Why Oral History Is Important
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AFFLILIATIONS:
Association of Personal Historians (USA), Oral History Association (USA), International Biographical Center (UK), The PEN Club (Japan). Legacy Memoirs is an imprint of Breakthrough Seminars, Inc. (Japan)
© TAJ, 1999
Updated - September 20, 1999
Why Is Oral History Important?
American KN Writes::I really got to know my father about two years ago during a trip back to the U.S. I had heard only snippets about the war from my mother. I had always wanted to know more, but I never broached the subject with my father. Unfortunately, when my mother died, my information pipeline was cut off. Shortly before my trip home, I had finished a particular writing course that gave me the impetus to crave more information. That night, I called my father and asked him if it was all right to take a few hours of his time to interview him about the war. He agreed.
The interview ended up lasting several hours, as I went through tape after tape while taking notes. During the interview itself, a lot of the information was lost on me because I was concentrating too hard on my notes. However, I sat down one morning and listened to the entire interview. It was marvelous. All the affinities he has to certain foods or kinds of people all came clear to me. Likewise, the little aversions he has to certain situations became understandable.
Oral History is important to both families and society. Think of all the tales, jokes, triumphs and tragedies that die along with every person who never had a chance to share them. Think of all the memories lost when a person is lost. Of course, photographs are great for memories, and we all know that a picture tells a thousand words. But are they the right words?
Ultimately, Oral History preserves the past, for us to learn from, remember, and cherish.
We have asked people from around the world to share their thoughts on the importance of Oral History. Here are some excerpts from their comments. To read the complete text, just click on the initials of the respective writer.
MW (Japan) - "My understanding of WWII had evolved around the atomic bombs until I first came to the United States back in 1990 as an exchange student..."
PF (United States) - "I still have a second-generation immigrant's fascination for the old country (China)..."
KM (Australia) - "When my father was young he served in the British Navy. He was part of a submarine crew..."
MS (Japan) - Maybe what you do is not all that great, but your life contains stories and riches that only you experience..."
AF (United States) - "I had never thought much about my own family history until I saw a photograph of my grandfather (whom I had never met)..."
PG (England) - "I have an autobiography of a man who headed up an organization that I served in for the final months of World War II..."
LS (Canada) - "I think family memoirs are very important. My mother died in a car crash before I could get her story down on tape..."
MC (United States) - "After my father's death, my mom continued to live in their home on the desert..."
MS (India) - "In almost every country and culture of the world there has been a deep-rooted tradition of oral teaching..."
CVF (England) - "We are all stars, all famous, in our own worlds..."
JG (United States) - "The political history of a time period is generally well documented..."
DD (United States) - "I know very little about my grandfather. My father says he doesn't remember much either..."
PT (India) - "Coming from a close knit family where everyone loves talking makes you realize the importance of sharing experiences..."
MS (Japan) - "I personally feel that oral history to families is very important..."
JT (United States) - "When a death occurs in a family, there are many hardships a family must experience..."
SC (Australia) - "Oral Histories offer more than purely a rich source of historical information..."
CP (England) - "Oral histories are important to families because people can recount in their own words the past as they saw it..."
FH (Indonesia) - "Having family oral histories continues to be an important way to pass precious information to new generations..."
SV (United States) - "While one of my mother's cousin's has delved into our family history and discovered our lineage for several generations..."
FH (Canada) - "The documentation of family memories and histories is an important and exciting pursuit..."
MH (Australia) - "Australia's Aboriginal people refer to their version of genesis as the "Dreamtime"..."
LF (United States) - "Each of us has a little of our dad and mom in us, as well as a little of our grandparents..."
JG (United States) - "Each and every person has a great deal of stories-interesting, humorous, touching, entertaining..."
If you would like to add your own perspective to these, please send us an e-mail message and be sure to indicate your nationality or ethnic background.
Legacy Memoirs
E-mail: legacymemoirs@geocities.com
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