Sample Questions

Listed below are some sample questions that may be included in your oral history interviews.  You do not have to use these questions and may add your own questions that you find relevant to the person you interview.

1. For the record  -- introductory statement.

            a. Full names of interviewer and interviewee

            b. Time, date, place of interview

            c. Circumstances of interview.  We are doing this interview in order

                   to preserve for history the experiences of the victims of

                   Hurricane Katrina

2. Background –

            Who is the person being interviewed?

            What job did they have before the hurricane?

            What were your living circumstances?

            How many children, or relatives was the person responsible for?

            Were there pets?

            Were there any sick family members?

            Were there any financial concerns?

            Had they been through other hurricanes?

            Did they doubt that the Hurricane would be so bad?

            Elaborate on the circumstances leading up to the Hurricane?

            What types of warnings were being broadcast?

            What made the person not willing, or unable to leave the area?

                 Examples:

                     Tell me about your life before the Hurricane?   

                     What did you do for a living?

                     Where did you live?

                     What were your responsibilities?

                     Where were you when you heard about the Hurricane?

                     What did you think would happen?

                     Why did you decide not to evacuate?

3. The experience –

            Have them describe what happened, in as much detail as they remember.

            Try to take in chronologically as it gives some order to the events.

            After hearing what happened what did the person do to prepare.

            After the storm hit, what did the person do?

            What problems did you encounter?

            What did you see?

            Describe step by step evacuation until you reached Kingsville

               and the Coliseum

                  Examples:

                     How did you feel when the storm hit?

                     What was your first reaction?

                     Take me step by step of your experience?

                     Describe your evacuation?

                     When and how did you reach Kingsville?

                     Give me the good and the bad points.

                     Tell me what gave you hope?

                     How did you have hold up under this strain?

4. The future –

            What do they expect in the weeks ahead?  Why?

            Will this cause a change in their life?

            Are they planning to go home?

            Do they plan to make a new home?

            Why and where? 

            What do they hope the country will learn from this experience?

            What did they learn?

            So, where do you go from here?

            Are there any questions that you have not asked that you should have? 

            Is there something you would like to add not covered in this interview?

            Thank them for sharing their memories and experiences.

             While doing this Hurricane Katrina Diaspora Oral History Project please be courteous, considerate, sympathetic, and professional.  You represent Professor Hunter’s class, the Department of History, and Texas A&M University-Kingsville.  This is an exercise in “service education.’  You are helping build a permanent resource and history of this event.  This will be a lasting contribution and legacy!