Oral History Project
The Project: This course requires you to complete an Oral History Project. Oral History refers to
the method of recording and preserving a verbal testimony. It begins with an audio or video
recording of a first and/or second person account given by the interviewee; the person
responding to questions. That account is recorded by the interviewer; the person asking
questions. The end result of this recorded conversation will be the creation of a permanent
record that contributes to a better understanding of the past. The Oral History is then preserved
and made available in different forms to other users, researchers, and to the public.
The Assignment: Your assignment will be to interview a veteran of the Korean War (possibly
also a veteran of the Vietnam War). List of veterans and their contact information will be
provided by your instructor. Interviewing a veteran means you are documenting history and
making a treasured record. You will have to do some work, but you will also be involved in
something that is fun and exciting. Each interview is unique because the people are unique and
each person has his or her own story to tell. The person interviewed will be unknown but you
will have a series of questions already prepared to help facilitate your conversation. All
interviews will be stored and archived with Houston Community College and also with the
Houston Metropolitan Research Center.
The Goal: The goal of this project is a brief but detailed exploration of some aspect of the Latino
veteran experience in Houston.
The Purposes: The purpose of this project includes developing critical reading, writing, and
investigative skills; enhancing historical research methods; and developing interpretive skills
through the use of primary sources.
The Questions: A list of questions will be provided to you by your instructor. You will have a
list of questions that include requests for basic facts as well as open-ended questions. Among the
basic fact questions are: (1) What is your name and how do you spell it? (2) Where are you
from? (3) How long have you lived in the neighborhood? & (4) What school did you attend?
Open-ended questions might include: (1) Tell me what you like best about the neighborhood? (2)
What has changed the most in the neighborhood since you moved here? Use the questions
provided but feel free to ask your own and/or follow up questions.
The Interview: As the interviewer, you will open the taping session with your name, the date,
and the name of the person being interviewed. The person should also give his name as
verification. This gives the interviewee an easy answer to start out with and it makes it clear that
this is going to be about that person. You should ask follow-up questions, especially if the
person is heading off in different directions that don’t relate to the project or if they give short
answers. One way people know that they are being listened to is by asking them a question based
on what they just said. Ask them questions in response to some of the above. It is important to
remember the interview is about the interviewee’s story.
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Equipment: For this project you will be provided with recording equipment. For all interviews a
recording device of some sort is needed. In many instances a tape recorder, cell phone, iPhone,
and even iPad can serve as reliable recorders. Your recording equipment will be provided on the
day of the interview but you can actually start practicing now. Don’t wait till the interview day;
you will want to practice, practice, and practice. Practice using your equipment before you
actually interview anyone. Practice with family members, friends, in front of the mirror, or even
with a pet. Part of what you are practicing is using the equipment as well as hearing yourself ask
questions.
Scheduling: This interview is scheduled on the campus of HCC Central on Thursday, April 7,
2016 between the hours of 11:00 and 1:00; including time for set up and take down. The
length of the interview will vary but for this project they should not be less than 30 minutes nor
last more than one hour. Make the length of the interview clear to the interviewee from the start.
When you first meet them, tell them who you are and what you are doing. For example say,
“Hello, my name is (state your name) and I am doing an oral interview project for Dr. Esparza’s
Mexican American History course at HCC Central.”
Release Forms: The interviewee will need to sign two release forms giving us permission to
record him or her. This is probably the second most important thing you need to remember to
do. Without the permission of the interviewee for others to use the interview, the interview will
be caught in copyright limbo for 90 years or more. Don’t forget, you as the interviewer should
sign the release form as well. Release forms will be provided to you.
Profile: Following the interview, your task will be to write a profile of the person you covered.
Your profile should provide a brief but sound history of the veteran’s experience. All profiles
will be uploaded to an educator’s website and become part of a digital exhibit. Profiles are due
on Thursday, May 5th. We will hold a Profile writing day on Thursday, April 28th in class.
Photos: You should also take a photo of the veteran and the interviewee or both. The photos
will also be uploaded to the educator’s website and become part of the digital exhibit. Submit
the photos with your profile.
Due Date: This assignment is worth up to 100 points and is scheduled to take place on
Thursday, April 7th & Thursday, April 28th. I will need a digitized copy of both the interview
and the profile/photos. Bring those items on a flash drive and have them ready to be dumped
onto my desktop. No emails please. Anything handed in after that day will be deducted points.
Grading: Grades for this project will be based on the following criteria: conducting the interview
worth 50 points; writing the profile worth 50 points for a combined total of 100 points.
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