Tara Zamani

Dr. Kirkendall

Anthropology 200

October 29, 2023

My Mom’s Ethnography

For this ethnography project, I chose to interview my mother because I know she has a

very different life experience than I do. I am very close to my mom and she has lived a very

complex life filled with hardship and love. She is very optimistic and has been my guide through

life. I knew she was the perfect candidate for this interview because she is a very prominent

figure in my life and I aspire to be like her. I aimed to learn more about her life experiences

through this interview.

I interviewed my mom at night in our living room, which we have spent many nights

laughing and sharing stories in. During the interview our living room was very homey, filled

with flowers from my recent birthday. I had written specific questions to ask my mother, but as

the conversation began and she began sharing details of her life I decided to not use my notes but

rather ask questions based on her stories. My father was also in the room while I asked my mom

specific questions. As my parents both grew up in Iran, they can relate to each other culturally.

He would elaborate with his own life experiences and details to support her stories. My parents

were happy to answer my questions and tell me more about their families and favorite games.

My family has always had very open communication, however I do not know much about my

parent’s childhoods since they prefer not to share some emotional aspects with me.
 My mother immigrated to America after marrying my father. She was young and had to

leave behind her family, career, and home to build our current life. When interviewing her, I

asked her questions and listened while she shared her stories. Our conversation felt very natural

and my mom was very willing to share these details with me. I did not have trouble taking notes

while speaking to her. I recorded her responses so that I could refer to the conversation later and

be present as she shared her life experiences.

Ever since I was little, it has been difficult for me to ask my mom questions regarding her

childhood because she grew up in war stricken times. My mom doesn't like talking about the

emotional strain and trauma her family endured during her childhood. However, this was a key

aspect of her life growing up. In spite of these challenges, my mother’s childhood was full of

love and family experiences. Like every other kid across the world, she loved to play games with

her three siblings. She detailed her favorite childhood games and explained the concept of a

particular game, Spud. Spud is a game where the leader throws a ball into the air and shouts out a

name. Everyone whose name wasn’t called breaks into a run while the person whose name is

called grabs the ball and tries to hit someone with it. She said that this game would bring her

whole family together. Although she no longer lives close to her family, my mom calls her

siblings and parents everyday. Distance has not affected their bond.

My mom spoke about her favorite holiday called Nowruz or Persian new year. Nowruz

translates to “new day” in English and marks the first day of spring. For this holiday, families

buy themselves new clothes and set a haftseen, a table full of items which represent the prospects

awaiting them in the new year. The table is set with seven items: apples (seeb) representing

beauty, garlic (seer) representing good health, vinegar (serkeh) representing patience, hyacinth

(sonbal) representing spring, sweet pudding (samanu) representing fertility, sprouts (sabzeh)
representing rebirth, and coins (sekeh) representing prosperity. This was my mom’s favorite

holiday to celebrate because it called for a large gathering and allowed her to pick out a new

outfit.

My mom’s struggles have made her a resilient and wise person. She has built a world for

my sister and I, where we can pursue our dreams as women. I felt connected to her stories and

engaged in her explanations of the past. She continued to emphasize the importance of working

hard throughout the entire conversation. My mom’s whole life was built off of hard work and she

constantly tells me to try my hardest to meet my potential. She also highlighted the importance

of family throughout our conversation. No matter what battles life throws at us or how far we

venture away from one another, the love between us should keep us connected.

The main thing I learned from this interview is the importance of listening and asking

questions. My mom was more than willing to answer my questions and share her childhood

memories with me. What I thought would be an emotional and difficult experience turned out to

be a heartfelt conversation. When I asked meaningful questions I received meaningful answers.

Sometimes I get so caught up in my own life, it is easy to overlook the stories of the people who

shaped me into the person I am today. My mother is my role model and she is constantly pushing

me to achieve my dreams. This interview enriched my understanding of my family history and

helped me better understand the factors that have shaped my mom.