Interview with Craig Martin Chavis, Jr., August 13, 2020

Partial Transcript: Hello. Today is August 13, 2020.

Segment Synopsis: Chavis learned about Peace Corps just before graduating from his MBA program in Florida. Moving around with his family of origin helped him understand the value of learning about others. He studied in Costa Rica as a student, founded a business while a student, and used the proceeds to study in Spain as an international business student. He felt well-matched by going to Peru as a business Volunteer. Chavis had not heard about Peace Corps until a recruiter that he met on campus talked with him. In the inner city of Cincinnati, there isn't a Peace Corps influence, according to Chavis.

Keywords: Effects of study abroad experiences; Learning about Peace Corps; Master of Business Administration (MBA); Peace Corps recruiters; Study abroad programs

Subjects: Families; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Peru; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, what, what did your parents think about this?

Segment Synopsis: Chavis' parents thought he was "crazy" for joining Peace Corps. They wanted him to find a corporate position, however, the decision to join was entirely his own. Close to the end of his service, his parents visited Chavis at his site, and, then, they truly understood why this had been a valuable experience for him. The trip to visit Chavis was his father's first trip out of the country; his mother had traveled while in a high school band. They took subsequent trips abroad after their visit with Chavis in Peru. Chavis credits Professor Crocker, his Spanish teacher, who "forcefully nudged" him into the study abroad program. Chavis didn't "really understand the U.S." until he left it. His friends supported his decision, as they knew that the program fit him, as he "took this calculated risk" to find about the world.

Keywords: Friends' reactions to decision; Own decision; Parents' reactions to decision; Role of professors; Travel abroad

Subjects: Families; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Peru; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, uh, tell me about arriving in the country.

Segment Synopsis: Staging for Peace Corps was in Washington, D.C.; he was really excited to meet his cohort group members. The reality didn't hit him until he landed in Lima. Upon arrival, Chavis realized that he was really going to live in Peru. Pre-service was "awesome," trying to connect with his group members, trying the food and the climate. It was a high-pressure experience that expedited the bonding process within the group. Peace Corps brought together people from very different walks of life, with very different experiences. Training was conducted in a suburb of Lima; Volunteers lived with host families in neighborhoods surrounding the conference center. Chavis made a point to visit each group member's living situation to learn about Peruvian life.

Keywords: Pre-service training; Staging; Washington, D.C.

Subjects: Acculturation; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Peru; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, yeah, so what do you think about this idea of staying with a host family during training?

Segment Synopsis: In Chavis' estimation, living with his host family helped him immensely with his language proficiency, his cultural knowledge, and his immersion into Peruvian culture. Because he is an African American, and because of his proficiency in Spanish upon arrival, he wasn't taken as an American by Peruvians. Having a host family was "essential," in his opinion, offering "a fast-track to becoming Peruvian." Chavis was the 15th or 16th Volunteer his family had hosted, although he was the first black Volunteer for the family. At first, he felt that it was a transactional experience but he was willing to change this. He wanted to be a part of the family and of the community. His group was diverse in terms of ethnicity (about 4-5 African Americans), with women predominating. The group coalesced quickly and tightly. One of his group members reacted to the high altitude, which actually was caused by a rare form of cancer from which he, then, died. The group was in a hybrid-model of training where they met in a centralized center with break-out groups for language competency. A typical day during training began with catching a small bus to take him down the mountain, followed by group activities sometimes taught by current Volunteers, or other times outside of the center within the city. The days were varied. Each person was able to choose the geographical location that they wanted, and efforts were made to match site with person. Chavis wanted a coastal location so he shadowed a Volunteer in that setting. Chavis wanted a coastal placement in a large city with an organization new to Peace Corps, which happened. The technical training was applied outside of the center. He was a high-level business consultant at his site. He feels that the business program is a well-organized operation. The country director was new when Chavis arrived, so he was a part of an entrepreneurial task force initiated by the country director. Chavis enjoyed the freedom to explore during training. Chavis and his host sister had an altercation; he wishes that Peace Corps had done its due diligence when screening the family.

Keywords: Diverse cohort; High-level business consultants; Host family; Shalin Shah; Site selection; Typical day in training; Value of host family

Subjects: Acculturation; Culture; Intercultural communication; Interpersonal relations; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Peru; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So tell me about your job.

Segment Synopsis: Chavis had several different places in which he worked. His host father connected him with the farming community leaders, and Chavis helped mango and lime associations negotiate fair wages for themselves. He also worked with high school kids who competed in business plan competitions. His question to himself was, "How do I create something out of nothing?' -- Entrepreneurship 101. He made relationships with the leaders in his community, which was possible due to his fluency in Spanish. His office was in the mayor's compound, which helped. Chavis was able to "find the sweet spot" between what he could provide and what was needed by the community. He attributes his success to his personality and his interest in others. The "fishbowl effect" was powerful: people didn't know who Chavis was, yet he was able to connect with power brokers in the community. People wondered why he was in their midst. He used his skill in teaching English to create a buy-in for skeptics. Chavis became Peruvian in that he adapted to lax punctuality and that eased his reactions to people who could make a difference in his work.

Keywords: Business plan competitions; Fair wages; Farming associations; Personal relationships

Subjects: Acculturation; Intercultural communication; Interpersonal relations; Language and languages; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Peru; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Sounds like a pretty, uh, easy transition for you, but, uh, there must have been some challenges in, you know, establishing your presence in this town.

