Oral History Reflection

A couple of days ago, I got the chance to interview one of my dad’s friends, Nate, about his experiences with interviews. Currently a Nurse Practitioner, he has had over ten different jobs in his lifetime, ranging from a managerial position at KFC to an emergency room nurse. Just like his past jobs, the types of interviews that he has been in have been wildly different. He has even conducted a few interviews himself. Soon I will be participating in important, career-defining, interviews and it is important that I understand the ropes of an interview. I asked him only a couple of questions, but I got detailed answers and invaluable insights from the mind of both a successful interviewee and

    It is important to remember how much of daily life is affected by the work of veterans. Walking on streets, going to school, eating at restaurants, and hanging out with friends all depend on the service of veterans. They may not receive the proper amount of recognition from the younger generations, but their work is appreciated. In actuality, they gained vital information that can be shared with the future generations. They have gained respect and honor for their duty for our

For someone ungratefully grateful, it seems unnecessarily necessary for someone like me to attend Veteran’s Day. Yes, I do have close family that was in the military, but it was so long ago that my grandparents would no longer talk about it nor anyone would bring it up. Interacting and sympathizing with veterans seemed so abstract, because even though it was so close to home, I’ve never experienced it with anyone or by myself. However, reaching deep into the depths of my consciousness and identifying as a natural-born American citizen, I decided it was time to give respect to our troops on Veterans Day in collaboration

I sat down to interview my father, soon to find out how intrigued I was about my dad’s stories. It was late at night, about 7:00 PM. I had asked my dad if I could interview him, and he excitedly accepted.

I had never talked with my grandfather about his military background or the Vietnam War specifically, so it was enlightening to hear from him and connect his personal experiences with things we have learned about in class. The Vietnam War is often viewed as the war that changed everything. The United States government and the relationship it shares with its citizens was forever changed. The role of the media was transformed and more and more Americans put their trust in the press over the government. No longer could our presidents and our representatives make decisions for our nation without the fear of how the American people would react existing in the back of their minds. As our leaders struggled to regain the respect of other nations as a world power, the American people struggled to regain the confidence and pride they once had in their own

Two different types of liberty are recognized in John Winthrop’s speech to the Massachusetts general court, natural liberties and civil liberties. Winthrop also uses an analogy of women to explain his understanding of liberty. Winthrop considers natural liberties dangerous for many reasons, but he mainly argues nobody enforces natural liberty which makes them dangerous, while doing so he uses an analogy to the status of women to promote his idea and understanding of civil liberties.

The study of history and the teaching of history has come under intense public debate in the United States in the last few decades. The “culture-wars” began with the call to add more works by non-Caucasians and women and has bled into the study of history. Not only in the study of history or literature, this debate has spread into American culture like wildfire.

Chavez uses the “Latino Threat Narrative” to compare the Hispanics to the “German language threat, the Catholic threat, the Chinese and Japanese language threat, and the southern and eastern European threats.” He suggests that “each was pervasive and defined “truths” about the threat posed by immigrants that, in hindsight, were unjustified or never materialized in the long run of history.” Chavez was trying to explain that the Hispanic would pattern these other threats by upsetting the America people. He states that “… the Latino Threat Narrative is part of a grand tradition of alarmist discourse about immigrants and their perceived negative impacts on society.”

“The last American soldier left Vietnam during the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. For 2.4 million who served in Vietnam, there was no official homecoming. In June of 2005, Branson, Missouri held “Operation Welcome Home” for Vietnam Veterans. The parade and events were planned to provide the celebration and recognition they did not receive 30-plus years earlier.” (Vietnam: Homecoming) The veterans were able to see the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall and find the names of men they had known they had dies while serving. These veterans met with men they had formerly served with. Although this event was only a fraction of the welcome the soldiers truly deserved, many veterans were very appreciative of this. “Branson gave me

What provokes a person to write about his or her life? What motivates us to read it? Moreover, do men and women tell their life story in the same way? The answers may vary depending on the person who answers the questions. However, one may suggest a reader elects to read an autobiography because there is an interest. This interest allows the reader to draw from the narrator's experience and to gain understanding from the experience. When the reader involves him/herself in the experience, the reader encounters what is known and felt by the narrator. The encounter may provide the reader an opportunity to explore a

Remembrance is important to many veterans, in many ways. Many veterans are having a hard time out of the military force because they don’t have the limbs or mental health to work a job. Remembering all of these people and acknowledging them can sometimes be hard, but these veterans will never forget a friendly smile or a thank you. The veterans that get a thank you or a friendly smile have an easier time living with their problems and stress. Remembrance also helps a

According to Dr. Archie, part of the purpose of the event was to “expose [veterans] to the next steps in their higher education [and to] opportunities they may have not have realized were possible for a first-time incoming veteran student.”

When I see a veteran, I wonder what it’d be like if I walked in their shoes, experienced what they have. We all have some braveness in us but not all of us have the strength to listen to bullets just miss our heads. I know that no matter how small, every Veteran has a story and anyone should be happy to listen to it.

The subject of my interview is a 68 year elderly Vietnamese man named Minh “Bi” Ngo. Mr. Ngo has white long hair, a medium long white beard and a distinctive mole on the bottom of his left eye and a thick Vietnamese accent. He was born and raised in Vietnam on April 3rd, 1947. He is also a widow who is currently living with his daughter in Westminster, Orange County. Originally, Mr. Ngo was from the city of Buon Ma Thuot in the province of Dak Lak, Vietnam. He then immigrated to Falls Church, Virginia where he began his new life in the United States. At the time of the interview, Mr. Ngo looked very exhausted yet grateful at the same time. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Ngo through his daughter, who is a friend of my cousin. I conducted the interview on the afternoon of September 24th, which lasted for two hours. During the interview Mr. Ngo shared with me his experiences during the Vietnam war, his times in the Vietnamese Reeducation camps, his immigration to the United States, and his involvement in the Vietnamese community today. As the interview continues on, I began to comprehend a little bit more on the way it was back then and how the common folks

I love reading books and telling stories. I choose stories and books that I can relate to. When I feel a connection with the writer, I enjoy the book more. Using my experiences as a reader, I try to find ways to connect with my audience while writing and I found that story telling is the key to that connection. Storytelling is a great element to use when writing. It is not only a way to grab the audience’s attention; it is also a way to connect with them. I’m a great storyteller, because I always add my personal experiences to my writing and it helps me connect with my