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:

1. 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.

2. 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?

Why did you come to the United States?

What personal sacrifices did you make coming to the U.S.?

Describe your journey to the U.S.?

How old were you when you came to the United States?

Do you have any children?

What were your expectations when coming to America? Were they met?

What was the first thing you did when you came to America?

How did you manage to get by during the first few months?

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

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

Was it difficult finding a job in the U.S.?

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

How did you feel when you received your first paycheck?

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

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

How was it growing up in your country?

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

Do you plan to go back to your country?

What do you miss in your country?

Are happy in the United States? Is it what you dreamed of?

Do you regret coming to America?

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

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.

Was NJ the only State you lived in when you came to The United States? If no, where else did you live and why did you move to NJ?

Was there a climate difference between the U.S. and the country you came from? If yes, describe what it was like adjusting to the different climate.