Oral History Interview Guide: Farm Labor Project Participants I. Biographical Information Birthdate and birthplace Father's name; mother's maiden name; siblings; extended family Parents birthplace Father's work; mother's work Family's daily life and special remembrances -- chores, birthdays, holidays, vacation Family's cultural, political, religious life Experience growing up during the Depression Interviewee's education -- primary and secondary; subjects favored and hated; interactions with teachers; social environment; extracurricular activities; parent's expectations; own expectations and plans II. College Life When and why attended Brooklyn College History of other family members attending college Subjects studied -- classes/professors liked and disliked Major field(s) of interest Extracurricular activities (involvement in political, social, religious, cultural organizations) Impact of WWII on studies, college life and family life III. Farm Labor Project Background How heard about it and why signed up Reaction of family and friends First time in rural setting? First time out of New York City? First time away from family? Work Experience What work did you do? (Harvest and non-harvest jobs) Training First time doing physical labor? Impact of work Encounters with employers/farmers Encounters with farmworkers (African Americans from Florida, Bahamians, and others?) Productivity -- what were the expectations and how was productivity measured; general assessment of impact of their work Pay -- how was it calculated, when were you paid, and what did you do with pay? Impact of weather Were there differences in working conditions, assignments and expectations of men and women? Work clothes Living Conditions Conditions on individual farms and/or camps in Dutchess County, Village of Red Hook Food -- quantity, quality, variety, who prepared? Bathroom and bathing facilities Sleeping facilities Chores (gender defined?) Social, Cultural and Religious Life Leisure time activities Friends Romantic involvements Encounters with students from Hunter, City and Queens Colleges Reactions to and impressions of rural life Religious and/or cultural identity How maintain religious practices? Attend religious services in town? Local responses to Jewish students (religiously observant and non-observant) Encounters with local community (cultural exchanges and differences) Supervision and involvement of Brooklyn College (supervision of men/supervision of women) Tensions between students? Tensions between students and Brooklyn College faculty? Tensions between students and local residents? (Include following questions for 1943 participants) Curricular component; subjects studied, relevance to farmwork, requirements, assignments and grades (do you have copies of assignments?); impact on direction of study at Brooklyn College Interactions with professors and director (Biology Professor Ralph Benedict) Issues surrounding call for student council Life in Morrisville Involvement with –The Bean Stalker” (Do you have any copies?) Returnees from 1942 season; returnees to 1944 season; compare different seasons General Evaluation Overall experience (met and unmet expectations, financial rewards and shortfalls) Impact on college life and life after college Impact of social relations formed during project: On-going connections with other Farm Labor Project students during and after college? Did Brooklyn College sponsor get-togethers during the school year? After graduation? Have there been reunions in the past fifty years? Have you been back to Morrisville in the last fifty years? Impact of war on experience (economic and political impact; international, national and family news) IV. Life After Farm Labor Project When completed college; degree; major, GPA; interests and expectations of post-college life Employment after graduation Family/Married life; children Impact of end of the war Political, social, cultural, religious life
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