Series:

Chemical Entanglements: Oral Histories of Environmental Illness

Topic:

Social Movements

Environmental Illness

Biographical Note:

Interviewed for the UCLA Center for the Study of Women’s Chemical Entanglements: Oral Histories of Environmental Illness series. Experiences Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and asthma. Home health aide and participant in Master Gardener program.

Interviewer:

Yiu, Wei Si Nic

Interviewee:

Waters, Nadine

Persons Present:

Waters and Yiu

Place Conducted:

This interview was conducted by telephone.

Interviewer Background and Preparation:

This interview was conducted by Wei Si Nic Yiu, a graduate student researcher, for the Center for the Study of Women in cooperation with UCLA Center for Oral History Research; PhD student in Gender Studies, UCLA. Yiu’s dissertation focuses on Queerness and archives of Asia.

Processing of Interview:

The interviewer prepared for the interview by reading a pre-interview questionnaire completed by the narrator.

Length:

1 hr

Language:

English

Copyright:

Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.

Audio:

Series Statement:

Chemical Entanglements: Oral Histories of Environmental Illness is a collection of interviews with over seventy individuals living in the U.S. and Canada whose family history, occupation, art practice, or activism have brought them into direct contact with illness experience and disability related to chronic, low-dose exposure to toxicant chemicals. The procurement of this collection (from March 2019 through September 2020) was sponsored by the UCLA Center for the Study of Women under the directorship of Rachel C. Lee, with interviews conducted by six undergraduates, five graduate students, two career staff, and two faculty members at CSW.

Note:

Identifying information has been removed from the transcript and audio in order to protect the anonymity of the interviewee.

Early life in upstate New York--Health history--First exposure--Growing more sensitive to fragrances--Adjustments family and boyfriend have made--Allergist visit--Avoidance strategy--House hunting--Therapist refused to make accommodations--Pulmonologist’s diagnoses--Quit job as a home health aide--Wants all medical facilities to be fragrance-free--How boyfriend started to believe her--Coping with sensitivities emotionally--Mother’s sensitivities to possible carbon monoxide exposure--MCS Facebook group--Lack of financial resources to see doctors who treat MCS who usually don’t accept insurance--Learning about non-toxic housing materials--Role of chemical companies--Emotions to finding MCS Facebook group--Hobbies and adjustments she’s made--COVID-19 and increased use of disinfectants--Biggest factor in being taken seriously is longstanding anxiety disorder--Legislation is needed to improve--More health history, connection between food and sensitivities--Nail salons