Interview 2
Vishal Gurung
ENGL 191 Sec 21
Prof. Specht-Jarvis
Date: 11/16/09
Preparation made
For my second interview, I was really excited to ask question to my interviewee since she is permanently going to live in the United States. Basically, the questions I asked her were the same as I asked in my first interview. They were:
Where you from? What part of the country are you from?
What is one biggest issue you face while living away from home?
Why did you choose to study in an American University?
What is your immediate goal after you graduate from the University? Are you planning to stay around here or you want to go back as soon as possible and help your country?
How can you contribute back to your home country with the skills you have learnt over here?
How much successful do you think you/your national organization have been to make the people here culturally aware?
To what extent do you think you can adjust to the American culture and lifestyle? (Is the culture too open for you because of the background you come from?) What are the pros and cons of living in a new culture?
What kind of food do you eat back home? Is it easy to find food from back home over here? Have any local people commented you for eating foods from back home?
Which one is easier? Making friends with international students or American students? Why is it so?
Have you felt any awkward moments while talking with American students because you don’t know what to talk about? Can you explain about it?
Is intercultural marriage a good idea or a bad idea? Support your answer.
My objectives for this interview was:
First and foremost, I would like to be prepared myself for the interview by picturing what its motivation would be like at the end and do some quick rehearsal too.
Next, I have to convince three international students with similar physical and cultural backgrounds for the interview. They have to be eager and interested to be actively involved with their ideas and perspective.
Then, I should arrange for a quiet place, date and time suitable for the interviewees.
My next target is to do a thorough background study of the students' countries so that I won't be embarrassed myself by asking culturally-awkward questions.
As I would be mostly asking questions to them related to their culture (cultural stereotypes, things they like or don't like about their culture) and perspectives on different issues, I also want to compare and contrast these aspects to the American culture and perspectives. At the same time, I would want to make them feel relaxed and comfortable about what they are saying.
I would also ask them about any problem they have been facing in and out of class and what did they do from their side to minimize it.
Another interesting question to ask would be coming to St. Cloud State University (SCSU). Why did they choose to come to this part of the USA and not other states?
Again, as English is considered as an international language, I am eager to know when they started to learn English. Was it in middle school or only later in high school or not at all? How is that helping or affecting them in their class performance right now? Does their professor address these issues while teaching in a classroom?
Another big issue would be to find out if they had been a victim of racism at any phase at SCSU. Were they verbally offended or was it more than that? How did they respond to it?
At the end, I would be going through all of my interviews, transcribe the 2 best out of 3, write a detail analysis of it with additional ideas and a suitable conclusion (and probably the objectives at the beginning of the paper again).
Location
The interview was conducted on one of the group study rooms in t he third floor of the SSU library.
Technology used: I used Nikon Digital camera to record the entire interview.
I found my interviewee at the Indian Cultural Heritage club. I figured out that since my first country's (Nepal's) culture is common with India's in many ways, I decided to go into the club and that's how I found her.
I conducted the interview on October 20, 2009 in one of the group study rooms of the SCSU library (third floor).
Interviewee's biography:
Name: Anushree Patel
Nationality: India
Age: 18 years
Zodiac Sign: Aries
Educational Experience: High School
Major at SCSU: Finance
Hobbies: Watching TV, playing badminton
Places traveled so far: Africa (Zambia), USA
Languages fluent in: English, Gujrati, Hindi
Describe yourself in few words: Smart, cool, intelligent.
Any memorable incident in life: When I came to USA
Any kind of phobia: water (Swimming)
Source of inspiration: My religious follower (Pramukh Swami)
Do you write a day-to-day diary: Nope
Message for people in general: Think in the present
I liked the part when my interviewee said it's easier to make American friends than friends from her own culture . She added that since she has been living in America for a while now, it has made her easier to make American friends. I think this is a process of cultural adaptation.
India
India is a big country in the southeast Asia. It is highly developing country with the second most dense population in the world. Its neighboring countries are Pakistan, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
If we look at the history of India, the Indus valley civilization, one of the world's oldest civilization developed in India around third and second centuries B.C. The climate varies from tropical monsoon in south (due to the passing of equator on its southern part) to temperate in North. Because India is largely surrounded by sea and ocean, it affects many of the seasonal weathers. India has one of the world's highest population which is roughly around 1 Trillion and 166 million.
