the border of Thailand and Cambodia. We lived in a hut; we didn’t have much we slept on a bamboo bed with no mattress.
M: What were the living conditions like?
T: Very bad.
M: Did they feed you well?
T: No, the United Nations was in charge of the refugee camp, but the employees that ran the camp were all Thai people and Soldiers. When we got there we had five people in my family. We were supposed to get food rations from the UN. When they gave us our food rations we only received a small portion of what we were supposed to receive. They kept at least half of the food rations we were supposed to receive for themselves and their families. We were treated badly by that Thai people and the Thai government.
M: How many camps did you go through?
T: We went through 2 camps in Thailand before we were exported to the Philippines.
T: The second refugee camp was Kowdan, I have no idea how it is spelt. In the refugee camp they treated the Cambodian like dogs. They would rape the women and kill people Thai soldiers did not care about rights. They would beat you up and run you down.
M: Even the children?
T: Yep, I remember one time they raped a young girl and then just dropped her off of a guard tower, killing her. They would also round up all the kids and make them, including me, shine their boots and give them massages. If you didn’t do it you would be beat. They would force the refugees to cross the borders in to Cambodia, just so they could shoot at them. They had the guns so you had to do what they told you to do.
T: If there was fighting with the Khmer Rouge on the borders and they didn’t win, they would take it out on the refugees. They would try to make them run to shoot at them.
T: We would get up really early to catch crickets and locus to eat. We were starving, because they were stealing our food for their own families, we ate whatever we could just to get some protein.
T: I do not respect of like the Thai government or the Thai people.
T: They would give you appointments to begin the process for you to be exported to the Philippines. They would make you walk to Bangkok. This was to make sure you could leave the refugee camp. They gave you an identification badge that you had to have pinned to your shirt to show who you were. If you got caught without the badge it they would pin it to your skin to give you a message not to forget to wear the badge.
M: So it was like the star the Jewish people wore during WWII?
T: Yep, exactly like that it identified us as refugees.
M: I know the Tous went through camps in Thailand also. I know it was bad when they went through, but it seems like it was a lot worse for you?
T: Yeah, I went through the camps in the seventies they went through in the eighties, it must have gotten better. I am a bit older then they are.
M: Did you go school in Cambodia or in the refugee camps?
T: It was available in the refugee camps. They taught in Cambodian, but I did not go.
T: After the process for leaving the refugee camp we went through to the Philippines. I was there for three years. When I first got there they tried to assimilate us to the United States culture because they knew we were going to the US. They gave us item that were “American”, we got butter and a few other things. I had never seen butter before.
M: Did you like the butter?
T: Nope, I still don’t like butter.
M: Where the conditions better in the Philippines?
T: Yes, the government was very nice to immigrants; we had electricity and running water. We had freedom, I can’t remember if there where food rations, but if we were hungry were could go hunting in the jungle for food. We weren’t allowed to do that before. The school in Philippines started to teach us English, but I thought it was more fun to skip school. So, the only thing I learned was yes and no in English.
M: So you didn’t get in trouble for skipping school?
T: No
M: What is the government like in Cambodia?
T: It is like a Communist country. The prime minister is like a puppet to the Vietnamese government Hun Sen was captured by the Vietnamese when they invaded Cambodia, he was a Colonel in Cambodian
Khmer Rouge. The Vietnamese basically put him into power. The king’s son is still in power also, but the prime minister is more powerful because he is backed by Vietnam.
M: So, is Cambodia still at war?
T: Yes, because the two government faction is still at war, but Hun Sen has more power.
M: Philippines to Georgia how long were you in Georgia?
T: Six months.
M: Did you go to school there?
T: No were left there after 6 month and when to California.
M: How long were you in California?
T: From 1985 to 1991 and then we came to Minnesota.
M: Why did you come to Minnesota?
T: For better schooling and Long Beach was a gang infested town.
M: What is the Cambodia culture like?
T: The Cambodian cultures are very traditional, respect the elders, boys and girls can not start dating without their parent’s approval.
M: So the family is important?
T: Yeah, the family unit is very important in the Cambodian culture.
M: What kind of religion is believed by Cambodians?
T: Most Cambodians believe in Hinduism and Buddhism, a lot of people follow both. Hinduism ruled for a very long time, but people kind of thought it was too strict so they converted to Buddhism.
M: When you first got here was it hard to adapt?
T: Yes, it was very hard to adapt a new culture and a new language. Like, I never saw people kissing in public before that was something that was forbidden in our culture. You were supposed to be in private for that. The food was also different.
M: What you say that hardest difference was?
T: Adapting an over coming, just trying to fit in.
M: Did people treat you ok?
T: Ah, yes and no, the American culture is afraid of the unknown, there were racial slurs. That’s why they say alien, its unknown, even our green card said alien, and I mean why do you call us aliens? I mean you were and “alien” at one point to this new land.
M: What kind of traditional and cultural things do you celebrate here that you did there?
T: The New Year, we go to the temple. On the Day of the Dead we go to the temple and we offer food to our passed on elders. My sisters will still set aside food, for the people that have passed on, during meals. I don’t really do that anymore. The food is for our family, I guess my mom now.
M: Do you celebrate the American holidays?
T: Yeah, Christmas and Thanksgiving.
M: Do you ever want to go back to Cambodia?
T: No, I despise the government of Cambodia and everything they stand for I divorced the country to become an American. They have done nothing but hurt the people and my family, American is the country I choose to love.
M: Do you have family there?
T: Yes, I do my uncle and aunt and cousins, I never met any of them.
M: Would you be interested to meet them?
T: Yeah, I have heard a lot about my dad’s side of the family but never heard it from him or them.
M: So did your dad stay there in Cambodia?
T: No, my dad died during the war of malaria.
M: So what do you do now?
T: I enlisted in the military because I believe so much in the constitution and because of everything it has done for my family. That’s why I love the United States, because they treat everyone the same. I would not have what I have if I didn’t come here. People here can complain about the government but, they have never lived in a third world country. I mean we have freedom of speech, welfare, food, and shelter you don’t have that in a third world country. You could die on the streets there; here you have all that help you can get.
M: So that is why you became a citizen?
T: I became a citizen because this is the only country I know. I am no less or no more than anyone else here.
Work Cited
“Cambodian History and Personal Stories”. Cambodia: A Classroom Study. 6Nov2009. http://www.einaudi.cornell.edu/southeastasia/outreach/resources/cambodiawebunit/History.html#Cambodia%20Today
“Cambodia.” CIA-The World Factbook. 6Nov2009. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cb.html
“Cambodian New Year.” Fathertime’s.net. 7Nov2009. http://www.fathertimes.net/cambodiannewyear.htm
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Second Interview Laos
Preparations for my second interview began shortly after I concluded my first interview. My objectives were to obtain a different perspective and learn more about the country Laos and the individuals that immigrate to the United States from there. I wanted to make the interview setting as comfortable and relaxed as possible to ensure as much open communication as possible. I used the same questions I previously used however; I did change the order in which I would ask the question. I did that for my own benefit; previously the questions did not follow a coherent path. I group the questions into similar ideas and topics. I then practiced the questions again to ensure I could remember them during the interview. I set up the interview for eight o’clock on Friday October 30th at a small coffee shop in Minneapolis. I did not want to intrude on my interviewee’s home and I reasoned that the coffee shop would not be too busy on the Friday night before Halloween, which it was not. I had been to the coffee shop before and knew there were a few quieter corners we could conduct our interview in. I prepared my tape recorder; flash back to the 80’s, to ensure it was in working order. I printed out two copies of the questions I would be asking, it worked well last time providing my interviewee with a copy. I think it makes them more comfortable knowing what is coming.
