ACTIVITY 1
Plan an oral interview with a relative
Perhaps the greatest treasure you uncover will be the stories about your ancestors. As you interview your relatives about their lives and your ancestors lives, details of dates, places, relationships and significant family moments will begin to surface.
You will need to plan well. Follow these guidelines:
Plan your interview. Call or send a letter requesting a visit. Explain what you want to do and why you want to do it.
Think about the questions you want to ask and write them down. You’ll know best what you want to find out. In the next column, are a few possible topics and questions to consider.
Plan for about one hour.
ACTIVITY 3
Write a "Thank You" note and a family story
Write a thank you note to the person you interviewed.
Write at least a one page story about the person you interviewed.
EPISODE THREE: ACTIVITY SHEET
ACTIVITY 2
Conduct an oral interview
During the interview:
- Use a notebook, tape recorder and a video camera, if you have one. An audio tape and video of your relative will be a priceless possession in the years to come.
- Start with easy questions about the person you are interviewing. First get some background information.
- Use family photographs to stimulate memory. Ask your relative to describe who the people are and what’s going on in the photograph.
- Don’t feel uncomfortable if your relative stops speaking and there is silence. Sometimes silence is necessary for gathering thoughts together.
- Don’t be too quick with another question, before giving them time to think. You might miss an opportunity to hear a wonderful experience.
- Be sensitive to the emotions and feelings of your relative. Sometimes people become emotional talking about their experiences and relationships in the past. If that happens, either remain silent and give them time to work through their thoughts, or find out if he or she would you like to talk about the topic some more, stop talking about it or talk about something else.
- Try not to interrupt if your relative gets off the subject. Let him or her finish the story and then try to redirect him back to the story he was telling before.
- Be gracious, thoughtful and show appreciation for the time and thought your relative has given to you.
Possible Topics and Questions
Relationships. What were your parents like? How would you describe their relationship with each other/ with you/ with their other children? What do you remember about them?
Family Information. Show your relative the information you have compiled on your pedigree chart and Family Group Records. Ask them if they know any of the missing information. Where are family members buried? Is there a family burial plot?
Characteristics. Did the family members have a close resemblance to each other? What were the most dominant physical features and characteristics? Are there any diseases that run in the family? Was anyone famous or notorious?
Experiences. Can you remember any big family celebrations? Did your family experience any crises? What do you remember about the house you lived in? Where did most of the family activities go on? How did the family earn money? Who worked? How did your family compare economically with other families in your neighborhood?
Community Life. What was the neighborhood (town) like? What kind of people lived there? What did you do for fun?
Living in the Old Country and Migrating to America. What was life like in the old country? What did you do for work there? Why did you come to America? What do you remember about the trip to America and where you landed? Who met you when you arrived? What impressions did you have of America?