Entry #1: The Interview

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One month ago, I embarked on my Writing 121 Ethnographic Project by calling my half-brother Joel who lives in Evansville, Indiana. On a warm Saturday afternoon, I messaged my brother Joel to see if would do an interview with me. He didn't reply. Then I called him and asked him if he is willing to be interviewed. He didn't like the idea of interviewing him, but I pressured him by saying "Do it for me". So he finally agreed. He kept asking, "Why do you want to interview me?" and "What do I have to say?"


You might be wondering the same thing... Why would I interview my relative for an ethnographic project? Here's why. I moved to the United States when I was a young adult. I still think and act Marshallese, but my brother came here when he was little. He's attended school in US public schools and has both Marshallese friends and American friends. I was really curious about his experience of growing up here and being bi-cultural. How does he keep his Marshallese-ness while navigating the dominant culture.





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