FAQs

Do I have to be Vietnamese to participate?

All stories are welcome! Our community recordings are open to anyone who has fled Vietnam and made a connection to Manhattan Chinatown. You can be ethnically Vietnamese, Chinese, or any other community who has found your way to Manhattan Chinatown by way of Vietnam--we want to hear your story!  If you have heard these stories from family members or loved ones, or lived this experience yourself, then this open call is for you. 

Do I or my storyteller have to live or work in Chinatown?

Not at all! We are looking for anyone who has made a connection to Manhattan Chinatown after coming from Vietnam. We acknowledge that Chinatown is a cultural home for so many people. Whether it has become your go-to place in NYC to find community or get a taste of home through a steaming bowl of phở or meet up with friends and family for Sunday lunch, we want to hear about how Chinatown has played a part in recreating a sense of home here.

Who will be the interviewer?

Ideally, you or someone you trust will be the interviewer. Rather than our team interviewing you, our community recording days encourage loved ones to interview and learn about each other. This is a great opportunity for you to ask the questions you’ve always wanted to know about your loved ones OR for someone you trust to ask you about the stories that you have always wanted to share. Our facilitators will help guide you along the way. We hope that this interview will be the start of many conversations to come between you two. 

What if I don’t have someone to interview me?

Our team is happy to interview you! Our story team can facilitate interviews in English & Chinese (Sunday 3/29 & Saturday 4/18) and Vietnamese (Saturday 4/18). Although we are happy to interview you, we highly encourage you to invite someone you trust to interview you or be interviewed by you. 

How do I prepare myself and/or my storyteller for the interview? What should we expect on the recording day? 

Once you sign up for a recording, our team will send you all the information you need to know to prepare for your recording. This will include sample questions, our release form, and tips on how to prepare yourself and/or your storyteller for the interview.  On the day of the recording, our team will welcome you, walk you through the intake and release forms, and handle all the recording – so you can focus on facilitating the interview itself! If you want to get a headstart on preparing yourself and/or your storyteller, check out Self Evident's Oral History Toolkit for step-by-step video lessons with our Storytelling Lead, Rochelle. We especially encourage Lessons 4-6. 

What questions should I ask? 

We will send you sample questions to get your conversation flowing. We encourage you to use them as a starting point to think of your own questions too. 

What language can I do the interview in? 

We welcome interviews in English, Chinese, and Vietnamese. If you prefer a Vietnamese facilitator, please sign up for our Saturday 4/18 recording day. 

What happens with my recording after the interview?

All community recordings will be archived on VBP’s digital Journeys Map to build a Manhattan Chinatown collection, spotlighting Vietnamese and Chinese diaspora histories that intersect with Chinatown. Each storyteller will also receive a raw copy of their recording as a keepsake.  There is also a possibility that your story will be selected to be a part of Think!Chinatown’s Storytelling projects such as our Art of Storytelling or Landmarks. Bringing together art and storytelling, our project challenges us to reimagine how we collectively remember, honor, and share the stories of our communities.