Cultural Interview Paper

Words: 842
Pages: 4

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to interview one of my coworkers from the Teaneck Public Library, Karen Maharaj. Karen is a senior at Montclair State University and she is a part of the Caribbean club. She identifies herself as Trinidadian. Karen spent her childhood in Trinidad and when she was in high school, she moved to Teaneck, New Jersey with her parents and older sister. When I asked Karen if I could interview her, she gladly accepted. The love Karen has for Trinidad is heard in her voice as we talk about the country and it’s culture. I was excited to interview Karen due to the fact that previously, I did not know much about Trinidad or its culture. I walked away from this interview with a lot more knowledge, acceptance, and respect for Trinidad. I began the interview …show more content…
Karen explained that Carnival is an annual celebration and Trinidadians celebrate their country and their culture. She continued to explain that carnival is a huge parade where Trinidadians wear costumes and listen to Soca music. Soca is a genre of music that is listened by the majority of Trinidadians. As a Hindu, Karen also celebrates the Festival of Lights. Hindus dress up in traditional clothing and celebrate the good over the evil. This holiday is very important for Hindus because of its religious significance. One aspect of Karen’s culture that is significant is the music. There are various genres of music such as Soca, Calypso, Chutney, Parang, Rapso, and Steelpan. Karen stated how music is one thing that brings all the people of Trinidad together. Most people listen to the same music and they all find it as something to bond over. Trinidadian people listen to this music no matter where they are in the world. Karen frequently listens to this music here in America. The genres of music mentioned are important to Trinidadian culture and it is what keeps them