Summary

https://on.soundcloud.com/bXHaX

By: Justess Rios

My interviewee is Amanda and she is my mom.  I chose to interview her because growing up I would see her and be in awe of how effortlessly she switched languages and the way her tone changed when she spoke spanish.  She always seemed to have such a good connection with her Ecuadorian culture while also being a working woman in New York City.  In the interview we talk about her connection with her indigenous Ecuadorian roots and how she didn’t always know that she was indigenous and how once she learned little parts of her life started to make sense.  The archival material that Amanda brought was a painting that she bought from Ecuador.  This painting means a lot to her because when she looks at it she is reminded of Ecuador’s beauty.  She commissioned this painting from an artist because when she saw his work in a museum she knew she needed it in her home and it has a little extra meaning because this was also her first time bringing my dad to Ecuador, it was very important to her that he loved Ecuador as much as she does. 

Throughout this whole conversation it was emphasized how important culture is to my mom.  Growing up she was never ashamed of her culture because it was all she ever knew and luckily she didn’t deal with much prejudice where she grew up.  One thing that she wants all listeners to take away from this interview is that you should never be ashamed of your background, ethnicity, race, or culture.  If everyone was the same and we all came from the same place there would be no layers to humanity.  The problem is that sometimes society makes people feel ashamed of where they came from so in turn these people cut down on how much their culture is a part of them and they slowly become whoever society wants them to be.  The sooner this stops the more culture that will be spread throughout and it would make society a more welcoming place.

My interviewing technique was to ask the important questions that related to the prompt of the project, but to also have a genuine conversation, I didn’t want it to sound robotic.  I did this by trying to ask follow up questions, but sometimes I found myself with nothing to add on and I would feel forced to move onto the next question even though it might have not felt natural at that moment.  Overall, I am happy with how the interview turned out, I feel like I understand my mom much more, I feel more connected to her.  I left this interview inspired to learn Spanish again, for me, but also for my mom.  I want to be fluent and I want to be able to fully communicate with my family in Ecuador, I know that would make my mom so proud.  

The interview link can be found in the content summary.