Tou and I have been friends for a few years. I was allowed to interview immigrants instead of students because of my schedule. To interview students would have been near impossible for me with work and school. I called Tou and asked him if he would mind if I interviewed him for my English class. He wondered, out loud, what he could possibly say that would be of interest to an English class. I explained what the paper was about, learning about new cultures, and he said that he was willing to participate. I did not have to ask a strange if I could interview him but, I wonder if that would have been an easier task. I believe that it is probably harder to stay on task and on time with friends. Other things seem to creep into the conversation. In the last interview, we stayed on task; I hoped that this interview would follow the same path.
I conducted the interview in a small coffee shop on the 30th of October. At eight o’clock we met and ordered a cup of coffee. We settled into a quiet corner in the shop and caught up on all of the simple things in life. After a while and a refill on our coffee I started the tape recorder and we began the interview. I started the interview with the easier questions, ones that did not go to in depth. How many languages do you speak? Is a question that does not require much thought to answer; it is an easy one that is a good beginning to an interview. It eases us into the question answer routine. It is an interesting thing to watch a bilingual person speak with another bilingual person. They almost weave their words in and out of one language to another, understanding what the other is saying in both tongues.
I interviewed my second friend Tou. He immigrated to the United States from the northern region of Laos. He came here during a time when it was not a good thing to be a Hmong individual living in Laos. Before coming to the United States, Tou lived in a refugee camp in Thailand for a few years. Once here he lived in California for a few more years and ended up in Minnesota, where he lives now. Tou has a large family consisting of brothers, sisters and many aunts, uncles and cousins. Most of his family is in Minnesota. That is why he left the warmth and sunshine of California and moved to the state of endless winters. He attended school in both California and Minnesota, learning English along the way. He loves this country and some day wishes to become a citizen.
There are two reasons why I did not transcribe this interview. I felt that during the interview Tou did not feel comfortable. Therefore I feel that he did not open up as much as he could have. The information that I did receive from him was very similar to the interview that I did last week. But, in no way could the two interviews be compared. The first Tou opened up considerably more than the second Tou did. I was however surprised to find out that both of the Hmong individuals that I interviewed came to the United States through a refugee camp. I cannot help but wonder what the circumstances would have to be like for a family to flee to a refugee camp. Tou did not go into too much description about life in a refugee camp but, from last week’s interview I know that it could not have been pleasant. I did not know how similar the two Tou’s experiences had been until I interviewed both of them. To think of all the Hmong that came to Minnesota alone, I wonder how many of their stories would be the same. The interview on Friday did not have quality information that I felt needed to be transcribed. During the actual interview there were quite a few awkward pauses and short to the point answers with no explanations. I appreciated the time he took out to talk with me. After the last question and answer I shut the recorder off before it could once again record a painfully, awkward silence. I thanked him again and we parted ways.
Laos is a country that is rich in history, culture and geography. Laos is a “landlocked” (Wikipedia) country in Southeast Asia; it has countries that border every side of the land. The geography varies in Laos between mountainous regions in the north to dense forests in the south. Among its landscape there are also some plateaus and plains. The Mekong River forms a large border between Laos and Thailand (Wikipedia). The capital of Laos is Vientiane, but there are other cities with substantial populations. The population of Laos is estimated at 6.8 million people within the 236,800 square kilometers of the country. There are many different ethnic groups within the boundaries of the country. The largest being the members of the Tai-Kadai language group at 66.2% and one of the smaller ethnic groups the Hmong-Yao at 7.4% (US Department of State). The main religion in Laos is Buddhism, with few other religions among the citizens. A communist government rules over the country, and controls many aspects of life. “Government-run broadcasting sector has played a crucial information and propaganda role, seeking to promote patriotism and socialist ideology amongst the Lao people” (Culture Profile). The major cities have access to the Internet by the government tightly enforces regulations on what may be accessed. The Communist government took control many years ago and has lead to many of the Hmong people to leave the country. During the Vietnam era Hmong Soldiers helped the United States in the fight against Communist. When the United States pulled their forces out many of the Hmong people were persecuted and killed for helping the government of the United States. The two individuals that I interviewed were just a few of the Hmong individuals who fled the communist government years after the Vietnam War. Laos is a poor country that consists of mostly agricultural farmers. The rice industry dominates the economy, employing 80% of the country’s population (US department of State). Unskilled worker hinder the country’s ability to produce a higher Gross Domestic Product. “Laos is one of the least urbanized countries in Southeast Asia.” (Countries and Their Culture) The family unit is very important in Laos. Once married, individuals rarely move far away from the family’s compound. Eldest children are often expected to take care of elderly parents until they pass on (Countries and Their Cultures). The life expectancy of individuals living in Laos is 56 years and the country has a infant mortality rate of “79.6/1,000” (US Department of State). Most people living in Laos are under thirty years old. This country has a rich history and I am sure a rich future.
Work Cited
“Laos. ” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 30 Oct. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laos
“Background Notes: Laos.” US Department of State. 31 Oct. 2009. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2770.htm
“Laos.” Countries and Their Cultures. 30 Oct. 2009. http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Laos.html
“Laos.” Cultural Profile. 31 Oct. 2009. http://www.culturalprofiles.net/laos/Directories/Laos_Cultural_Profile/-250.html
Tou and I have been friends for a few years. I was allowed to interview immigrants instead of students because of my schedule. To interview students would have been near impossible for me with work and school. I called Tou and asked him if he would mind if I interviewed him for my English class. He wondered, out loud, what he could possibly say that would be of interest to an English class. I explained what the paper was about, learning about new cultures, and he said that he was willing to participate. I did not have to ask a strange if I could interview him but, I wonder if that would have been an easier task. I believe that it is probably harder to stay on task and on time with friends. Other things seem to creep into the conversation. In the last interview, we stayed on task; I hoped that this interview would follow the same path.
I conducted the interview in a small coffee shop on the 30th of October. At eight o’clock we met and ordered a cup of coffee. We settled into a quiet corner in the shop and caught up on all of the simple things in life. After a while and a refill on our coffee I started the tape recorder and we began the interview. I started the interview with the easier questions, ones that did not go to in depth. How many languages do you speak? Is a question that does not require much thought to answer; it is an easy one that is a good beginning to an interview. It eases us into the question answer routine. It is an interesting thing to watch a bilingual person speak with another bilingual person. They almost weave their words in and out of one language to another, understanding what the other is saying in both tongues.
I interviewed my second friend Tou. He immigrated to the United States from the northern region of Laos. He came here during a time when it was not a good thing to be a Hmong individual living in Laos. Before coming to the United States, Tou lived in a refugee camp in Thailand for a few years. Once here he lived in California for a few more years and ended up in Minnesota, where he lives now. Tou has a large family consisting of brothers, sisters and many aunts, uncles and cousins. Most of his family is in Minnesota. That is why he left the warmth and sunshine of California and moved to the state of endless winters. He attended school in both California and Minnesota, learning English along the way. He loves this country and some day wishes to become a citizen.