The Indian society is highly respects its values and cultures. The society is divided into different level of hierarchy by thousands of castes often termed as “Jatis”.
The Indian subcontinent has a wide variety of food appeal. Although the staple foodis rice and wheat and used in day to day life, there is a significant influence of the western culture too. Fast foods are common now.
There are four main religions in India. They are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The majority of people are Hindus.
Transcript
Vishal: Hi! Nice meeting you.
Anushree: Same here. I'm Anushree.
Vishal: I'm Vishal.
Anushree: Nice meeting you.
Vishal: Have a seat.
Anushree: Thank you!
Vishal: And your question is there.
Anushree: I am originally from India. I was brought up in Bombay. It is like known as Mumbai formally. I stay with my parents over here.
Anushree: So, you came to USA to do your undergraduate degree and you are a resident here. You had more opportunities to apply to more expensive college, better college than this, more renowned college than this. Why did you choose St. Cloud State University?
Anushree: Because it's closer to my house and the fees are very affordable compared to other private colleges. Over here, you pay one semester. Over there you pay a lot. You can cover your all four years over here compared to private college.
Vishal: Let me start with your introduction again first. You said you are from originally, right? You are born in Mumbai. You spend your whole life before coming here or?
Anushree: I was in Africa for a year since my parents moved to Africa.
Vishal: Which part was that?
Anushree: Zambia. That is closer to South Africa.
(Then she talked about how she moved to USA eventually.)
Anushree: Staying in India is much better life compared to life over here.
Vishal: Really? Is it because of the language thing?
Anushree: Yeah. Language thing plus, you have more freedom. Over here you too get freedom but it's only like Saturday and Sunday sometimes. But pretty much over there, it's free the whole time.
Vishal: So, you mean like, when you go to college over here, you don't get time to do anything except the weekends?
Anushree: Here, I do get time but I stay on the other side of the town. So, there isn't anything to do beside coming to St. Cloud. My parents freak out at me since they don't like me going home late. Maximum I can stay at college is till 7. Vishal: Why is that? Because many American students who
are born here stay till midnight at the library working and on Fridays, they hang out.
Anushree: It's because our culture is totally different. In my culture, my parents come back home by 5:30. That's why I need to be home by that time too. It's like culture influencing right there.
Vishal: What was your major?
Anushree: I'm doing Finance. It's actually listed as Accounting but I'm doing Finance.
Vishal: Why did you choose Finance?
Anushree: Because Finance give you more option than Accounting. Accounting is like you have to stick to one particular curriculum. With Finance, you can do MBA, minor in Accounting, you get more job opportunities than Accounting. Whereas in Accounting, until and unless you do the CPA exams, nobody can hire you officially.
Vishal: Are you thinking of going back home after you graduate?
Anushree: I don't think so. Because my parents are going to stay here and eventually, if I get married, that is when I get back to India.
Vishal: I don't mean to offend you or anything like that but do you have any preference for marriage. Are you going to marry just people from your home country or ?
Anushree: Yeah. I'm planning to get married to some Indian. Anywhere from India.
Vishal: But not from America, from the USA.
Anushree: Yeah, not an American. I wouldn't get married to an American. Because we don't believe in the intercultural marriage thing.
Vishal: Do you think it's hard to live with people from a different culture.
Anushree: For example, I'll give you my parent's example. My dad, he should do everything before he got married. But my mom completely changed him and got made to culture what we follow. If I could change my husband to follow our culture.
Vishal: So, you want to stick with your culture?
Anushree: yeah.
Vishal: So, how can you contribute back to your home country, India once you graduate? You are studying here and gaining new ideas and technological advancements. How do you think you can contribute back to your home country?
Anushree: I would say I won't be able to contribute with Accounting. Accounting over there is completely different than what we do over here. Way different. I have 35 percent chance of helping my country. I would stick for a job over here than getting a job over there.
