Oral History Interview Research Paper

Oral History Interview Paper
In 1992, my family member, Tan, left her life in Guangzhou, China to immigrate to the United States. She came to America only knowing her spouse, who came a few years prior to find work. Because of her spousal privilege, her paperwork and waiting time to enter into the United States was short. Acculturation and assimilation into American life was difficult for Tan. When she first arrived, she could not speak English well much less at all, limiting her economically because she could not find a job, but also socially and culturally since she was unable to easily adapt to her new environment nor find a sense of belonging. The climate and culture of America was different, even though she moved near San Francisco’s Chinatown, …show more content…
Ling-chi Wang’s article, “Chinese Americans,” in the Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, details about the history of Chinese Americans in the United States. The encyclopedia article provides further insight on the influence of Chinatowns in immigrants’ lives and the cultural blend of both Chinese and American cultures, which are a large part of Tan’s acculturation. In Chinatown, there is a large Chinese population and a majority of people speak Cantonese on an everyday basis. Chinese cuisine has been an integral part of her diet, as it was for many Chinese Americans. Every day, she would stop by the supermarket to buy ingredients for preparing authentic Chinese dishes. The businesses and food in this neighborhood are heavily influenced by Chinese practices, as well as lifestyles and daily living. She also observes major holidays of the Chinese lunar calendar, such as Lunar New Year and the Spring Festival. In San Francisco, these holidays are also school holidays, revealing the effect Chinese immigration on institutions. Tan and her partner are Buddhist, observing and practicing Buddhist rituals and beliefs at home. In a shine located in a corner of her house, is a statue of a god. These representations are treated as if “they are gods… offer[ing] respect and ritual offerings, burning incense, ritual papers, and paper objects to help maintain order and to bring good luck .” However, she never pushed her religious views onto her children, since the Chinese respect …show more content…
Although I am very close to her, I never heard her speak much about her trip over to America or hear about her previous life in China. It did not seem like a taboo subject, but growing up, that aspect of her life stayed private unless she was explicitly asked about her experiences. Through interviewing, I learned a lot about my family history and gained insight on certain values and behaviors she holds. Her experience is unique, but in the broader sense of Chinese immigration in to the U.S., her life holds many similarities to the lives of other Chinese immigrants. After the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, many people, including her, began to immigrate to Guum San again. Because of the family unification reform in the immigration reform provision, her husband was allowed to bring her into the States. As a result, their family in China started coming over. Tan was also a part of the seamstress working population how had limited job opportunities because she was not able to speak English. The low pay, hard work and tough hours, along with her faith in achieving more because of education, pushed her to learn English to get other opportunities. I thought her ethnicity and gender would play a role in the way she sees herself and experiences. Although it seems as though she does not personally attribute her Chinese ethnicity nor her gender in shaping her life, in a broader context, it plays

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