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