In their own words

Abstract

The author reviews three books written during the 1990s which rely on oral history to explore the lives of Japanese picture brides, refugees, and female Native elders. This article reveals how these three works succeed in using oral history to give voice to the individuals from these non-hegemonic groups that had been neglected by scholars in the past. It also explores some of the pitfalls that can arise when adopting an oral history method that fails to recognize the role of the interviewer as well as incorporate any authorial interpretation into the work. The article calls for more transparency and greater balance when producing oral histories.