For this project, it only made sense to interview my sister Maria, especially when considering the fact that her adoption is the subject of this whole project. Since I'm currently in South Bend and she's in Chicago, I conducted the interview over video chat using Google Hangouts. This allowed us to actually look at one another as we spoke as opposed to just hearing each other's voices via phone call. Right off the bat, I knew I wanted this interview to flow naturally. The last thing I wanted was for Maria to feel like I'd set up a video interrogation. As soon as the interview started, I let her know my plans and expectations. I told her that I would ask her questions and that she could answer to whatever degree she felt comfortable. Upon reflection, I'm content with my decision to structure the interview in this manner. It allowed Maria to guide the topics of conversation in a relaxed yet complete way. She also allowed me to jump in with certain questions and insights as they arose throughout the course of the interview. Had I limited myself to a certain list of questions, I would have subsequently limited her responses. In all,the open and laid back nature of this interview yielded fruitful results.

After listening to Maria's perspective, I feel the need to reiterate some of her most resolute points. She says several times throughout the course of our interview that she has "a good adoption story." She elaborates upon this idea as she recounts details of her adoption. Since she was placed in my parents' care shortly after birth, she never knew any other mother or father. She recalls never feeling as if she was any less of a family member simply because she doesn't share our parents' DNA. The only times she ever felt "different" were when she would be at family functions, and she would realize that she was the only "brown person" in attendance. She notes that she never felt any kind of resentment towards our family for being a different race, thus acknowledging the aspects of her adoption that were out of her control. When asked about the importance of DNA, Maria argues that biological data is not what defines a family. Even with this outlook, she is still able to see the importance of DNA and the role it can play in understanding one's ancestry and heritage. Overall, I'm satisfied with the outcome of this interview and the ways in which we allowed ourselves to freely communicate with one another. Gathering Maria's side of the story was essential to the success of this critical genealogy project, and I am therefore indebted to her for her time and willingness to collaborate.