Interview 21

But I graduated from Cscb. In fall of 2023. So I got 2 bachelors there. I got one in business administration with the HR, Then I got one in psychology.

S: Okay, great psychology is backbone of human resource management. So I think you got a good mentor for pursuing those majors.

S: Okay? So in your current job, do they require physical presence like you? Do you need to be in that office in person?

S: And also are there any flexibility in working in certain time? So for a certain day you might not come to the office in a regular time, because of some issue.

S: Okay. Haydee, I totally understand you. I have a migraine since I was second grade. And I have a migraine once a week at least.So I totally understand you.

It’s like it hurts my face like it’s inside pressure. And I think this is the worst one I’ve had. This lasted 2 weeks, but I do see a neurologist for the last what 4 or 5 years, because of the how bad the air quality has gotten and the migraines just keep getting worse and worse.

S: Okay. Do you take any medicine? I take triptan.

So I get botox injections. Every 3 months. Yeah.

S: Did that work.

S: I have a profan as my friend as well. Okay. Oh, gosh, yeah. Let’s refocus on air quality. I can talk with you about migraine whole day. But yes.

S: Can you walk us through a typical day for you, including your work hour and after your work, hour.

I even had to see a weight specialist because I was gaining weight from just sitting at my desk. So I have to walk around on my lunch. But then, if the air quality is bad like I really can’t do it. So I use our library to kind of walk inside for a little bit. Then that has helped, but usually, and then, after work, usually, my kids are already out of the house. They don’t live with me anymore. So usually me and my husband, either we go play golf, or just kind of hang out, go have dinner. So yeah.

S: Okay. Oh, I didn’t know that your kids is already grown up. Yours so look young.

S: Okay. Okay. Looking forward to seeing your daughter. Okay, so how do you feel about the air quality in San Joaquin Vallue?

S: So did your parents also felt the same way like you.

But she passed away 5 years ago from a brain aneurysm.

S: So you lived in San Joaquin Vallue for quite a while since your teenage year, and. Has your perspective on air quality issues or problems changed during that time?

S: So since you lived in San Joaquin Valley, I mean Kern County, have your evaluation on air quality here has been changed during that time.

S: So your friends actually influence your perspective on how bad the air quality is here in Bakersfield.

S: Okay, other than that. Do you have any specific moment or events or conversation that changed your thought about air quality.

S: Okay, did your children also suffer from the air quality like you.

Sung Hyoun Hong: And one question, have you started getting migraines since moving to the Bakersfield. So, and have they been getting worse over time? Or it is kind of stable.

Sung Hyoun Hong: Gotcha? And do you feel like, it is worse during a period of like heavy dust or heat?

S: so you said, when the air quality is bad you cannot walk outside of your building, you walk inside the library, but other than that. In what ways do air quality conditions affect your daily activities?

S: So have you modified any work or personal activities due to the air quality concerns like, sometime we could see heavy dust outside, with the heavy wind.

So it limits from, you know, being out in the community, or anything.

S: Okay, got it. Have you ever had a moment to cancel any events because of the bad air quality.

S: Okay.

Sung Hyoun Hong: It seems like you enjoy golfing. If I misunderstand, please apologize. But have you ever had a reschedule rounding, or change your plans because of the air quality issues.

Sung Hyoun Hong: Have you also adjusted any of your work activities or work meetings or appointments?

It’s me from like leaving it for lunch.

S: So, until now, we talked about how air quality impact your life. And let’s talk about how air quality impact others around you like your family friends or coworkers. Have you noticed how the air quality impact?

S: Your friends or others around you.

So both of us like I think we just kind of pull through it, but he like, we have, like the same reaction, sometimes on the same like, if it’s a bad day, we’re just like both, constantly like, Okay, we gotta go to sleep early today because we’ve had a horrible migraine all day, or usually in the mornings. We can wake up with a migraine, so we have to kind of go back to sleep for a while and then wake back up. But it’s like we’re kind of. Usually we notice, because it’s like both of us will start feeling migraines around the same time. So we know, okay, like, the air quality is probably not good.

S: Does. Your husband also got migraine since he moved to Bakersfield.

S: So how do you feel about your husband’s health because of the bad air quality.

S: So I know your husband has the same symptom like you, and you might feel more compassion. Not with your husband, because you also have the same similar symptom. So in your workplace, how comfortable are people with discussing about the air concerns.

They usually try to avoid. and one of them suffers from really bad asthma, so I know she avoids it the most.

S: So can you describe the the general attitude toward the health related to the air at the work. So when they talk about the air quality issue. Have you experienced, observed any positive or negative attitude that people feel when they talk about this issue?

S: But at the first place, do you think they are willing to share about their feelings about the bad air quality other than heat?

I’m not. I was gonna go outside, but I didn’t go, because, you know, it’s so hot and the air is just bad and all they’ll start coming in with like allergies and things. So it’s just like daily talk of how we feel. Sometimes like I like I have a migraine, or outside. But you know so those are just conversations we have.

