On May 22, 2021, I had the honor to interview Kimberly, a fourth-year student at San Ysidro high school. Kimberly is 17 years old and lives in San Diego, California. She is passionate about mathematics and is friendly and energetic. She is the eldest child in the family, and her parents are immigrants from different countries. Her father is from Cambodia, and her mother is an immigrant from Vietnam. They were very poor in those areas and come to the United States to seek opportunities for their families to live a better life.
Topics covered in this interview include: immigration, schools, Covid-19 and more. This interview will focus on Kimberly’s parents’ immigration experience, the circumstances faced by immigrants, information about her high school, and the impact of Covid-19 on her and her family. I met Kimberly through the ethnic studies 120D course. My team and I were assigned to work with the people of San Ysidro High School, especially with the children. We will meet with the students there through Google meeting every Wednesday and share some college experiences and suggestions with them. It is through this excellent opportunity that I met Kimberly.
The interview was conducted via Zoom in order to practice social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The interview was conducted by myself, Xiyuan Cui, a senior math major at UCSD. Because I come from a different background, I am very happy to negotiate with communities and people in different regions and learn about their culture.
Comments by XIYUAN CUI