APPENDIX A

Interview Guide

Superstorm Sandy Disaster Survivors

Disaster and Disaster Assistance Experiences

• How were you impacted by the storm?

• How did you know about Resiliency Is Us/FEMA organizations or any other group?

• How far do you live from here? How did you get here? How often do you come?

• Did you have any problems with getting to the location?

• Is there anyone you know or know by name in the disaster response center?

• Do you talk with the volunteers? What do you talk about? Do the volunteers talk with others?

• Have you or anyone you know gotten help, advice, or emotional support from the volunteers?

• Is this a comfortable space for you?

• In situations of natural disasters, we want to make sure everyone regardless of race, immigrant status, etc., gets the same help. Did you think any of these things affected you getting help?

• Do you think people from other neighborhoods had a better or worse experience getting help?

• Are you worried about long-term help?

• Did you see/feel that people were more helpful to each other than normal?

• Do you think race or immigrant status affected who helped who?

• Have you noticed groups that do not usually get along, cooperate, or share information or supplies?

• Do you think in society some people get more attention/help than others in general? If so, who is at the top/middle/bottom in terms of attention in general? Are things different or similar in this neighborhood?

• Now after the storm, who is at the top/middle/bottom? Why do you think so?

• Have you seen or heard anything that made you think so or do you just have a hunch about that?

• As I try to understand people’s experience with finding help, is there anything I have not asked?

Demographic, Economic, Spatial and Housing Characteristics

• Are you currently unemployed?

• What job do you do?

• What is your highest level of education? High school, some college, college degree?

• How many children usually live in your home?

• What are their ages?

• To help me know what neighborhood you live in, what are the cross streets? Zip codes?

• What is your housing type? Apartment, single-room occupancy, private house, public housing?

• What floor do you occupy? Basement, first, second? Do you rent or own?

Connections to U.S. and Metropolitan Area

• Migration is a big part of New York’s history. In your family who migrated? Me, parent, grandparent?

• What country? Year?

• Under what category did you/they migrate? Farm worker, nurse, teacher, student, other?

• Are you a spouse or child of a U.S. citizen?

• What is your closest family link to a U.S. citizen?

Connections and Attachment to Devastated Community

• How many years have you lived in this community? At this address? In NYC?

• Will you stay/leave the area? Current dwelling? Why/why not?

• In the community, how many close friends do you have? Close relatives? Neighbors you talk to?

Subjective Valuation of Losses (Sentimental, Economic)

• What hurt you the most when you realized it was gone? Tell me about the items you lost.

• How was the basement used? Residence, storage, recreation?

• If you could place a dollar amount, about how much would you say?

Displacement Experience and Support

• Did anyone in the building have to leave? Yes/no, who?

• How many children/adults?

• Where did you/they go? Neighbor, relative, close friend, hotel, shelter, other?

• Did you/they relocate? Another town, same street, other? Why?

• Did you/they return? Did you (also) evacuate before the storm? Why?

Support Received and Race and Class of Activated Social Ties

• Has anyone reached out to offer financial, emotional support, or give information about disaster relief or recovery?

• Specifically what help did they provide and how helpful was it? Did you first ask for this help?

• Was it someone you have known for a while or someone you met through the storm?

• Do you find the volunteers, workers, managers helpful? In what way?

• How do you know this person/s? What are the personal characteristics of the person/persons? Race, gender, occupation, lives in or out of neighborhood?

Racial and Class Heterogeneity of Social Network

• Do you know anyone who is a______ (listed profession)?

• Is this person a relative, close friend, church member, neighbor,

• NYC resident, gender, new immigrants, Black/Hispanic/Latinx?

• Professions: Nurse, writer, farmer, lawyer, middle school teacher, full-time babysitter, janitor, company personnel, CEO of a big company, policeman, hairdresser, bookkeeper, security, production manager, operator, congressman, taxi driver, hotel bell boy, admin assistant in a large company, receptionist, computer programmer?

Disaster Responders: Volunteers and Staff

• Who comes into the center? What are they coming for?

• What part of the city/neighborhoods people are coming from?

• What discussions, if any, have you had with residents?

• Are you typically approached? Or do you start the conversation?

• Do you know who comes in regularly? Are they homeowners or renters?

• What topics do you discuss with regulars?

• Do you talk with nonregulars too? What do you talk about?

• What did you learn about their experience?

• What information have you shared in the past few days?

• Who are you likely to share this information with? Why?

• Have you been able to serve everyone who comes in for help?

• What type of help do you provide?

• Do people request services or resources you cannot provide?

• Were they referred elsewhere?

• What do people need to do to receive help?

• Do different people want different kinds of help?

• What demographic groups are most represented from those coming in?

• Which ones seem most/least comfortable?

Community and Church Leaders and Field and Site Managers

• What are the events and circumstances that led to the establishment of this disaster relief/recovery center here?

• Who are the important actors and decision makers in the process?

• What changes in general coordination or service have you had to do? Why?