S: Hmm, okay. So you think that those air quality issues are the one of the main conversation that you’re occasionally doing, having with your colleagues. Since the air quality is bad. Have you ever wanted to take any mask in your office, but felt hesitant, due to the social kind of pressure or concerns.

just kind of keep my door closed, and you know. But I mean, yeah, I mean we. I think it would be okay to wear a mask. But I think we’re so used like we, now the, stigma, I guess if you see it is like, Oh, they’re probably. I wonder if they’re sick, or you know. And so yeah, I just don’t wear one.

Sung Hyoun Hong: So you mentioned about the stigma. So is it about like people seeing you as a sick people, or like people seeing you as weak people.

S: like the experiences you had felt hesitant to wear mask. Have you ever felt hesitant to share about the air quality issues, because that people might view you as a weak person.

oh, like you’re exaggerating. It’s not that bad, or if they don’t experience it, they might think like, oh, you’re just making it up to not engage or say like, I just have a migraine, and you don’t want to deal with somebody. or kind of stay away from people, so I think if they don’t experience it, they might look at it like. you know. I think that person is just exaggerated. I don’t think it’s that bad.

S: As a man I feel like when I disclose those things, my fellow male colleagues. They seem like they don’t care about the error, quality issue. But when I talk with female colleagues they are more. you know, willing to listen to me and agree with my opinion. But compared to the male colleagues. So do you also felt like the same way? Do you think there are some gender differences and talking about the air quality concerns.

Sung Hyoun Hong: So, aside from yourself, have you ever noticed or observed, like others, avoiding talking about air quality issues or act like it doesn’t bother them.

Sung Hyoun Hong: Have you ever witnessed any differences between like male colleagues’ reactions and those of female colleagues? When you talk about the air quality issues or the concerns around them.

I don’t think they feel that it affects males as much, maybe, or unless they just kind of put it off and don’t think about it. But, like on, I know, just like at least for my husband I know he knows, like all the air quality gives me bad migraines.

S: it would be great if you can hear your husband’s opinion if he are willing to join our interview research. Can you please ask him whether he is interested in this research later.

S: Oh, okay, okay, thank you. So just just let me know. Okay, yeah.

S: So you said there are some time people might hesitant to talk about the air quality issue. But what would need to change for you or them to feel completely comfortable discussing air quality impacts at work.

So I think only unless you’re experiencing something that affects you or a family member, then you’re more empathetic, like, oh, okay, you know, like, I understand, or I understand where you’re coming from, or I know somebody. So I think over the years. I think we’re in a time of the times we’re leaving right now. People are less empathetic when it comes to certain issues. If it doesn’t affect them. don’t think it matters or data doesn’t generally don’t care.

S: Yeah, you’re saying that since they are not aware about the issue, they are less likely to understand the concerns. Then, how about what would need to change for you? To feel completely comfortable, to wear a mask when we have a very bad air quality in a specific day or time, moment.

S: So when you talk about the migraine, I felt like I felt, you know, really connected with you, because there are really rare moment. I could find people who experience migraine people who don’t experience migraine actually don’t understand my situation. especially my wife, she thought. I’m just faking because I don’t want to talk with her. So sometimes people feel connected with others when facing common challenges, like dealing with error, quality, or symptoms of, you know, migraine because of the air quality. So when you learn that the others share similar environmental concerns, how does that affect you?

S: So when you feel like the other person around you, does not, you know, really understand your situation like they might think that they might express that your concern about the error quality is comes from your extreme sensitivity on the environmental issue that the other person cannot experience. In that case, how do you feel actually? Do you feel lonely, or do you feel.

You know, you just stop sharing. You’re like, well, why you want to talk about it, if you know they don’t really don’t care. So I mean it does. It is a sense of, I guess, really. Only when somebody doesn’t understand or try to understand where you’re coming from. So it’s kind of like you’re dealing with it on your own.

S: I think you experience the same thing when I 1st talk about the asthma of my daughter with some of the colleagues. Okay, so have you ever talked about your migraine symptom with your colleagues? And and that is from the air quality issue.

S: So it feels like they are carrying. Have you outside of your work domain, including your health and also your mood? So do you feel like they’re like more than colleagues, like like Ally.

Sung Hyoun Hong: Yeah. Do you think that kind of like connection can influence your feelings like general feelings at the workplace or the way you respond to those colleagues later on.

Sung Hyoun Hong: How about the case with, like others like who seems like understand their situation, but didn’t respond strongly.

Sung Hyoun Hong: And does that influence how you feel generally at the workplace and your future behavior with those colleagues?

S: I think that’s a very important point. So as you share your vulnerability from the air quality. your colleagues understand you, and because of that. You feel good about that, and you feel some good connection with them. And actually, that gives you some attitude that you want to listen to their vulnerability. And those exchange of the vulnerability makes you feel like, you know, small. You know. Family. Another family in your workplace.

I already know what I got. Who I work with. I already know how they are. I know they understand having a bad day. I understand them. If they’re having a bad day as opposed to. If you go to a different department, they could be like, oh, that person’s lazy, they just don’t wanna work, or they exaggerate? Or is is this how they’re always gonna be.

S: So you can be yourself at your home and also at your work. You don’t need to pretend.

