Harry Interviews his Grandfather/Nana for a Middle School Project on Family Immigration in May 2012

1. From what country does our family member originally come? India

2. Why did they decide to leave their homeland? For a very good quality higher education.

a. Were they in any danger? No

b. Did they want more freedom or better job opportunities? No

3. Did my relatives move around once they got to the U.S. or did they settle in one place? They moved around to more than one place

a. Why did they move again, if they did? When my grandfather finished his studies he was offered a job in a different place

4. What was it like to immigrate? It was difficult and challenging and fun

a. What were some of the joys and/or challenges?

Challenges – Finding a good place. Joys – Fun to find a University position

b. Did they experience any discrimination? Sometimes yes

c. How? Subtle ways. Sometimes distinctions would be made that were not justified

5. How is living in this country different from living in the place from which they moved? In India middle class living requires more time and energy for survival

6. Are there any cultural traditions, rituals, or religious practices in our family that have been passed down through generations? What are they? Why do you think we keep doing them. Yes. Clothing, festivals, cuisine and classics. These add meaning and significance to our lives.

7. What kinds of jobs did they have when they arrived in the US? What was their experience like working in those jobs? Were they trained for a different job in their native country than the one they first had here? Would they have done something different if they could have?Same kind of job in India and the United States – University Professor

8. What values have been passed down in the family and continue to be important to us today? The value of education

9. How was life different for a child of my age in their native country? Less freedom in India for a child of my age