There are two reasons why I did not transcribe this interview. I felt that during the interview Tou did not feel comfortable. Therefore I feel that he did not open up as much as he could have. The information that I did receive from him was very similar to the interview that I did last week. But, in no way could the two interviews be compared. The first Tou opened up considerably more than the second Tou did. I was however surprised to find out that both of the Hmong individuals that I interviewed came to the United States through a refugee camp. I cannot help but wonder what the circumstances would have to be like for a family to flee to a refugee camp. Tou did not go into too much description about life in a refugee camp but, from last week’s interview I know that it could not have been pleasant. I did not know how similar the two Tou’s experiences had been until I interviewed both of them. To think of all the Hmong that came to Minnesota alone, I wonder how many of their stories would be the same. The interview on Friday did not have quality information that I felt needed to be transcribed. During the actual interview there were quite a few awkward pauses and short to the point answers with no explanations. I appreciated the time he took out to talk with me. After the last question and answer I shut the recorder off before it could once again record a painfully, awkward silence. I thanked him again and we parted ways.
Laos is a country that is rich in history, culture and geography. Laos is a “landlocked” (Wikipedia) country in Southeast Asia; it has countries that border every side of the land. The geography varies in Laos between mountainous regions in the north to dense forests in the south. Among its landscape there are also some plateaus and plains. The Mekong River forms a large border between Laos and Thailand (Wikipedia). The capital of Laos is Vientiane, but there are other cities with substantial populations. The population of Laos is estimated at 6.8 million people within the 236,800 square kilometers of the country. There are many different ethnic groups within the boundaries of the country. The largest being the members of the Tai-Kadai language group at 66.2% and one of the smaller ethnic groups the Hmong-Yao at 7.4% (US Department of State). The main religion in Laos is Buddhism, with few other religions among the citizens. A communist government rules over the country, and controls many aspects of life. “Government-run broadcasting sector has played a crucial information and propaganda role, seeking to promote patriotism and socialist ideology amongst the Lao people” (Culture Profile). The major cities have access to the Internet by the government tightly enforces regulations on what may be accessed. The Communist government took control many years ago and has lead to many of the Hmong people to leave the country. During the Vietnam era Hmong Soldiers helped the United States in the fight against Communist. When the United States pulled their forces out many of the Hmong people were persecuted and killed for helping the government of the United States. The two individuals that I interviewed were just a few of the Hmong individuals who fled the communist government years after the Vietnam War. Laos is a poor country that consists of mostly agricultural farmers. The rice industry dominates the economy, employing 80% of the country’s population (US department of State). Unskilled worker hinder the country’s ability to produce a higher Gross Domestic Product. “Laos is one of the least urbanized countries in Southeast Asia.” (Countries and Their Culture) The family unit is very important in Laos. Once married, individuals rarely move far away from the family’s compound. Eldest children are often expected to take care of elderly parents until they pass on (Countries and Their Cultures). The life expectancy of individuals living in Laos is 56 years and the country has a infant mortality rate of “79.6/1,000” (US Department of State). Most people living in Laos are under thirty years old. This country has a rich history and I am sure a rich future.
Work Cited
“Laos. ” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 30 Oct. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laos
“Background Notes: Laos.” US Department of State. 31 Oct. 2009. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2770.htm
“Laos.” Countries and Their Cultures. 30 Oct. 2009. http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Laos.html
“Laos.” Cultural Profile. 31 Oct. 2009. http://www.culturalprofiles.net/laos/Directories/Laos_Cultural_Profile/-250.html
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Revised Country Information (Laos)
Laos is a country within Southeast Asia and is surrounded on all borders by another country. The geography of Laos varies from the North of the country to the South. In the northern region of the country mountains dominate the landscape. To the South dense forests populate the area. Citizens of this country grow The Mekong River separates the borders of Thailand and Laos. The country has many different ethnicities within its population. It varies from ethnic Lao to Hmong. The most practiced religion in Laos is Buddhism. However, within the Hmong community Shamanism it practiced. Shamanism is a religion that is based loosely on the aspects of the spirit world. During my interview, Tou compared the religion to the Native American one. (Yang, Tou. Personal interview. 22 October 2009). Where everything around you has a spirit. The Hmong population played a big role in the fight against communism during the Vietnam conflict. Because of that the some of the Hmong that did not flee the country were persecuted or killed after the United States pulled out of the area in the mid 1970’s (24 October 2009. http://www.laoveterans.com). Presently, some of the Hmong that originally fled are returning to the country. The government is a communist government to this day. It has joined an allegiance with other countries of Southeast Asia that is trying to improve conditions of the area. Laos is a developing country without a lot of the luxuries that we have become accustom to in the United States. In the city regions the intranet is now becoming more accessible by is highly monitored by the government. Literacy rate among adult has risen over the past few years. The familial unit is very important to the people of Laos and the Hmong community. The elders are often taken care of by their children until they pass away. (Yang, Tou. Personal Interview. 22 October 2009) The men in the family are often the ones to care for the elder parents, unless there are no sons. The women children are believed to have begun a new life with their married family and must work towards that family instead. What I would consider extended family, such as cousins and second cousin etc, they just consider them family and they all stick together.
First Interview
In the search for knowledge of different cultures and customs preparations need to be made in advance. For the report that follows I did many things to prepare myself for the task that needed to be completed. Originally, I was having difficulty trying to find time to interview an international student. I was not able to come to campus to locate any individuals to interview, work and other obligations gave me little time to focus my attention on finding an interviewee. Instead of interviewing international students on campus I was giving permission to interview immigrants at off campus locations. My questions then evolved to include more on cultural and familial differences between the United States and my chosen interviewee’s country of birth. I reviewed, revised and practiced the questions, to ensure they were understandable and open ended. I also jotted down follow up questions that I could ask within the same topic of the main question. The objectives for my interview were to learn something new about different counties and the individuals that immigrated to the United States. I brought with me a copy of the interview questions for Tou to review before I began recording. I am not a very technologically advanced individual; I used a tape recorder to record the interview. These preparations helped me to become more comfortable with the interview and in turn they helped the interview run more smoothly.
Finding individuals to interview was an easy task once I was granted permission to interview immigrants. I have many friends that I have known for a number of years that were born elsewhere in the world. They were all just a phone call away however; setting up interview times and locations was a bit tricky. While I did not have to search for interviewees, I did have to search for the time to conduct the interviews, as did the individuals. I did not have the awkward task of walking up to a stranger and asking if they would allow me to ask them person questions on their culture and their decision to come to a foreign country to study. However, knowing about the individuals and small amount of their background gave me reasons to ensure the questions I asked were as tactful as possible. With the goal to gain information in mind, I chosen individuals I felt would be open to the idea of sharing information about their lives in the countries of their birth and about their lives in the United States.
I wanted to make the interview setting as comfortable as possible. Knowing the first interviewee very well made it easy for the two of us to converse casually and stay on task. For the convenience of Tou, we conducted the interview at my Grandmother’s home, which is close to where he lives. I live and hour away and did not want to intrude on his family by asking to conduct the interview there. My grandmother’s house in a quiet and comfortable place and has a generous supply of cookies. We conducted the interview on the evening of October 22, 2009. We visited and caught up on all the events of life before the interview began. I conducted the interview more as a conversation then like an interview. I found myself not asking the questions off of the paper unless I was stuck and need to get back on task. The questions that I had prepared were more of a guideline of things that I wanted to cover. The interview did not follow the laid out plan of questions however, each topic I wanted to cover were talked about. The questions and answers I received flowed into the next set of questions I had. I informed him of the questions that I would be asking and began recording before the questions began. After a few minutes of talking we gradually forgot the recorder was taping our conversation. Since I am good friends with my interviewee, we did throw a few jokes around, but as a whole we stayed on task very well.
