Questions for Chinese-American interview :
我奶奶有五个孩子：三个女儿两儿子。我妈妈是她第二的孩子。他们一起在美国过新的生活。我奶奶一九八五年移民来美国。她已经在美国三十七年了。她的原因来美国是开始一个新的生活。她不是为了自己好，而且为了下一代的家人。我奶奶不想下一代家人痛苦，所以她决定了来美国。
My interviewee is Yue Ming Lin. She is my grandmother. My great-grandmother was the first to immigrate to the United States, in the year of 1877. Then, my grandmother came in 1985, followed by her children who came around the 1987. Ming Lin and her family came from China, in a town south of Guangzhou. They came by airplane and arrived in Chicago. When my grandmother and her kids first came here, they all worked in Chinese restaurants. Ming Lin started working as a dishwasher. Later on, she learned enough to become a waitress. Soon, her kids took after her. And learning English faster, they started out as waiters and waitresses. As a successful result, after working as waiters and waitresses, Ming Lin’s family’s English skills improved dramatically. They even had enough experience and knowledge to start their own restaurants!
After arriving in America, Ming Lin’s family didn’t face any major discrimination that she could remember. They basically found a sense of community in Asian areas such as Chinatown and Argyle. Places like Argyle provided English classes and translators to help with government letters.
As Ming Lin stayed in American with the passing years, her children had kids as well. They grew up as Chinese Americans, adapting to the American society. While the early ones had a sense of the Chinese ethnicity, she felt that as the later ones were born, they didn’t even know how to speak Cantonese anymore!
Ming Lin came here for a new beginning. She wanted her kids to start a family here so that they don’t have to suffer as much as they did in China. In China, Ming Lin’s family worked from dawn until dusk, earning not much more than a dime in American money. Here, there is enough monthly income to buy clothes, food, and houses. However, comparing Chicago with her hometown, Ming Lin misses China sometimes. In the village, everyone knows each other, and you have more freedom to run around the streets. But here, you have to worry about kidnappers, killers, and even worse outcomes. In China, there are really fun holidays and events that last all day. They are filled with games and free candy too.
Questions for someone growing up in America:
My parents expectations for me was to get really good grades. Ever since pre-school, it was expected to get straight A’s. I have been able to do that, thus making my mother proud. Now that I’m older, she tells me that coming to American wasn’t a waste of time because we didn’t use the opportunity of coming to American to get bad grades. By having good grades, she was very proud of me and my younger sisters.
Being the older child is the hardest thing I have experienced. Ever since I was little, with everything I do, my mom lectures me on how I have to be a good example to my younger sisters. And so, now that I’m older, being a good sister and having a good reputation is something that I do subconsciously. When I was younger until now, my parents English wasn’t good. I have to translate letters and I don’t know much Cantonese to translate important letters. Translating letters were always the bad memories. I felt ashamed that I couldn’t help. (And this was one of the reasons why I chose to study Mandarin.)
Question for someone growing up in China, then coming to America:
Ming Lin came to America at a very old age already, and so she had more expectations for her children to raise new families, get well-paying jobs, and to find happiness. She believes that education is extremely important. To her, education means knowledge of the English language and math. In American, you need to know English to get far in life.
After being in America for so long now, Ming Lin hasn’t even acknowledged American individualism. She doesn’t feel that she is part of the American society. But as an individual, her goals of finding happiness and being with her family in America have been successful. But Ming Lin still misses the freedom experienced in China where kids roamed freely on the streets. During special holidays, the streets are especially crowded and full of excitement.
Ming Lin hasn’t talked about marriage “outside the Chinese-American community” with the younger generations. However, she believes that marriage inside the Chinese-American community is what she hopes for. The reasons for that are that the spouse is able to communicate with her in Chinese, and also for the next generation to have some experience with the Chinese language and customs.
When Ming Lin first came here, she didn’t focus on being accepted. She said,
Critical thinking questions for students doing interviews
As the times have passes, immigration is becoming harder, and immigrants have a hard time adapting to the society. Cultures and customs have changed and emerged more and more. And different racial groups have changed their images. Americans have become interested in other cultures, such as the Asians cultures. From my experience, Chinese immigrants need the English language knowledge in order to survive in America, and the places they can get them is becoming less and less.
In American, you are considered free and individual. But there is a difference between being American and being an individual. To me, being an American is subsuming yourself to the American society, such as dressing the new-styled clothing, listening to the modern music, and to buy all the new gadgets and technology coming out. But being an individual is to be proud to be yourself. You have to be comfortable with whom you are, and it doesn’t have to do with the ethnic background. I don’t consider myself being American, but Chinese American. I acknowledge the American customs and styles, but I prefer to be “Chinese” more.
From the interviewee, I learned that being a Chinese American may be hard, shifting from the American society in school and the Chinese culture at home, but you have to live with it in order to go through life. Interviewing Ming Lin (my grandmother) made me even prouder to be a Chinese American myself. I love my culture and customs. It gives a goal in life, to show that being Chinese in American is not a disadvantage, but a motivation to do well in life. I also learned about the Asian communities and the places that offer assistance to immigrants, and the way those communities have changed today. I feel that I have a future in helping these Chinese immigrants when I grow-up. I want to be able to help these Chinese immigrants get through the beginning tough times in America, just as the past people have helped my family get to today.
