Progress:
To further dissect my Dad's experiences in America, I want to go through comparisons of distinct culture. Such as foods, TV shows, social media, fashion. I thought it would be interesting to compare fashion and social norms between the Vietnamese and Americans. I am hoping to get some more fun facts about Viets through this interview. I wanted to see how he has adapted to the American society and whether he enjoyed American traditions and favorite past times such as watching TV. I don't have enough time to interview family members so I've decided to change my plans from interviewing others to interviewing what he did for fun. I wanted to get into the more fun aspect of immigrating here. Most people don't see this when someone is interviewed about their trail over to a new nation. I think this is all very important to the process of adaptation.
Interview Questions:
What's your favorite American food and your least favorite American food?
"I really like steak. I don't like American food to be honest. I think it's okay. I think it tastes so plain and salty. Too much seasoning sometimes. I don't like hot dogs. It's not real meat. It tastes like rubber. It tastes terrible. I don't like it. I don't know what they use. The cheese is weird too."
Did you grow up watching a lot of TV?
"Yes, I did. I really liked the news, history channel, discovery, and game shows. I liked the Price is Right. Easy and simple gameshow. Don't need much English to understand. You just have to understand the values on the screen. Cooooome on down. Can you give me a number. Anything number. How much does it cost? Hahah. I think that's my favorite."
Was the fashion over here different from Vietnam? Did you think it was weird or cool?
"Fashion in America was long hair, high platform shoes, bell bottom pants. The fashion was pretty much the same. We had long hair and weird outfits. I think that fashion back then was very cool. We wore a lot of stripes and plaid too."
Did you play any sports or watch a lot of sports on TV?
"I played a lot of sports. I did soccer. I started learning baseball and football on the TV when I came here. First time watching it, I thought it was very boring. I thought it was too much wrestling and violence. You can basically break everything on a person. It causes a lot of action for me. I learned how to play and watch it. It's really fun to watch. I think baseball is kind of boring but sometimes it is really fun to watch that. I don't know a lot about baseball. I know Randy White. I love the Cowboy team. I am a true Texan. I am still a big fan."
Reflection:
Everyone is so similar. After this interview, I've realized that people are not very different. People are people. We all share the same hobbies in a way. We all tend to do things that are similar to each other. Which draws my attention to racial discrimination. I don't get why people make someone else's "color" a huge deal. Because of this interview, I've learned that my Dad is just about like everyone else. He enjoys TV, eating good food, and sharing his time with his family. We all have the same intentions. We all do our own business and we don't tend to attack anyone at our leisure. This interview shows that even though someone may have different nationalities, it shouldn't make them inferior. I look at myself as Janet. There isn't a time where I think to myself that I am Vietnamese-American unless I have to fill out a standardized test form. "Nationality (optional)." What's the point? My Dad and I may be from different generations but we are all so similar in the same ways. I am puzzled by how the world treats each other. This interview has opened up a new perspective for me on how similar people really are in general.
To further dissect my Dad's experiences in America, I want to go through comparisons of distinct culture. Such as foods, TV shows, social media, fashion. I thought it would be interesting to compare fashion and social norms between the Vietnamese and Americans. I am hoping to get some more fun facts about Viets through this interview. I wanted to see how he has adapted to the American society and whether he enjoyed American traditions and favorite past times such as watching TV. I don't have enough time to interview family members so I've decided to change my plans from interviewing others to interviewing what he did for fun. I wanted to get into the more fun aspect of immigrating here. Most people don't see this when someone is interviewed about their trail over to a new nation. I think this is all very important to the process of adaptation.
Interview Questions:
What's your favorite American food and your least favorite American food?
"I really like steak. I don't like American food to be honest. I think it's okay. I think it tastes so plain and salty. Too much seasoning sometimes. I don't like hot dogs. It's not real meat. It tastes like rubber. It tastes terrible. I don't like it. I don't know what they use. The cheese is weird too."
Did you grow up watching a lot of TV?
"Yes, I did. I really liked the news, history channel, discovery, and game shows. I liked the Price is Right. Easy and simple gameshow. Don't need much English to understand. You just have to understand the values on the screen. Cooooome on down. Can you give me a number. Anything number. How much does it cost? Hahah. I think that's my favorite."
Was the fashion over here different from Vietnam? Did you think it was weird or cool?
"Fashion in America was long hair, high platform shoes, bell bottom pants. The fashion was pretty much the same. We had long hair and weird outfits. I think that fashion back then was very cool. We wore a lot of stripes and plaid too."
Did you play any sports or watch a lot of sports on TV?
"I played a lot of sports. I did soccer. I started learning baseball and football on the TV when I came here. First time watching it, I thought it was very boring. I thought it was too much wrestling and violence. You can basically break everything on a person. It causes a lot of action for me. I learned how to play and watch it. It's really fun to watch. I think baseball is kind of boring but sometimes it is really fun to watch that. I don't know a lot about baseball. I know Randy White. I love the Cowboy team. I am a true Texan. I am still a big fan."
Reflection:
Everyone is so similar. After this interview, I've realized that people are not very different. People are people. We all share the same hobbies in a way. We all tend to do things that are similar to each other. Which draws my attention to racial discrimination. I don't get why people make someone else's "color" a huge deal. Because of this interview, I've learned that my Dad is just about like everyone else. He enjoys TV, eating good food, and sharing his time with his family. We all have the same intentions. We all do our own business and we don't tend to attack anyone at our leisure. This interview shows that even though someone may have different nationalities, it shouldn't make them inferior. I look at myself as Janet. There isn't a time where I think to myself that I am Vietnamese-American unless I have to fill out a standardized test form. "Nationality (optional)." What's the point? My Dad and I may be from different generations but we are all so similar in the same ways. I am puzzled by how the world treats each other. This interview has opened up a new perspective for me on how similar people really are in general.