Tou was born in the country of Laos. He is the youngest of four siblings; two boys and a girl were born to his parents before he came along. Tou was born at the time the “rice was turning yellow” (Tou Yang), which is in the September/October time frame. His birthday October 12th was given to him upon entering a Thailand refugee camp. Many of the beginning years of his life were spent in different camps, to include refugee camps and prison camps, between Laos and Thailand. Only after his family fled a prison camp in Laos and spent years in different refugee camps did he come to the United States. This country was chosen by his parents, who had limited options on where they would bring their young family. The United States beat out Australia, only because he had multiple family members already in the United States and an Uncle here who agreed to sponsor their entrance into the country. Tou now lives in Minnnesota with his wife, three children and his mother. His brothers and sisters are frequent visitors, along with his extended family that consists of many cousins.
Even though I have known Tou for many years and have often asked many questions about his culture and past many of the responses to the interview questions surprised me. I knew that he had spent time in a refugee camp; however I did not fully understand the conditions or the actions of others within the camps. In the United States children are not only encouraged, but expected to play during the day. At one of the refugee camps in Thailand, the officials there would beat children if they were caught swimming under the fence that ran through the river between Thailand and Laos. The children would only be looking for fish, beta, for entertainment. To me, it is shocking that children would be beaten for a reason as small as that. It is almost unimaginable that places where things like that happen exist or have existed in the past. In the past when were talked about the refugee camps, I assumed it was not a pleasant place to live, but conditions like that is something I did not expect to hear. Living in a prison camp is also something that I found very shocking. We did not go into much detail about his time there, but I can only imagine the conditions to be worse than the refugee camp. After years of being at the camp, his father snuck his family out under the night sky to flee from the persecution. I cannot help but think of all of the other people in the world that have lived through and survived an ordeal such as the one my friend has gone through. I was surprised to learn about the spiritual world that some Hmong people live in. The traditions and beliefs that have been celebrated within the United States as well as Laos were interesting to learn about. One in particular stands out in my mind, the “calling of the spirits”. (Tou Yang) Every year, he and his family call their wandering spirits back to their bodies to prevent the spirits from wandering too far away. If the spirit does wander too far away and does not get called back, the physical body may fail, while the spirit is reincarnated into another physical object. That information is very interesting, to hear firsthand about a belief system which varies so much from my own is a learning experience in itself. This interview process and specifically the interview with Tou has been an eye opener for me. I have felt that I was fairly knowledgeable about other cultures and individuals. However, this interview has taught me to never believe that I know enough, I can always learn more about others around me. I am very lucky to have a friend that would not only allow me to ask his questions about his past life, religion and family, but to also answer the questions honestly and openly. During the interview I not only learned more about a culture and a people, but I learned a great deal more about a friend. What I learned was well worth the amount of time and stress put in to the assignment.
Laos, also known as the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a country whose history is full of turmoil. From the early ages to the not so past, war and political unrest have been common. Laos only has one legal political party, making it a communist state. The government strictly censors the information that is available to its citizens. There are few publications allowed, all which the government controls. Internet cafes are becoming more available in the city areas however; strict government controls are in place.
During the Vietnam Era, many Hmong citizens of Laos helped the United States military against the Communist Party.
After the United States pulled out many Hmong began to be persecuted and killed for helping the enemy. “About April 1975, the United States withdrew its troops from Indochina. During that time the rest of the Secret Army (Special Guerilla Units and other special units) who were left behind began to walk to the Mekong River and attempted to cross into Thailand. The Communists killed thousands of these soldiers and their families. During the evacuation, and in subsequent years, thousand of Hmong and Lao Veterans and their families were killed by communists North Vietnamese. Thousands died of starvation as they fled toward the security and freedom on the other shore of the Mekong River. Thousand drowned in the river before reaching the Thai border. Even today, despite official denial at senior levels of the government, the communist regime in Laos continues to persecute and discriminate against Hmong because of their role in the U.S. Secret Army.” (http://www.laoveterans.com, 2009).
This country is the only "landlocked” (www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107702.html 2009), every part of the country is bordered by another country. In the northern region Laos is mountainous and hilly, while the southern and eastern regions are dense forests. The Hmong people historically have been in the mountainous regions of Laos. Laos has many different ethnicities and a few different religions within its borders. The majority of the citizens are ethnic Lao. The few percentages include individuals from Hmong, Yoa, Doa and Shan ethnicities. The main religion in Laos in Buddhist, few are Christian.
In general the Laos community is one that is very family oriented. The family is a main aspect in day to day living.
Interview Transcript
M: Are you comfortable?
T: Yes
M: Okay, How many languages do you speak?
T: Two
M: Which are?
T : English and Hmong.
M: Hmong is a language?
T: It’s a people and a language I guess, it defines both.
M: So did you speak English when you can here?
T: No, I had to learn it.
M: Where did you originally come from?
T: I came from Laos, the mountain regions of Laos. I lived in a refugee camp in Thailand for a couple of years, and then moved to the States.
M: Where is Thailand in regards to Laos?
T: They are bordering countries, right around the area of Vietnam and Cambodia.
M: What was the refugee camp like?
T: Very hard to live in, the Thai government, or I wouldn’t say the government, the Thai soldiers there had powers over everyone they watched over. They treated you pretty much how they wanted to treat you.
M: Which was badly?
T: Um it depends. I mean if you got caught doing something they would probably beat you instead of taking you in and putting you in jail or something. Probably just beat you in the street and say learn your lesson there.
M: Like stealing or something?
T: Yeah maybe stealing but, mostly like the kids, they would just, I don’t know go in the river or swim or something like that. Because, Thailand and Laos border so they would just fence off some of the river ways and little kids would want to catch fish and stuff like that so they would swim under the gates and catch fish. If they ever got caught doing that they would be beat.
M: Did you catch fish though?
T: Yeah, it was very good fish, betas, you would catch them for fighting.
M: I thought you meant, you didn’t eat them?
T: No, these were fish that you caught to fight, you would fight them in little jars and stuff like that. We were kids.
M: I didn’t know they actually fought.
T: Yeah, you never seen fish fight before?
M: They are always supposed to be in one by themselves so they don’t fight.
T: Yeah, but over there it is something to pass the time, you didn’t really go to school, there was no school to go to.
M: In Thailand or Laos?
T: In Thailand. In Laos there was but, either you had to walk like 10 miles to school or your family had to be rich and you could go to school.
M: So everyone doesn’t go to school?
T: No, you would just work in the fields or tend to the chicken and pigs.
M: So had you stayed in Laos, you wouldn’t have gone to school?
T: Probably not, if I did I guess it would have been a very long walk.
M: But, if you had done the walk you would have been able to go?
T: Probably, but most kids stayed home to help the families just to get food.
M: Do families have a lot of kids?
T: They usually do just to help with the daily living.
M: Is that why they have a lot of kids?
T: One of the big reasons is that when they get older they like to have someone to look after them, they don’t have nursing homes or anything like that.
M: So is family important?
T: Yes, it is very important. It is like the basis for everything over there.
M: So, how many siblings do you have?
T: I have 2 older brothers and an older sister.
M: And are they all here?
T: Yes they are.
M: Do you see them a lot?
T: Almost every weekend.
M: What about your parents?
T: My father is deceased and my mother lives with me.
M: Is that common in you culture?
T: Yes, when they get older they live with the oldest one first and then move on down the line. They stay with the youngest until they pass.
M: So your mom has lived with everyone already?
T: They don’t usually stay with the girls. They say the girls have moved on and are starting their own life with their new family. So they usually, only stay with the boys unless there are no boys.
M: So, when you first moved to the United States, did you have a hard time adapting?