S: That’s wonderful.

S: I’m looking for the follow-up questions. There were a lot of good, you know, perspective we learned from you. So thank you very much. Again.

S: One more thing. Have you ever had chance to look for any others have same or similar worries about air quality?

No, I think there’s been times where you kind of like somebody might say, like, Oh, yeah, like, I get those 2, but I don’t get them as bad, but I don’t think it’s ever got to the conversation of like what causes theirs, so I don’t know like, if it causes the same issue like me, where the heart quality makes it worse, or if theirs are just regular migraines.

S: Hmm, okay, and let’s talk about how your organization support you when you deal with the air quality. So what steps has your organization taken to address air quality issues so like, you know, distributing mask or providing air purifiers or planting trees around our campus or adjusting work schedules. So are there any things your organization provided to you?

Yes, interesting back to me. I don’t think I’ve ever.

S: Brought it up like that. So do you have any general thoughts about your organization’s inaction regarding the air quality issue?

S: Hmm, okay, so since your organization does not, you know, actively take actions on improving air quality or supporting their employees to handle the air quality issue. You do not feel any, do you feel any? Do you feel your organization need to have any change for addressing air quality.

S: Do you have any suggestion to your workplace to make your workplace? Your colleagues, to share more comfortable about the topic of the air quality issues.

if you’re safe, go to the wellness center. It’s more like, you know what other topics are out there, maybe, as suggestions. you know, like, you know, where we can some kind of like a questionnaire like, what are their topics. So that way they start looking into what other, what as employees think or what affects us. And it’s not just you know what topics, you know, we wanna help with. So I think that would be a good thing that they could do.

S: You said that sometimes people are hesitant to wear a mask because of the social pressure, and sometimes people don’t understand fully understand. When you talk about the air quality issue. So, in order to avoid those situations, do you think you’re, what kind of things your organization can implement.

I don’t know just the way we have hand sanitizer dispensers have still masks just because it’s not covid anymore, like they should still have those available in case you want to wear it while you’re at work.: and you know, so I think that would help a lot.

S: Hmm, okay, I think last year when I went to one of the events, big events in Csub at that time there were really heavy dust, so I could barely see the building just a few feet away. When I finally arrive at that event venue. I start a conversation about valley fever. I might caught up the valley fever about because of this dust wind. and some one male colleague said. I don’t care about valley fever. People talk about the valley fever, but I never caught for entire life like 40 years. and at that moment I feel like, you know, he doesn’t aware about how many people are struggle with the valley fever. So so have you ever experienced similar experiences like me, like.

So my dad ended up with valley fever from being out there. So it’s I mean, I think, like you said, if you’re not going through it, people are kind of like oh, I don’t care, or I don’t even know if that’s true or not. You know, I think it’s just something made up. So I think, unless you’re experiencing it, or you actually worry about your health that way. I think people just don’t seem it’s a topic for them to care about.

S: But in order to increase the awareness, we cannot make them to experience valley fever or asthma. But what kind of training or kind of you know campaign your organization can do to increase the awareness of how many people really struggle with the air quality in Bakersfield.

people are kind of like, out of mind, out of sight.

S: Okay, so you’re saying that we need to consider the air quality issue as the with the same importance that people think about the suicide issue, or gender or minority issue.

S: Okay, and let’s talk about the future perspectives and your future goal. So, considering the current air quality issues, do you see yourself continuing to live and work in this area. Long term.

I guess it’s something you just have to get used to and find better ways to feel good about yourself. Feel good when you’re having those, when we have those bad days. But yeah, I think permanently, we’re staying here. So.

S: Okay. So the main reason you want to stay here is your family. Okay, since you have a family here. you will have more motivation to change the environment here, to make your family live in a better place. So what changes would make you feel more optimistic about living and working here in Bakersfield.

Sung Hyoun Hong: What comes to my mind is like being authentic at work is really matter right? And you know I want to be myself at work, and I think it’s really important that my core are also seeing like. View me for who I am, and like you said, when you shared your concerns about something like air quality having core respond with empathy and understanding, felt really meaningful. Right? So my question is like. you know, among all the different factors that shape you to be yourself at work. How important do you think your coworkers reaction to your concerns around air quality.

Sung Hyoun Hong: That’s thoughtful. And my one last question is, do you have any your personal ways or strategy to deal with? The air quality issues, not just wearing a mask, or checking the weather, or rescheduling or adjusting your current schedules. Do you have any good strategy to share.

Sung Hyoun Hong: Thank you for sharing.

S: And this is the last questions, is there anything else you’d like to share about your experiences with air, quality and connections with your colleagues in your workplace that we haven’t discussed.

S: Okay, thank you very much for joining us. I think we learned lots of unique perspective from you. And I believe this will contribute our research. And also, I hope this research could contribute our current county.

S: Okay, so I will send you the $40 gift card after this meeting, and if you have any other folks who feel that error code is bad like us, please, you know, share that there’s an opportunity to contribute their opinion to our research and earn $40. Amazon gift card.

S: Thank you very much, and have a great day.

Sung Hyoun Hong: Thank you. Haiti.