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What are Oral
Histories?
· Migration to the United States
· Involvement in a war or conflict such as WWII, Korea and Vietnam
· Experiences during the Great Depression
· Local history of one’s community
According to Dr. Bret Eyon, author of How To Do An Oral History About The Impact of The Vietnam Era, says, “Oral histories convey a dramatic, first-hand view of history, with a storytelling approach and a sense of personal experience. Conducting interviews with family and community members illuminates the ways historic developments affect everyday life.” He goes on to say, “ Sometimes we assume that first person testimony represents the absolute truth, it is more important to approach oral history as a form of memory – an individual’s way of interpreting and narrating their experience of a particular event or period. Oral memoirs can help us understand the crucial role of perspective and interpretation in history.”
Oral histories are important because they often record specific details about events in history that have never been recorded. In addition, the oral histories portray important events in history from the viewpoint of the common person. Conducting an oral history can be a rewarding experience, but it is hard work! The entire Oral History process is very complex and requires several stages of work. In the following pages this process will be broken down into practical steps.
Step 1: The Pre-Interview Stage
Step 2: Preparing for the Interview
Step 3: Conducting the Interview
Suggestions For Using Oral Histories