T: At first, I did. Like, going to school wasn’t normal. When we were in a refugee camp we moved to different locations and one of the last locations finally had a school. That kind of helped, but here the system is totally different. I guess when you go here you are expected to know English.
M: Did you have English as a second language classes?
T: When I first got here they didn’t really have anything like that. But I had a cousin in my class so she would help me, she knew English so she could help me a little bit. When I grew up there were more programs.
M: So you got thrown in without knowing English?
T: Yeah.
M: Why did you originally come to the United States?
T: We moved here because a lot of the Hmong people helped the United States in the war against the Communists and once the United States pulled out the government started killing off our people. They started persecuting us so we had to move.
M: What war?
T: Vietnam War, but after the US left the war still continued with in the countries themselves. So, whoever helped the US were taken as traitors and enemies and put into camps and whatever in Laos.
M Was anyone in your family directly involved with that?
T: Yeah my dad was part of a special guerilla unit that helped the green berets.
M: So once the US pulled out you pretty much had to move out?
T: Yeah, well we tried to stay a little later, we kind of turned ourselves over to the Vietnamese Laos, we called them that, I don’t know what the right term is, but we turned ourselves over and was like we are here but just don’t kill us or whatever. We stayed there for a couple of years and my brother and dad found a way out of the camp, so we just took off in the middle of the night.
M: With everyone?
T: Yep.
M: So your parents chose the United States because it was the best place to go or because it was the only thing offered?
T: This is pretty much offered, I guess we could have gone to Australia, but there was a lot of cousins already here, so one of my Uncles sponsored us, we just came over.
M: So what do you think the differences are between the United States and Laos, or the biggest difference?
T: The biggest difference I think is family wise in the United States, like I see when the kids get older here they just kinda move on and don’t stick around the family too often. I mean once and a while they will have a family gathering, like once a year or something like that, but in the Hmong culture even if they are your second cousin, first cousin, third cousin or whatever, as long as they are your cousin you all stay together. I don’t know.
M: Do you still have cousins in Laos?
T: I do but I don’t know them very much. It is hard to keep I contact with them, it just such a far distance that I probably would know how to talk to them anyways.
M: So is it just the cultural family differences?
T: Well, living standards is way better here. Over there you live in bamboo huts and your fireplace is your cooking stove.
M: So how is the food different?
T: The food there has no preservatives, everything you have to grow yourself and butcher yourself and nothing comes in packages.
M: Do you eat American food?
T: Yeah, we eat American food. It more like a combination of both, its not just traditional food or American food it is a little combination of everything kinda thrown in together.
M: Spicy?
T: Very spicy.
M: Very spicy, I’m sorry but you make really spicy food! Okay, so what kind of customs and traditions do you celebrate here that you celebrated in Laos?
T: Every year we celebrate the Hmong New Year, every one that lives in Minneapolis or St. Paul would probably know that. But, it also goes further than that, like in the home itself there is something called
Calling of the Spirits were every year. They say your spirit wanders off from your body, so you have to call it back.
M: With your family?
T: Yeah.
M? Is it a day long thing?
T: It’s like 3 days. They forbid you to use money because they say if you use money within those 3 days, for the rest of the year you’ll be a spender and you won’t keep any money because you can’t keep it for 3 days.
M: So what do you do in those three days?
T: You a stay healthy, you do what’s right, so that the rest of the year you do what’s right.
M: Have you ever spent money in those three days?
T: I have.
M: Did you find yourself spending more money throughout the year?
T: I did, that’s just the cultural belief.
M: What kind of religion or belief system do you base your faith on?
T: They call it Shaminism. I think it pretty accurate; it’s kind of like the Native Americans. We believe everything has a spirit and once your elders pass on they are in the spirit world. They get reincarnated and stuff like that.
M: So that’s why you do the Calling of the Spirits?
T: Yep, if your spirit wanders too far it could be reincarnated into something else. Physical body would get sick and you might pass on or something like that so you call the sprits every year.
M: When is the Hmong New Year?
T: Usually around November December time. The Hmong New Year is just to celebrate because in Laos every year this is the time to collect the rice or go to the rice field and get all of your rice or corn or whatever it is. It is just a time to celebrate we are done for the year, this is our new crop, our new food for the rest of the coming year, so let’s take time off to go celebrate.
M: So it’s not necessarily a year, but it’s a growing season?
T: Yeah we don’t really have a calendar, so we just go by the US calendar. I guess, but in the old country they use seasons and stuff like that, not a calendar.
M: So when is your birthday?
T: Um, I really don’t have a date for my birthday. We came to the refugee camp and they assigned me a birthday, which is October 12th.
M: Did that coordinate with any season?
T: It did, I mean it’s pretty close because my mom was saying the rice was just starting to turn yellow it’s almost ready to chop down or ah..
M: Harvest?
T: Harvest, there you go, to harvest and it’s about that time when I was born. So that was September/October timeframe.
M: So they just gave you it based off what your mom said?
T: Yeah.
M: So if we could switch topics for a bit?
T: Yep.
M: Okay, so we talked a little bit about the government with the schools and stuff, it still a Communist country or how does the government differ from the United States?
T: Um, I don’t know if it is still a Communist area I think it is, but I guess if you are in law enforcement side of it or the government side of it, you have power and if you are a civilian you can’t say much when it comes down to it. It’s not like the United States where you can sue the police officer or the police department. If the cops over there say you are wrong, we are taking you in for whatever reason, they are just going to do it. There is no innocent until proven guilty.
M: You’re just guilty if they say you are?
T: Yeah, pretty much.
M: Do you like being in the United States or do you want to return to Laos and find your cousins? Do you want to visit or anything?
T: I would maybe like to visit, but I would not like go back there. It’s so nice here family and friends and everything I know is pretty much here. Cousins, yeah I would like to go back to visit them, but I wouldn’t want to live there.
M: What do you like about the United States? Is it the freedom or what do you like?
T: I like everything about the United States. You make who you are. You are not letting someone dictate who you are. You are not going out there to work 10 or 12 hours in the field just so you can eat you know. Here you have a job, a career, it a lot easier for living and raising children, because they can have an education and do whatever they want. Over there, they are so limited to what they can do.
Finding individuals to interview was an easy task once I was granted permission to interview immigrants. I have many friends that I have known for a number of years that were born elsewhere in the world. They were all just a phone call away however; setting up interview times and locations was a bit tricky. While I did not have to search for interviewees, I did have to search for the time to conduct the interviews, as did the individuals. I did not have the awkward task of walking up to a stranger and asking if they would allow me to ask them person questions on their culture and their decision to come to a foreign country to study. However, knowing about the individuals and small amount of their background gave me reasons to ensure the questions I asked were as tactful as possible. With the goal to gain information in mind, I chosen individuals I felt would be open to the idea of sharing information about their lives in the countries of their birth and about their lives in the United States.
I wanted to make the interview setting as comfortable as possible. Knowing the first interviewee very well made it easy for the two of us to converse casually and stay on task. For the convenience of Tou, we conducted the interview at my Grandmother’s home, which is close to where he lives. I live and hour away and did not want to intrude on his family by asking to conduct the interview there. My grandmother’s house in a quiet and comfortable place and has a generous supply of cookies. We conducted the interview on the evening of October 22, 2009. We visited and caught up on all the events of life before the interview began. I conducted the interview more as a conversation then like an interview. I found myself not asking the questions off of the paper unless I was stuck and need to get back on task. The questions that I had prepared were more of a guideline of things that I wanted to cover. The interview did not follow the laid out plan of questions however, each topic I wanted to cover were talked about. The questions and answers I received flowed into the next set of questions I had. I informed him of the questions that I would be asking and began recording before the questions began. After a few minutes of talking we gradually forgot the recorder was taping our conversation. Since I am good friends with my interviewee, we did throw a few jokes around, but as a whole we stayed on task very well.
