Oral history interview with Jennifer Keane-Dawes

Jennifer Keane-Dawes spoke about her siblings and parents; her father as the disciplinarian; and her role in the family; her educational experience from infant school through high school, including extracurricular activities, in Jamaica; her father's role in her education; and her after school chores and strict upbringing. She explained in-detail her thoughts about discipline and abuse; discipline in Jamaica versus United States; and how she disciplined her child. Keane-Dawes explained what she knew about the partner system in Jamaica, the differences in its implementation in Jamaica versus the United States, and that her sister and her mother ran partner programs in the United States and Jamaica, respectively. Keane-Dawes also spoke about her job, legal reporting and journalism, after high school in Jamaica; educational and campus life experience at University of the West Indies; producing and editing television program; and the role of religion in her life. She explained in detail when and why she immigrated from Jamaica to United States; her marriage in Jamaica and divorce; her first experiences in the United States; taking care of her son; her educational experience at Howard University; why and how she wants to use her journalist skills to help disabled people, particularly deaf people, in the Jamaican community; differences in culture and values between United States and Jamaica; and why she wants to return to Jamaica to live. Keane-Dawes also talked about her relationships, her jobs, and involvement in organizations, community and religious, in the United States. After Jennifer Keane-Dawes completed her interview, her young son, Thomas Keane-Dawes, was very briefly interviewed about some of his favorite things, what he liked about the United States, why he wanted to live in Jamaica, and Jamaican food. Interview is in English. Digital audio files include white noise and static; and some background noise, including talking and/or music. Interviewee can be heard clearly for the most part.