Interview With an Immigrant

Intercultural Communication Interview

Prepare for your interview ahead of time. Consider if the questions you plan to ask might be offensive in some way. Consider the discomfort you might feel if you were from a different culture and someone asked you these questions. Be sensitive as you do the interview to the other person’s discomfort. Are your questions clear and understandable to him or her? Is your accent easy for him or her to understand? Is your word choice appropriate? When you are ready to begin, start by introducing yourself and then very politely say something like… “Thank you for allowing me to interview you for my Intercultural Communication class. Please allow me to ask you some questions that will guide our discussion. Feel free to add any information you feel will help me understand your perspective as a person from a culture different than the one I have experienced, living here in the United States for most of my life.”

First, may I have your permission to quote you in my paper? If so, please tell me how to spell your name correctly and tell me the correct title I should use for you.

Where did you live?
What is the dominant language?
What are the other languages spoken, if any?
What are some common gestures, sounds, or symbols that the students would need to know if they wanted to communicate in your home country?
What is the dominant religion in your home country?
What are important customs or celebrations?
Are these celebrations based on religion, or were they originally?
Do any of these celebrations cause a conflict within you because of your faith? Why?
How are families organized in your culture?
Does one person take the lead role in decision-making in your culture?
How are children, youth, and the elderly treated in your culture?
How are decisions made in your culture?
Is there a dress-code that you should follow in your culture?
How should I dress if I were to visit?
What roles do people have in the family or larger society?
Are there roles that you are expected to play in your society that you find hard to do?
What are things about your culture that are vitally important to you that a foreigner would not understand?
What are some things about your culture that you wish other people knew so that they would communicate better with your culture?
What are some things that I should not miss about your culture or country if I could visit?
What is the thing you miss most about your culture while you are away?
What surprised you most about the American culture?
What adjustments did you have to make to feel comfortable in this new culture?
What do you think you would miss most about this culture if you were to return to your country?