Tou was born in the country of Laos. He is the youngest of four siblings; two boys and a girl were born to his parents before he came along. Tou was born at the time the “rice was turning yellow” (Tou Yang), which is in the September/October time frame. His birthday October 12th was given to him upon entering a Thailand refugee camp. Many of the beginning years of his life were spent in different camps, to include refugee camps and prison camps, between Laos and Thailand. Only after his family fled a prison camp in Laos and spent years in different refugee camps did he come to the United States. This country was chosen by his parents, who had limited options on where they would bring their young family. The United States beat out Australia, only because he had multiple family members already in the United States and an Uncle here who agreed to sponsor their entrance into the country. Tou now lives in Minnnesota with his wife, three children and his mother. His brothers and sisters are frequent visitors, along with his extended family that consists of many cousins.
Even though I have known Tou for many years and have often asked many questions about his culture and past many of the responses to the interview questions surprised me. I knew that he had spent time in a refugee camp; however I did not fully understand the conditions or the actions of others within the camps. In the United States children are not only encouraged, but expected to play during the day. At one of the refugee camps in Thailand, the officials there would beat children if they were caught swimming under the fence that ran through the river between Thailand and Laos. The children would only be looking for fish, beta, for entertainment. To me, it is shocking that children would be beaten for a reason as small as that. It is almost unimaginable that places where things like that happen exist or have existed in the past. In the past when were talked about the refugee camps, I assumed it was not a pleasant place to live, but conditions like that is something I did not expect to hear. Living in a prison camp is also something that I found very shocking. We did not go into much detail about his time there, but I can only imagine the conditions to be worse than the refugee camp. After years of being at the camp, his father snuck his family out under the night sky to flee from the persecution. I cannot help but think of all of the other people in the world that have lived through and survived an ordeal such as the one my friend has gone through. I was surprised to learn about the spiritual world that some Hmong people live in. The traditions and beliefs that have been celebrated within the United States as well as Laos were interesting to learn about. One in particular stands out in my mind, the “calling of the spirits”. (Tou Yang) Every year, he and his family call their wandering spirits back to their bodies to prevent the spirits from wandering too far away. If the spirit does wander too far away and does not get called back, the physical body may fail, while the spirit is reincarnated into another physical object. That information is very interesting, to hear firsthand about a belief system which varies so much from my own is a learning experience in itself. This interview process and specifically the interview with Tou has been an eye opener for me. I have felt that I was fairly knowledgeable about other cultures and individuals. However, this interview has taught me to never believe that I know enough, I can always learn more about others around me. I am very lucky to have a friend that would not only allow me to ask his questions about his past life, religion and family, but to also answer the questions honestly and openly. During the interview I not only learned more about a culture and a people, but I learned a great deal more about a friend. What I learned was well worth the amount of time and stress put in to the assignment.
Laos, also known as the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a country whose history is full of turmoil. From the early ages to the not so past, war and political unrest have been common. Laos only has one legal political party, making it a communist state. The government strictly censors the information that is available to its citizens. There are few publications allowed, all which the government controls. Internet cafes are becoming more available in the city areas however; strict government controls are in place.
During the Vietnam Era, many Hmong citizens of Laos helped the United States military against the Communist Party.
After the United States pulled out many Hmong began to be persecuted and killed for helping the enemy. “About April 1975, the United States withdrew its troops from Indochina. During that time the rest of the Secret Army (Special Guerilla Units and other special units) who were left behind began to walk to the Mekong River and attempted to cross into Thailand. The Communists killed thousands of these soldiers and their families. During the evacuation, and in subsequent years, thousand of Hmong and Lao Veterans and their families were killed by communists North Vietnamese. Thousands died of starvation as they fled toward the security and freedom on the other shore of the Mekong River. Thousand drowned in the river before reaching the Thai border. Even today, despite official denial at senior levels of the government, the communist regime in Laos continues to persecute and discriminate against Hmong because of their role in the U.S. Secret Army.” (http://www.laoveterans.com, 2009).
This country is the only "landlocked” (www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107702.html 2009), every part of the country is bordered by another country. In the northern region Laos is mountainous and hilly, while the southern and eastern regions are dense forests. The Hmong people historically have been in the mountainous regions of Laos. Laos has many different ethnicities and a few different religions within its borders. The majority of the citizens are ethnic Lao. The few percentages include individuals from Hmong, Yoa, Doa and Shan ethnicities. The main religion in Laos in Buddhist, few are Christian.
In general the Laos community is one that is very family oriented. The family is a main aspect in day to day living.
Interview Transcript
M: Are you comfortable?
T: Yes
M: Okay, How many languages do you speak?
T: Two
M: Which are?
T : English and Hmong.
M: Hmong is a language?
T: It’s a people and a language I guess, it defines both.
M: So did you speak English when you can here?
T: No, I had to learn it.
M: Where did you originally come from?
T: I came from Laos, the mountain regions of Laos. I lived in a refugee camp in Thailand for a couple of years, and then moved to the States.
M: Where is Thailand in regards to Laos?
T: They are bordering countries, right around the area of Vietnam and Cambodia.
M: What was the refugee camp like?
T: Very hard to live in, the Thai government, or I wouldn’t say the government, the Thai soldiers there had powers over everyone they watched over. They treated you pretty much how they wanted to treat you.
M: Which was badly?
T: Um it depends. I mean if you got caught doing something they would probably beat you instead of taking you in and putting you in jail or something. Probably just beat you in the street and say learn your lesson there.
M: Like stealing or something?
T: Yeah maybe stealing but, mostly like the kids, they would just, I don’t know go in the river or swim or something like that. Because, Thailand and Laos border so they would just fence off some of the river ways and little kids would want to catch fish and stuff like that so they would swim under the gates and catch fish. If they ever got caught doing that they would be beat.
M: Did you catch fish though?
T: Yeah, it was very good fish, betas, you would catch them for fighting.
M: I thought you meant, you didn’t eat them?
T: No, these were fish that you caught to fight, you would fight them in little jars and stuff like that. We were kids.
M: I didn’t know they actually fought.
T: Yeah, you never seen fish fight before?
M: They are always supposed to be in one by themselves so they don’t fight.
T: Yeah, but over there it is something to pass the time, you didn’t really go to school, there was no school to go to.
M: In Thailand or Laos?
T: In Thailand. In Laos there was but, either you had to walk like 10 miles to school or your family had to be rich and you could go to school.
M: So everyone doesn’t go to school?
T: No, you would just work in the fields or tend to the chicken and pigs.
M: So had you stayed in Laos, you wouldn’t have gone to school?
T: Probably not, if I did I guess it would have been a very long walk.
M: But, if you had done the walk you would have been able to go?
T: Probably, but most kids stayed home to help the families just to get food.
M: Do families have a lot of kids?
T: They usually do just to help with the daily living.
M: Is that why they have a lot of kids?
T: One of the big reasons is that when they get older they like to have someone to look after them, they don’t have nursing homes or anything like that.
M: So is family important?
T: Yes, it is very important. It is like the basis for everything over there.
M: So, how many siblings do you have?
T: I have 2 older brothers and an older sister.
M: And are they all here?
T: Yes they are.
