Interview Example on Immigration

Me: What are your demographic backgrounds? Were you both born and raised in Catalonia?

Helena: I was born in Catalonia, but my parents are both immigrants. My father is English while my mother was born in Spain, but she immigrated to Catalonia about thirty years ago (Costa, 2017).

Jeroni: I was also born and raised in Catalonia.

Me: Which languages do you speak?

Helena: I speak Catalan, English, and Spanish (Costa, 2017).

Jeroni: I speak the same languages.

Me: What levels of education are you in?

Helena: We are both fourth-year university students at a university in Catalonia.

Me: How is the environment in the university?

Jeroni: The institution has a very liberal atmosphere, and the majority of the students are largely involved in political matters, and they have politically liberal minds.

Me: Are there immigrant students in the university?

Helena: Yes. There are very many immigrant students from the United States, China, and different countries in the European Union.

Me: Which language is spoken by most people in Catalonia?

Helena; Majority of native people speak Catalan, but most of the immigrants speak Spanish especially those from South America. However, there are still very many immigrants who have learned how to speak Catalan (Burgen, 2012).

Jeroni: Most people are either bilingual or multilingual. I do not know anyone who only speaks Catalan, not unless those from outside the city.

Me: Which language is used in teaching in the institution?

Helena: The language used in teaching depends on the course. Incidentally, I learned about three subjects in Catalan and Spanish when in my first year. But after that, all my subjects have been taught in English.

Jeroni: Different courses in the institution are mostly taught in Spanish or Catalan, but the language used depends on the course that the student is taking (Costa, 2017).

Me: Are there any immigrants who try to change their accents?

Helena: No. People do not try to change their accents.

Jeroni: I have not met anyone who is actively trying to change their accent. People from different nations have different accents. Incidentally, people from Mexico have a different Spanish accent from those who come in from South America (Costa, 2017).

Me: Do you think there is an existence of racism in Catalonia?

Helena: I believe there is racism. This is because many people from Catalonia feel that the immigrants are taking up their jobs hence they are having difficulty providing for their families (Burgen, 2012).

Me: Do you think that the Catalonian people are welcoming to immigrants?

Jeroni: Generally, they are welcoming because Catalonia is an international city. However, I think that most people in Catalonia are more tolerant of immigrants than they are welcoming of them because they feel that they take up their jobs.

Me: Do you think that the Catalan language will fade as more immigrants come in?

Helena; I think many people choose to speak Catalan over other languages even though the majority of people know Spanish. Many immigrants who come into the country also learn Catalan, so I think Catalan will stick around.

Jeroni: It is clear that majority of the youths in Catalonia speak Spanish as opposed to Catalan. This, therefore, lowers the chances of most migrants learning Catalan. Therefore, I think that though Catalan may still exist in the years to come, the number of speakers will reduce considerably.

Me: In conclusion, what do you feel is the impact of immigration on your country?

Helena: It is clear that there is racism in the country where people are discriminated against based on their country of origin. Immigrants are also expected to learn the countrys language to ease interactions (Mayer & Raja, n.d.). Learning institutions in Catalan only use English, Spanish, and Catalan and the most used language in the teaching process is Catalan. This, therefore, means that people are expected to learn the language for them to gain an education.

Jeroni: I have observed that speakers from immigration origin languages are seen as residents either in the long or short term but not as Catalonian citizens. Their languages are also seen as resident languages and not as patrimonial languages (Mayer & Raja, n.d.). Catalonia does not largely support the existence of immigrants in the country, and the country expects them to learn their languages instead of promoting a multicultural and multilingual society.

Me: Thanks for your time.

References

Burgen, S. (2012). Immigration complicates Catalonia's separatist picture. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/nov/20/immigration-complicates-catalonia-separatist-picture

Costa, M. (2017). Interview sp. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm-T70Ejt8Y

Mayer, M., & Raja, M. language, migration and citizenship: new challenges in the regulation of bilingualism. The State, The Economy and Their Agencies in Late Modernity.