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TO: Professor Scalzo and Classmates

FROM: Elizabeth Olah

DATE: October 27, 2017

SUBJECT: Multimodal Field Research and Memo

The conversation that exists around immigration is a negative one, yet the argument to

why immigrants should be deported is often not fully revealed. The most important idea to

convey when discussing the topic of immigration is how the effects of deportation impact our

country economically, socially, and financially. There is a clear need for immigrants, and this

idea cannot go ignored any further. A common fallacy expressed through social media, the press,

and through our politicians is that immigrants are problematic. They should be expelled from the

United States due to their high criminality and because they “take jobs” from real citizens.

The most difficult issue at task is to pick a research method that would be the most

beneficial to my topic. Because the subject is not only broad, but also intimate to most people

due to its political associations attached; achieving to discover both sides of the argument will be

challenging on a college campus, especially during the busy holiday season.

Process

I decided inevitably to pursue two types of field research: survey and interview. I decided

against using observation, because this topic is more about one’s own inner thoughts. I did not

see any beneficial way to observe a group of people and learn from those results. Observation

can be useful with topics that are social such as bullying. Although immigration is considered a

social topic, I am not necessarily looking for how people interact with one another. Instead, I

plan to achieve through interviews real conversations with people who are either immigrants or

have nuclear family members who are. Not only do I want to have conversations with those
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affected, but also interview people who do not have any immigrants within their immediate

family and to discover what their views are on the topic. I chose methods that involve

conversation, because that is how I received any information from my grandparents. They

emphasized that freedom of speech is invaluable, and I would like to honor that with this process

and to my interviewees.

After the interviews, I would like to share a survey concerning the relevance of

immigrants, the lack of knowledge concerning immigration, and more. Because of social media’s

far reach to a number of diverse people, I will be able to reach people from all walks of life to

collect a variation of public opinions. I plan to include a discussion question as to what people

want to know more about concerning immigration. As I mentioned before, the problem at task

will indefinitely be the willingness of people to share their honest thoughts upon the subject.

Immigration is political and intimate; therefore, it is often a topic not for polite conversation.

Preparation

My preparation requires a number of hours committed to organization and scheduling. I

want to make sure that my questions for the interview are concise and effective, so that the ones

being questioned feel both comfortable and challenged. I will create a survey using Qualtrics that

will allow people to submit their answers anonymously and efficiently. I feel that by doing this, I

am doing everything within my power to help others feel safe and at ease. I plan to interview

and survey a number of people from all backgrounds within not only Muncie, but with whoever

is willing to participate via Internet. Specifically, I would love more information from people

who are immigrants themselves or have close family members who are. But also, I want to hear

from people who may not have close immigrant relations with anyone. My demographic overall

is broad: all genders, all sexes, and all educational levels.

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My questions, however, is how I will be able to differentiate people within my study. I

will include the following questions: “On a scale from 1-10, please rate your knowledge of US

immigration history and today’s current policies”, “Do you believe that you feel obligated to

have a certain opinion about immigration because of the political party you belong to?”, “Do you

have any immediate/relative family members who are immigrants?”, “If answered yes to the

previous question, do you feel that having family who are immigrants impacts your opinion on

the topic?”, “Would you consider the extent to which immigration is covered in Elementary,

Middle School, and High School today to be adequate?”, “Do you feel that our society would

benefit from gaining more knowledge about immigration?”, “Does immigration policies affect

your choice when voting for government officials?”, and “What do you wish to learn more about

immigration?”

Summary

One of the key decisions made within my research process was exactly what methods I

wanted to choose in order to reach my objective in attaining information. After our discussions in

class, I realize that the questions you ask and in what manner you ask them must be calculated

and respectful. If you approach questions with a particular bias or attitude, no one will want to

share their opinion. However, one of the ways in which I can achieve a sense of trust between the

volunteers and me is by becoming extremely knowledgeable in this topic. This knowledge

includes historical context, relations to race, and the current events that are involved within

immigration. From the past few weeks, I am reassured by the multitude of sources and secondary

sources I have come across to become well versed on this topic. These sources include a variety

of scholarly articles, documentaries, and more to continue my research.

Discussion
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The questions that I wish to include within my survey and interview strive to achieve the

most precise and direct answers. I hope to gain a clear understanding, and further ask why their

beliefs are the way they are. Is it because of political bias? A family relation? The educational

system I am curious to discover the real opinions of people around us. Often what Fox or CNN

displays blind us constantly, which is usually in the most dramatic manner. But I do have a

feeling that either people do not know enough information on immigration to really form a

justified opinion, or that their views are heavily influenced by not their own person beliefs or

experiences – but the ideas of others. It is a trend to continue to make immigrant a “bad” word. I

hope that through the discussion I have with people that I can gain empathy and learn more about

this topic that is very personal to me.

Closing

I have created a calendar that corresponds to our syllabus. My goal is to commit at least 3 hours

of field research until the final presentation is due. I am also keeping a binder reserved just for

this project; in order to keep up with my sources, results from surveys, and to hold my interviews

after I listen and type them out. Currently, my biggest concern is how to really get started. But I

know once I figure out those first few steps, I will know how to proceed. I would really love any

feedback in how to approach interviews and surveys, since I do not have any prior experience

before this. Also, if there is any questions that you may have concerning the topic you want

answered; I would definitely be open to more questions to guide me towards a deeper and more

thorough investigation!