M: Do you see them a lot?
T: Almost every weekend.
M: What about your parents?
T: My father is deceased and my mother lives with me.
M: Is that common in you culture?
T: Yes, when they get older they live with the oldest one first and then move on down the line. They stay with the youngest until they pass.
M: So your mom has lived with everyone already?
T: They don’t usually stay with the girls. They say the girls have moved on and are starting their own life with their new family. So they usually, only stay with the boys unless there are no boys.
M: So, when you first moved to the United States, did you have a hard time adapting?
T: At first, I did. Like, going to school wasn’t normal. When we were in a refugee camp we moved to different locations and one of the last locations finally had a school. That kind of helped, but here the system is totally different. I guess when you go here you are expected to know English.
M: Did you have English as a second language classes?
T: When I first got here they didn’t really have anything like that. But I had a cousin in my class so she would help me, she knew English so she could help me a little bit. When I grew up there were more programs.
M: So you got thrown in without knowing English?
T: Yeah.
M: Why did you originally come to the United States?
T: We moved here because a lot of the Hmong people helped the United States in the war against the Communists and once the United States pulled out the government started killing off our people. They started persecuting us so we had to move.
M: What war?
T: Vietnam War, but after the US left the war still continued with in the countries themselves. So, whoever helped the US were taken as traitors and enemies and put into camps and whatever in Laos.
M Was anyone in your family directly involved with that?
T: Yeah my dad was part of a special guerilla unit that helped the green berets.
M: So once the US pulled out you pretty much had to move out?
T: Yeah, well we tried to stay a little later, we kind of turned ourselves over to the Vietnamese Laos, we called them that, I don’t know what the right term is, but we turned ourselves over and was like we are here but just don’t kill us or whatever. We stayed there for a couple of years and my brother and dad found a way out of the camp, so we just took off in the middle of the night.
M: With everyone?
T: Yep.
M: So your parents chose the United States because it was the best place to go or because it was the only thing offered?
T: This is pretty much offered, I guess we could have gone to Australia, but there was a lot of cousins already here, so one of my Uncles sponsored us, we just came over.
M: So what do you think the differences are between the United States and Laos, or the biggest difference?
T: The biggest difference I think is family wise in the United States, like I see when the kids get older here they just kinda move on and don’t stick around the family too often. I mean once and a while they will have a family gathering, like once a year or something like that, but in the Hmong culture even if they are your second cousin, first cousin, third cousin or whatever, as long as they are your cousin you all stay together. I don’t know.
M: Do you still have cousins in Laos?
T: I do but I don’t know them very much. It is hard to keep I contact with them, it just such a far distance that I probably would know how to talk to them anyways.
M: So is it just the cultural family differences?
T: Well, living standards is way better here. Over there you live in bamboo huts and your fireplace is your cooking stove.
M: So how is the food different?
T: The food there has no preservatives, everything you have to grow yourself and butcher yourself and nothing comes in packages.
M: Do you eat American food?
T: Yeah, we eat American food. It more like a combination of both, its not just traditional food or American food it is a little combination of everything kinda thrown in together.
M: Spicy?
T: Very spicy.
M: Very spicy, I’m sorry but you make really spicy food! Okay, so what kind of customs and traditions do you celebrate here that you celebrated in Laos?
T: Every year we celebrate the Hmong New Year, every one that lives in Minneapolis or St. Paul would probably know that. But, it also goes further than that, like in the home itself there is something called
Calling of the Spirits were every year. They say your spirit wanders off from your body, so you have to call it back.
M: With your family?
T: Yeah.
M? Is it a day long thing?
T: It’s like 3 days. They forbid you to use money because they say if you use money within those 3 days, for the rest of the year you’ll be a spender and you won’t keep any money because you can’t keep it for 3 days.
M: So what do you do in those three days?
T: You a stay healthy, you do what’s right, so that the rest of the year you do what’s right.
M: Have you ever spent money in those three days?
T: I have.
M: Did you find yourself spending more money throughout the year?
T: I did, that’s just the cultural belief.
M: What kind of religion or belief system do you base your faith on?
T: They call it Shaminism. I think it pretty accurate; it’s kind of like the Native Americans. We believe everything has a spirit and once your elders pass on they are in the spirit world. They get reincarnated and stuff like that.
M: So that’s why you do the Calling of the Spirits?
T: Yep, if your spirit wanders too far it could be reincarnated into something else. Physical body would get sick and you might pass on or something like that so you call the sprits every year.
M: When is the Hmong New Year?
T: Usually around November December time. The Hmong New Year is just to celebrate because in Laos every year this is the time to collect the rice or go to the rice field and get all of your rice or corn or whatever it is. It is just a time to celebrate we are done for the year, this is our new crop, our new food for the rest of the coming year, so let’s take time off to go celebrate.
M: So it’s not necessarily a year, but it’s a growing season?
T: Yeah we don’t really have a calendar, so we just go by the US calendar. I guess, but in the old country they use seasons and stuff like that, not a calendar.
M: So when is your birthday?
T: Um, I really don’t have a date for my birthday. We came to the refugee camp and they assigned me a birthday, which is October 12th.
M: Did that coordinate with any season?
T: It did, I mean it’s pretty close because my mom was saying the rice was just starting to turn yellow it’s almost ready to chop down or ah..
M: Harvest?
T: Harvest, there you go, to harvest and it’s about that time when I was born. So that was September/October timeframe.
M: So they just gave you it based off what your mom said?
T: Yeah.
M: So if we could switch topics for a bit?
T: Yep.
M: Okay, so we talked a little bit about the government with the schools and stuff, it still a Communist country or how does the government differ from the United States?
T: Um, I don’t know if it is still a Communist area I think it is, but I guess if you are in law enforcement side of it or the government side of it, you have power and if you are a civilian you can’t say much when it comes down to it. It’s not like the United States where you can sue the police officer or the police department. If the cops over there say you are wrong, we are taking you in for whatever reason, they are just going to do it. There is no innocent until proven guilty.
M: You’re just guilty if they say you are?
T: Yeah, pretty much.
M: Do you like being in the United States or do you want to return to Laos and find your cousins? Do you want to visit or anything?
T: I would maybe like to visit, but I would not like go back there. It’s so nice here family and friends and everything I know is pretty much here. Cousins, yeah I would like to go back to visit them, but I wouldn’t want to live there.
M: What do you like about the United States? Is it the freedom or what do you like?
T: I like everything about the United States. You make who you are. You are not letting someone dictate who you are. You are not going out there to work 10 or 12 hours in the field just so you can eat you know. Here you have a job, a career, it a lot easier for living and raising children, because they can have an education and do whatever they want. Over there, they are so limited to what they can do.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Revised Interview Questions
1. What languages do you speak?
2. When you first got here was it hard to adapt to the United States?
3. Is the family unit important in your culture?
4. What is the educational system in your country?
5. Why did you originally come to the United States?
6. What is the government like in you country, how does it differ from here?
7. What do you think is are the biggest cultural differences between here and your country?
8. What customs and traditions do you continue to celebrate here that you celebrated in your country?
9. What do you like the most about being here?
10. Do you ever want to return or visit your country?
2. When you first got here was it hard to adapt to the United States?
3. Is the family unit important in your culture?
4. What is the educational system in your country?
5. Why did you originally come to the United States?
6. What is the government like in you country, how does it differ from here?
7. What do you think is are the biggest cultural differences between here and your country?
8. What customs and traditions do you continue to celebrate here that you celebrated in your country?
9. What do you like the most about being here?
10. Do you ever want to return or visit your country?
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Laos
Laos, also known as the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a country whose history is full of turmoil. From the early ages to the not so past, war and political unrest have been common. Laos only has one legal political party, making it a communist state. The government strictly censors the information that is available to its citizens. There are few publications allowed, all which the government controls. Internet cafes are becoming more available in the city areas however; strict government controls are in place.
