Assignment learning objectives:

To increase students’ cross-cultural encounters,

To deepen student’s cultural assessment skills,

To broaden students’ understanding of Latino diversity.

*****Format of paper:

8-11 pages,

Please group your answers under the major subheadings

Please be specific in your responses to the reflection questions

An oral history is a spoken life story, it gives us a way to understand someone’s life from his/her own perspective.

For this assignment, you are asked to interview a person of Latino/a/x heritage.  If you are Latino/a/x, please interview someone of a different Hispanic origin group than your own.  The interviewee can be a friend, a colleague, a neighbor, or a client.  Because you will be asking somewhat personal questions, you will have to ask your interviewee to sign an informed consent form which will be provided to you.  The interviewee should be assured of confidentiality if requested.  You do not have to use the person’s actual name, a pseudonym is sufficient.

Please ask the following questions and any follow-up questions you think are relevant:

I.   Background (5-7 pages):

 What is your Latino/a/x heritage, that is, what country did you and your family come from?   How do you identify yourself (e.g., Mexican or other country of origin, Hispanic, Latino)?

 How long have you and your family been in the U.S.?  What prompted you (your family) to leave their homeland?

Do you speak Spanish, at home, at work, with friends?

Where did you grow up?  What was your neighborhood (barrio) like when you were a child?  What are some of your favorite childhood memories?

Do you celebrate any special cultural traditions with family or friends?

Where did you go to school?  What were your career aspirations when you were younger?

What were the most significant influences that helped shape your life and career?

What are some important parts of your culture that may be different from other Latino groups and Anglos?

II.  Reflection (3-4 pages):

What are the similarities and differences (e.g. socially, culturally or politically) between your personal experiences and that of the Latino/a/x person that you have interviewed?

How has this interview informed your view of the interviewee’s Latino/a/x ethnic group?

How will this understanding affect your future practice regarding micro/macro cultural considerations when working with the Latino/a/x client population?