Family interview projects are great.

They are a way for people to learn their real history, not the colonizer crap you memorize to pass the APUSH test.

In fall 2019, I sat down with my grandparents and uncles and aunties with whom I am blessed with, and recorded some interviews.

Mostly for me to answer my deep burning questions.

My aunt (who is also my godmother) once told me and my brothers a story about her dad, my grandfather, who I only ever saw as a sweet old man.

We were eating pizza in New Jersey.

AKASH: “Were my grandparents different to you as a kid than to us?”

ANJU MALIK, paraphrase: “I needed a new uniform for school, and money came to dad’s bank account the first week of month. It was the last week of the month, but I really needed this uniform, I kept saying “now now,” and my dad kept saying money comes in days, but I kept saying “now now!” Then dad took the bracelet off my mom’s wrist to sell it and get the uniform that day… until I stopped him. Tears in my eyes.”

Telling that story made my aunt cry.

I asked this DBQ to troubleshoot my life! Now here I am, regretting I asked this question.

But if I did not muster up courage to ask, I never would have seen my grandfather holistically, through the eyes of my beloved aunt.

ACTION POINT: Work Backwards from the Deep Burning Questions (DBQs).