This country is the only "landlocked country in Southeast Asia"(www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107702.html 2009), every part of the country is bordered by another country. In the northern region Laos is mountainous and hilly, while the southern and eastern regions are dense forests.
Laos has many different ethnicities and a few different religions within it borders. The majority of the citizens are ethnic Lao. The few percentages include individuals from Hmong, Yoa, Doa and Shan ethnicities. The main religion in Laos in Buddhist, few are Christian.
This country is the only "landlocked country in Southeast Asia"(www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107702.html 2009), every part of the country is bordered by another country. In the northern region Laos is mountainous and hilly, while the southern and eastern regions are dense forests.
Laos has many different ethnicities and a few different religions within it borders. The majority of the citizens are ethnic Lao. The few percentages include individuals from Hmong, Yoa, Doa and Shan ethnicities. The main religion in Laos in Buddhist, few are Christian.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
New Objectives
Before the Interview
- ensure questions are understandable and open ended
- practice the questions/memorize so I do not have to read them off
- schedule interview in a quiet and comfortable environment
- prepare recorder/practice with it to become familiar
- make copy of questions to give to the other student
During
- get to know them before questions start
- take notes on what they say
- leave enough time for them to answer the questions
- do not rush
- allow them to ask me questions also
- keep environment casual/not stressful
- thank them
After
- write down as much as I can remember above the interview to jog my memory later
- transcribe interviews that are the best of three
- write paper
- thank student again via email or call
- ensure questions are understandable and open ended
- practice the questions/memorize so I do not have to read them off
- schedule interview in a quiet and comfortable environment
- prepare recorder/practice with it to become familiar
- make copy of questions to give to the other student
During
- get to know them before questions start
- take notes on what they say
- leave enough time for them to answer the questions
- do not rush
- allow them to ask me questions also
- keep environment casual/not stressful
- thank them
After
- write down as much as I can remember above the interview to jog my memory later
- transcribe interviews that are the best of three
- write paper
- thank student again via email or call
Group Work 8- Maddy, Kevin, Sarah, Margaret
MLA PAPERS- p. 592
Modern Language Association
Sources are cite for two reasons:
1. To tell readers where you information comes from- so that they can assess its reliability and, if interested, find and read the original source.
2. To give credit to the writes form whom you have borrowed words and ideas.
MLA is the most used format for writing in School systems.
This is how MLS citation usually works:
1. The source is introduced by a single phrase that names its author.
2. The material being cited is followed by a page number in parentheses.
3. At the end of the paper, a list of works cited gives complete publication information about the source.
Plagiarism:
Three different acts are considered plagiarism:
1. Failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas.
2. Failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks.
3. Failing to put summaries and paraphrases in your own words.
You must also cite any ideas you borrowed from a source: Summaries, Statistics and other specific facts, and visuals such as cartoons, graphs, and diagrams. The only exception is common knowledge.
Summaries and paraphrases:
Write ALL information in your own words. If you do copy the authors or if you half-copy you commit plagiarism.
MLA PAPERS- p. 592
Modern Language Association
Sources are cite for two reasons:
1. To tell readers where you information comes from- so that they can assess its reliability and, if interested, find and read the original source.
2. To give credit to the writes form whom you have borrowed words and ideas.
MLA is the most used format for writing in School systems.
This is how MLS citation usually works:
1. The source is introduced by a single phrase that names its author.
2. The material being cited is followed by a page number in parentheses.
3. At the end of the paper, a list of works cited gives complete publication information about the source.
Plagiarism:
Three different acts are considered plagiarism:
1. Failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas.
2. Failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks.
3. Failing to put summaries and paraphrases in your own words.
You must also cite any ideas you borrowed from a source: Summaries, Statistics and other specific facts, and visuals such as cartoons, graphs, and diagrams. The only exception is common knowledge.
Summaries and paraphrases:
Write ALL information in your own words. If you do copy the authors or if you half-copy you commit plagiarism.
New Ideas
1. Prepare for interview before hand. Know the questions I am going to ask before hand. Practice asking the questions before hand.
2. Start the interview by creating a comfortable environment, do not jump into asking questions tell them a little about myself and have them do the same.
3. Thank them in advance for answering my questions and helping me with my education.
4. Let them know that I do not want to insult them and if they do not want to answer a question because it is personal to them they do not have to. (cultural differences)
5. Have a copy of the questions for them, give them time to read them and begin formulating an answer to the questions.
2. Start the interview by creating a comfortable environment, do not jump into asking questions tell them a little about myself and have them do the same.
3. Thank them in advance for answering my questions and helping me with my education.
4. Let them know that I do not want to insult them and if they do not want to answer a question because it is personal to them they do not have to. (cultural differences)
5. Have a copy of the questions for them, give them time to read them and begin formulating an answer to the questions.
Objectives
1. To learn new things about the person's country and differences between the US and their home.
2. Create questions that leave room for further in dept conversation, not yes/no questions.
3. Create a comfortable environment for the interview to help the individual open up and want to share information about their life and country.
4. Have a good understanding about the country before I ask questions. Show them that I took the time to learn before I interviewed them.
5. Create cohesive questions so there will be little confusion while asking them. Understand that there may be language difficulties before going to the interview to avoid frustration.
6. Allow them to also ask questions if they have any.
2. Create questions that leave room for further in dept conversation, not yes/no questions.
3. Create a comfortable environment for the interview to help the individual open up and want to share information about their life and country.
4. Have a good understanding about the country before I ask questions. Show them that I took the time to learn before I interviewed them.
5. Create cohesive questions so there will be little confusion while asking them. Understand that there may be language difficulties before going to the interview to avoid frustration.
6. Allow them to also ask questions if they have any.
Questions for International Students
1. What do you miss the most about being away from home?
2. Why did you decide to study in the United States, what was your primary motivation?
3. What are the differences between schools here and in your own country? Can everyone attend school or just a few people?
4. What was the reaction of your family and friends when you told them you were coming to the United States to study?
5. What are some of the cultural differences that you have come across in your time studying here? Which are the most noticeable?
6. Does every student in your country have the opportunity to continue on to higher education, and possibly study abroad?
7. Does the political structure have a large impact on the educatioal system in your country?
8. The United States is some what of a melting pot in regards to cultures, religon and race/nationality, is that anything like your country? How is it different/similar?
9. Do you plan to stay in the United States after school or retun to your country, why?
10. Do you feel that the education you are recieving here is better or worse then the one you would have recieved at home? How so?
2. Why did you decide to study in the United States, what was your primary motivation?
3. What are the differences between schools here and in your own country? Can everyone attend school or just a few people?
4. What was the reaction of your family and friends when you told them you were coming to the United States to study?
5. What are some of the cultural differences that you have come across in your time studying here? Which are the most noticeable?
6. Does every student in your country have the opportunity to continue on to higher education, and possibly study abroad?
7. Does the political structure have a large impact on the educatioal system in your country?
8. The United States is some what of a melting pot in regards to cultures, religon and race/nationality, is that anything like your country? How is it different/similar?
9. Do you plan to stay in the United States after school or retun to your country, why?
10. Do you feel that the education you are recieving here is better or worse then the one you would have recieved at home? How so?
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