Interview Questions for Immigration Project

Hi,

Below are the questions your class created to interview 2 individuals who came to the U.S. from another country. Please remember to get details for each question. If a person gives you a one word answer, follow up asking them to explain.


Here are interviewing tips:

When you ask a question be sure you get enough details: ask why, be sure to get the interviewee to explain their answer completely. One sentence answers are not enough. You need details about the person’s experience to write a good paper.

Ask questions that are open-ended and can’t be answered by “yes” or “no”. This will help you get the details that you need.

Here are some tips on how to take notes while conducting an interview:

Take notes during the interview. You should write words in short form (abbreviate) when you can so you have time to write as much information as possible.
Right after the interview fill in your notes with more details, so you have a complete and detailed set of notes. Do not wait days to fill in your notes!!!

Below are the interview questions. Please copy and paste the questions into a word document and create space between each question so you can take notes on the sheet during the interview. Feel free to use a tape recorder during the interview to help you fill in the notes.


Interview Questions – Immigration Project

Where are you from originally?

How old were you when you came to America?

How long have you been in the U.S.?

Why did you come to the U.S.?

Why did you choose the U.S. and not somewhere else?


Describe your journey to the U.S..

When first coming to the U.S., how were you treated?

How was adjusting to American life?


Did you learn English here? If yes, what was that like?

What were your expectations before you came to the U.S.? Were they met?

What is the biggest difference between what you thought it would be like in the U.S. and what it actually is?


Are there more job options here than in the country you emigrated from?

Have you accomplished everything you wanted to when moving to the U.S.?

Did you accomplish things that you didn’t expect to accomplish?


What was life like before in your country?

Do you still follow your country’s traditions? Please explain.

Do you plan on visiting your country again?

Would you go back to your country to live after living in the U.S.?

What are the biggest cultural and social differences between the U.S. and your country?

How do you compare the education systems?


How was it adapting to the U.S. culture?

Would you recommend the choice you made to come to the U.S. to someone else? Explain.

Did you leave any family (or kids) back home? If so, why?

Is the food different here than in your home country? What’s your favorite American food?