Oral History Benchmark - Eva

Abstract

In this interview, Frank Sandoval talks about his experiences around race and segregation while growing up and the changes he has seen in society over the years of becoming an adult. Sandoval gives you an inside look on his views on society today and how it has changed. You will get an inside look on his opinions and experiences surrounding race and society.

Research

The 1960’s was a huge turning point for blacks in the southern half of the United States. After slavery had come to an end, blacks were still discriminated against and denied basic human rights. The 60’s was when blacks finally overturned Jim Crow and gained equality. The 60’s and 70’s was also the Vietnam War. Blacks had fought for America in many wars hoping that there service will bring blacks at home equality. Unfortunately, there wishes were not granted. After WWll, blacks came home to see segregation and Jim Crow still occurring. The Vietnam war showed the most African-American involvement than any other American fought war. After the war, several African-Americans became generals, but before that, there was not many and there would not be a lot of blacks on army bases for generals.

Sources:

http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/s_z/stevens/africanamer.htm

http://www.americansc.org.uk/Online/Vietnam_Civil_Rights.htm

http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/uhic/PrimarySourcesDetailsPage/DocumentToolsPortletWindow?jsid=b42f31956ce8fa2d44812cddf34dc357&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CCX3411600118&userGroupName=k12_histrc&zid=bcd0672aae73e39b4a6af7c0f9473a01

Transcript

Interview with my father, Frank Sandoval.

Eva: Im Eva Sandoval and today i’m interviewing Frank Sandoval on May 18, 2014 at 8:37pm. So Frank, How are you feeling?

Frank: I’m feeling pretty good

Eva: If you don’t mind me asking, when were you born?

Frank: I was born on April 12, in 1960

Eva: Where was your birth place?

Frank: I was born in West Point, New York

Eva: Have you ever lived in the South?

Frank: You know, I have never lived in the South. I have lived in lots a places, more than most people I think but never in the South.

Eva: When you were growing up, if you remember, what was your opinion on other races?

Frank: I think when I was a kid I didn't have much of an opinion. When I grew up, I wasn't exposed to a great deal of diversity but when I knew people of different backgrounds, they were my friends just like anybody else.

Eva: Has your opinion changed over the years?

Frank: My opinion of other races….? I don't really think so, not generally, I learned a lot more about peoples backgrounds and a history, so I know more, but I guess I don't think my ideas have changed

Eva: Have you faced any challenges from being a white male?

Frank: Well, life is challenging for pretty much everybody on the planet and I feel like I face my own just as a responsible working adult but I can't think of particular challenges because of the type of person I am

Eva: In what ways have you benefited from being white?

Frank: Well..you know, thats sort of an invisible thing. From what I know of the world or think I know of the world, it seems to me that I had not faced any particular obstacles that may people from other backgrounds have faced, You know whether it’s somebody with a different accent or just a different background. So I think I benefited almost invisibly

Eva: How about from being a male?

Frank: Well again, I think that its all almost invisible to me. You know, I have my own struggles as like everybody but I can only assume that in my profession, I have a certain amount of automatic credibility by being the type of person I am.

Eva: What is your thoughts on society today when it comes to race?

Frank: Well from what I can tell, we have a long ways to go. I still think that theres pretty obviously some groups of people that are quite disadvantaged in our society and I think that there are lots of different reasons for that. I think many people are open to having a much more equal world but theres other seemingly forces that play from keeping that from happening.

Eva: What changes have you seen in society when it comes to race since growing up?

Frank: Well I grew up a little bit after really open racist policies against various groups of people and so in my personal experience, not someone who's grown up or spent a lot of time in diverse circumstances, you know in my personal experience I haven't seen massive changes but I think in society as a whole, we can point to changes. For example, Having a black president elected I think a couple of decades ago, that would have been almost impossible it seems.

Eva: How about in education?

Frank: In my experience, I don't really know I mean in my workplace for instance, I've seen a huge influx of Indian workers, people who grew up and educated in India and have immigrated to the United States and now work in the software professions. So thats something that i've witnessed in the past ten or so years. But I guess in education in general, I haven't personally seen any changes

Eva: Do you believe that we still have segregation?

Frank: Oh I think very definitely, yes. I mean you can just get in your car and drive around different parts of any city in the country and see that theres differently some groups of people that aren't living as equally as others

Eva: What types of segregation have you personally seen?

Frank: Well segregation in terms of socio economic stratification and…..

Eva: Um…. Segregation in general

Frank: Yea so I think that people of different backgrounds are generally segregated into different neighborhoods in the ways schools are funded in this country. You know…. If you're in a neighborhood of predominantly working class families, their schools don't get a lot of money which means there kids don't get as good of an education. Where as if you go to neighborhoods were people are much more well paid, they have better schools and their children tend to have better education. And so just that whole way of funding the schools doesn't seem very fair.

Eva: Do you think that people are more open minded about other races now then when you were growing up?

Frank: Well…..I would think so, yea I think so like I mean this is sort of just second hand, you know… I grew up not to far distant where racism was very very open and know, you know it very much frowned upon, if people think those thoughts there very much marginalized. So even the effects of racism are still obvious, I don’t think its quite as blatant as it use to be

Eva: Thank you very much, I really appreciate you talking with me today