Segment Synopsis: The racial issues presented challenges for Chavis. His community was close to the Ecuadoran border where items and people were trafficked. Soon after arriving, Chavis was riding in a small taxi when the driver was pulled over by a policeman. After giving the policeman a rolled up newspaper, the driver took off again only to be pulled over a second time. This time, when the driver gave the policeman a rolled up newspaper, it opened up and money flew into the air. Chavis says he was paying off the police due to the stagnant government. Those pulled over for inspection were, generally, men with tattoos, and men of color. In another situation, Chavis was going to a beach town for a short vacation. He took a small bus with only a few passengers. They stopped at a check-point, got off of the bus, leaving their belongings on it to be inspected. The passengers spent the night in a jail cell while the bus took off with all of their luggage. Chavis called the safety and security officer with Peace Corps, but the men drove him and the other passengers around and around the desert, accusing them of being spies. He kept calm; finally, he was thrown out of the police car. Fortunately, Chavis always stored money in his shoe so he could call for help. Eventually, he was able to reclaim his luggage. Racism was prevalent such that he was given a special badge and letter from a politician vouching for Chavis, which he always had in his possession. Peace Corps Peru didn't understand his situation so he wrote about it in a blog that many people read. In his opinion, Chavis said that Peace Corps wasn't at all prepared for the experiences that minority Volunteers might encounter. Many of the in-country staff had not experienced anything that Chavis did, as they "lived in a Lima bubble." He says that racism exists within the Peruvian culture. Similar experiences led to the creation of the diversity task force to build support and training for Volunteers and Peace Corps staff in Lima. On the way to a conference, Chavis was pulled from the bus and body-slammed against a police car, accusing him of being a narcotics trafficker. His backpack was emptied onto the street, and his pockets emptied. The other passengers on the bus were upset with Chavis for slowing down the trip. These were very difficult situations for him, prompting him to write an article that is available online. Additionally, some of the black female Volunteers felt as if they were being hyper-sexualized by Peruvians, white females had unwanted sexual advances, members of the LBGTQ+ community had issues, and Peru has a high number of sexual assaults. Chavis was alone in his city and that city was along the border, which increased the likelihood of issues. There were times that Chavis wanted to leave. What kept him there was his future, never understanding what he might have accomplished. Getting into Peace Corps is hard enough, but finishing one's service is something again, according to Chavis. Being a Returned Volunteer means something.

Keywords: Accused of being a spy; Body-slammed; Border city; Diversity task force; In-country staff; Paying off policemen; Peruvian elite as staff; Racism in Peru; Task forces; Trafficking

Subjects: Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Minorities; Misogyny; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Peru; Race discrimination; Race relations; Racism; Sexism; Social norms; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Alright, so you, you did complete your whole, uh, two-year, uh, tour there.

Segment Synopsis: While in Peru, Chavis was able to combine his work with his travels. He was on the diversity committee, the small business task force, and the peer support network, all of which took him from his city to other places; he visited every other Volunteer's site within his region. He leveraged these trips paid for by Peace Corps, saved what money he could, and saw most parts of the country.

Keywords: Leverage; Traveling; Vacations

Subjects: Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Peru; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So how do you feel about your contribution, uh, to the, the community there?

Segment Synopsis: Four years have passed since Chavis left Peru and, still, he has communication with people there. His relationships there continue. "You aren't going to change the world in 3 years," but knowing that some of his work continues is gratifying to Chavis. Leaving a legacy in the community proves success, in Chavis' estimation. It is sustainability. He went to Peru to teach business, but he left learning much more than he taught. Chavis now believes that each of us has to be the "entrepreneur of your life." Live with intention and purpose is his motto. "In Peace Corps, you get to see what you're made of." "You go into the furnace with impurities, and come out with gold." As a result of Peace Corps, Chavis lives a life of his own design.

Keywords: "Entrepreneur of your life"; Intentions; Legacy in the community; Own designs

Subjects: Lifestyles; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Peru; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Now a--after you completed your service, I think you returned to Peru?

Segment Synopsis: After service, Chavis wanted to open a business in Peru, especially a craft brewery. He made moonshine in his backyard while in service and the brandy was popular. He had a customer base there; he immigrated into Peru later and opened a brandy distillery in a beach town distant from his original community. This lasted 9 months. He found that his landlord had him sign a fraudulent contract which closed the brewery. After liquidating his equipment, El Nino flooded the area where the brewery was located. His book recounts this experience; he plans to return to Peru and apply his life lessons. Currently, Chavis is a business coach, helping others to build a rewarding life. He has an online entrepreneurship academy and a business and strategy consultancy. Chavis learned resiliency and resourcefulness in Peace Corps. He states that "without Peace Corps, I wouldn't be the person that I am today."

Keywords: Business after service; Business and strategy coaches; Craft brewery; Fraudulent contracts; Moonshine; Resiliency and resourcefulness

Subjects: Lifestyles; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Peru; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And if somebody, uh--if you ran into somebody who was thinking about joining Peace Corps, what advice would you give them?

Segment Synopsis: If Chavis encountered a prospective Volunteer, he would suggest that they apply. He has informally recruited 15-20 people into Peace Corps, and over half are African American men. Joining Peace Corps was "the best decision I ever made." He hopes that Peace Corps opens up after the pandemic. Chavis believes that it is the responsibility of minority RPCV's to "be the change you want to see," while intentionally developing pipelines from historically black colleges, as well as other institutions.

Keywords: Informal recruitment; Intentionally develop pipelines into Peace Corps; Model change

Subjects: Minorities; Peace Corps (U.S.); Race relations; Voluntarism; Volunteers