我奶奶有五个孩子：三个女儿两儿子。我妈妈是她第二的孩子。他们一起在美国过新的生活。我奶奶一九八五年移民来美国。她已经在美国三十七年了。她的原因来美国是开始一个新的生活。她不是为了自己好，而且为了下一代的家人。我奶奶不想下一代家人痛苦，所以她决定了来美国。
My interviewee is Yue Ming Lin. She is my grandmother. My great-grandmother was the first to immigrate to the United States, in the year of 1877. Then, my grandmother came in 1985, followed by her children who came around the 1987. Ming Lin and her family came from China, in a town south of Guangzhou. They came by airplane and arrived in Chicago. When my grandmother and her kids first came here, they all worked in Chinese restaurants. Ming Lin started working as a dishwasher. Later on, she learned enough to become a waitress. Soon, her kids took after her. And learning English faster, they started out as waiters and waitresses. As a successful result, after working as waiters and waitresses, Ming Lin’s family’s English skills improved dramatically. They even had enough experience and knowledge to start their own restaurants!
After arriving in America, Ming Lin’s family didn’t face any major discrimination that she could remember. They basically found a sense of community in Asian areas such as Chinatown and Argyle. Places like Argyle provided English classes and translators to help with government letters.
As Ming Lin stayed in American with the passing years, her children had kids as well. They grew up as Chinese Americans, adapting to the American society. While the early ones had a sense of the Chinese ethnicity, she felt that as the later ones were born, they didn’t even know how to speak Cantonese anymore!
“Honestly, I felt ashamed and disappointed. I didn’t know whether my coming here
was helpful to these future generations anymore,” stated Ming Lin.
Ming Lin came here for a new beginning. She wanted her kids to start a family here so that they don’t have to suffer as much as they did in China. In China, Ming Lin’s family worked from dawn until dusk, earning not much more than a dime in American money. Here, there is enough monthly income to buy clothes, food, and houses. However, comparing Chicago with her hometown, Ming Lin misses China sometimes. In the village, everyone knows each other, and you have more freedom to run around the streets. But here, you have to worry about kidnappers, killers, and even worse outcomes. In China, there are really fun holidays and events that last all day. They are filled with games and free candy too.
Questions for someone growing up in America:
My parents expectations for me was to get really good grades. Ever since pre-school, it was expected to get straight A’s. I have been able to do that, thus making my mother proud. Now that I’m older, she tells me that coming to American wasn’t a waste of time because we didn’t use the opportunity of coming to American to get bad grades. By having good grades, she was very proud of me and my younger sisters.
Being the older child is the hardest thing I have experienced. Ever since I was little, with everything I do, my mom lectures me on how I have to be a good example to my younger sisters. And so, now that I’m older, being a good sister and having a good reputation is something that I do subconsciously. When I was younger until now, my parents English wasn’t good. I have to translate letters and I don’t know much Cantonese to translate important letters. Translating letters were always the bad memories. I felt ashamed that I couldn’t help. (And this was one of the reasons why I chose to study Mandarin.)
Question for someone growing up in China, then coming to America:
Ming Lin came to America at a very old age already, and so she had more expectations for her children to raise new families, get well-paying jobs, and to find happiness. She believes that education is extremely important. To her, education means knowledge of the English language and math. In American, you need to know English to get far in life.
After being in America for so long now, Ming Lin hasn’t even acknowledged American individualism. She doesn’t feel that she is part of the American society. But as an individual, her goals of finding happiness and being with her family in America have been successful. But Ming Lin still misses the freedom experienced in China where kids roamed freely on the streets. During special holidays, the streets are especially crowded and full of excitement.
Ming Lin hasn’t talked about marriage “outside the Chinese-American community” with the younger generations. However, she believes that marriage inside the Chinese-American community is what she hopes for. The reasons for that are that the spouse is able to communicate with her in Chinese, and also for the next generation to have some experience with the Chinese language and customs.
When Ming Lin first came here, she didn’t focus on being accepted. She said,
“There are good people, bad people, and all types of people in the world, youLuckily, she didn’t face any discrimination when she got here. She worked in places where she can speak out in her language and get help, such as with letters and studying English.
just have to hold your head up high.”
Critical thinking questions for students doing interviews
As the times have passes, immigration is becoming harder, and immigrants have a hard time adapting to the society. Cultures and customs have changed and emerged more and more. And different racial groups have changed their images. Americans have become interested in other cultures, such as the Asians cultures. From my experience, Chinese immigrants need the English language knowledge in order to survive in America, and the places they can get them is becoming less and less.
In American, you are considered free and individual. But there is a difference between being American and being an individual. To me, being an American is subsuming yourself to the American society, such as dressing the new-styled clothing, listening to the modern music, and to buy all the new gadgets and technology coming out. But being an individual is to be proud to be yourself. You have to be comfortable with whom you are, and it doesn’t have to do with the ethnic background. I don’t consider myself being American, but Chinese American. I acknowledge the American customs and styles, but I prefer to be “Chinese” more.
From the interviewee, I learned that being a Chinese American may be hard, shifting from the American society in school and the Chinese culture at home, but you have to live with it in order to go through life. Interviewing Ming Lin (my grandmother) made me even prouder to be a Chinese American myself. I love my culture and customs. It gives a goal in life, to show that being Chinese in American is not a disadvantage, but a motivation to do well in life. I also learned about the Asian communities and the places that offer assistance to immigrants, and the way those communities have changed today. I feel that I have a future in helping these Chinese immigrants when I grow-up. I want to be able to help these Chinese immigrants get through the beginning tough times in America, just as the past people have helped my family get to today.