Vishal: Do you know if there's any cultural organizations from your country at Saint Cloud State that is trying to raise people's awareness about your culture or at least try to tell them that India is this type of country, lies in this part of the world.
Anushree: They have this organization called Indian Heritage Club. And we hae Indian Night coming on November 7. So, we are prety much trying to get people's hand to do at Indian Night. So, in that way, they are trying to promote Indian culture.
Vishal: What do you usually talk about with your American friends?
Anushree: It's usually about movies. They are asking me about Indian movies. I talk about Indain movies and they talk about English movies. And we exchange DVDs or watch online movies together.
Vishal: To what extent do you think you adjust to American culture: in terms of your academics, in terms of your day to day life.
Anushree: It's hard to get used to the American life since I got used to the Indian life. But after sometime, you will get used to the American life. You stay here for certain years and you will get used to it. I'm sort of getting used to it but if I go back to India, I'll get back all the Indian culture.
Vishal: Do you feel time is more valued over here in America or itls the same thing?
Anushree: It's the same thing because they have schedules evreywhere. Even back in India, they have schedules.
Vishal: What kind of food do you eat back home?
Anushree: Um....we eat Gujarati food which is basically “chapati”.
Vishal: What is that?
Anushree: It's like made from wheat flour, vegetable and lentisels and rice. Sometimes, in festivals, we make festive kind of food that is basically like sweet and fried food. And it's hard to get Indian food over here. There are Indian foods but they are all in Minneapolis. So, it's hard to go to Minneapolis. They have one in St. Cloud but it's not how much you can say manage to say get Indian food.
Vishal: Do you think people over here wonder what you eat or they think that you eat the same thing as they eat. What do you think? Are they aware of what you eat?
Anushree: Yeah my American friends they ask me each time I bring my food, they are like what you are eating? They would think that you might be eating the same food as well.
Vishal: You mean the general people?
Anushree: Yeah. The general American would be thinking
Vishal: So, you said you have more American friends than people from back home. Why is that? You couldn't find people from back home or was it more easier to make American friends?
Anushree: Yeah. It's more easy to make American friends. Because I grew up in the same environment for like a year. So, it's very much easy to talk to American friends. I have some Indian friends too but it's very hard to find Indian friends over here.
Vishal: Have you felt any awkward moment when you are talking to other American friends or American people; not your friends but other American people in general? Do you feel like there's any awkward moment?
Anushree: No, staying here has made me used to it.
Vishal: Like other American students, do you know how they for their tuition?
Anushree: I know one person who works with me. She's American. She has two different jobs. First in Albertville and even in Apollo high school. They pay like that and some of them do by financial aid and scholarship.
Vishal: Talking about things back home again, how are the schools there? I guess you went to the middle school there too. How is it different from here. Was it hard to go to school over there or?
Anushree: Pretty much school start at 9 till 4. And you would have sports section compulsory for all the students for 1 hour from 3 to 4 for everyone to play sports. Over there, you pay fee. Over here, it's free till 12 grades, it's free, free education. Over there, you pay for your education. And pretty much, you are in one same classroom and teachers move around. Over here, it's different. You move around, teachers are in the same room. Simple.
Vishal: How about maintaining the grades? Was it easier back home
Anushree: There was tough competition as compared over here. But over here, it's like
Vishal: What kind of family structure do you have back home? You have a single family or?
Anushree: Yup. It's just a single family. I wish I had a sibling.
Vishal: Is it the same thing back home having a single family?
Anushree: No. It's different. They have a joint family. When I was in India, I was in a joint family but when I moved here, we just had a single family.
Vishal: You said that you might stay here if you find the right person. What kind of challenges would you probably face if you get married and you have children? What would be the problems with raising children over here?
Anushree: We have to make sure that kids don't get into the wrong side and make sure that they don't go into drugs and all that side. And mainly teach them about culture which will keep them intact.
Vishal: Do you find any good traits in the American culture?
Anushree: They are friendly. They talk to anyboy even if they don't know, they talk.
Vishal: How about the bad things then?
Anushree: Drugs. Alcohol. That's what I think and peer pressure.
