Interview with Jerome Siangco, August 21, 2020

Partial Transcript: Hello, my name is Jay Sztuk.

Segment Synopsis: Siangco describes how his relationship with community service in his early childhood impacted his decisions after college. He talks about going to Peace Corps headquarters during an internship in Washington, D.C. He talks about his quick acceptance into the program but the long process afterwards. He talks about his internship with the Smithsonian Institution in the gallery of Asian artwork. He talks about wanting to apply somewhere in Asia and the limited areas available for service in that area and how that aligned with his graduation date.

Keywords: Alaska; Application process; Asia; Asian studies; COVID-19 pandemic; China; Chinese; Community service; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Early childhood; Food banks; Global community; Graduation; Internship; Interview process; Language; Mongolia; Peace Corps; Peace Corps headquarters; Rotary club; Smithsonian Institution; University; Washington D.C.; Zoom

Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: Now, uh, you said were, uh, originally from Juno and then moved to, uh, Washington.

Segment Synopsis: Siangco talks about where his parents and grandparents are from and their knowledge of Peace Corps prior to his service. He talks about some of his first encounters with Peace Corps and his parents' reaction to his decision to apply. He talks about his previous experiences in Taiwan, India, and Philippines. He talks about his first experiences once he had landed in Chengdu, China and the journey getting there.

Keywords: Application process; Chengdu; China; Customs; Family; Hawaii; Immigration; India; International travel; Parents; Peace Corps; Philippines; Reaction; Taiwan; Travel; Vacation

Subjects: Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Travel

Partial Transcript: And, um, what was, uh, the make up of your group? Were there other, uh, Asian Americans in the group?

Segment Synopsis: Siangco talks about the diverse make up of his Peace Corps group including Peace Corps veterans and students from other universities. He talks about training at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China and then getting split up into four different groups who focused on language or education training. He talks about their language training and how those who spoke Cantonese had to learn to switch dialects. He talks about his time with his host family and their inexperience with Peace Corps volunteers and Americans.

Keywords: Asia; Cantonese (Language); Chengdu; China; Chinese; Dialect; Education; Group make up; Host family; Language; Mandarin Chinese (Language); Peace Corps; Sichuan University; Training

Subjects: Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Travel; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in education; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Did you find, uh, the language very difficult?

Segment Synopsis: Siangco talks about his experience learning a tonal language like Mandarin Chinese, as well as his host father's lessons in the Sichuan dialect. He talks about his living situation in the urban city of Chengdu as well as his routine with his host family. He talks about building relationships with his host mother and host father. He talks about talking about his family heritage and favorite foods that he was able to share with his host family.

Keywords: American; Apartment; Asian American; Chengdu; China; City; Cuisine; Dialects; English; Food; Host family; Language; Living situation; Mandarin Chinese (Language); Peace Corps; Sichuan dialect; Teacher; Tonal language; Urban

Subjects: Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--China

Partial Transcript: Um, and Chengdu is a relatively, uh, international city, that there's a good amount of foreigners who work and live there.

Segment Synopsis: Siangco talks about how Chengdu is relatively culturally diverse and that many people's reaction to Americans was very open. He talks about introducing his host family to other volunteers to broaden their social network of Americans. He talks about working at Chengdu University with students and faculty teaching a class. He talks about the importance and commonality of taking English classes in China.

Keywords: America; American; Basketball; Chengdu; Chengdu University; China; Communication; Conversations; Culture; English; International city; Movies; Native speaker; Peace Corps; Southwest China; Teachers; Teaching English as a foreign language

Subjects: Communication and culture.; Culture.; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: Uh, so, uh, talking about training, for your, your first couple of months there, um, did you have any, uh, any memorable experiences or big revelations about living in China?

Segment Synopsis: Siangco talks about some memorable experiences in language and culture training. He talks about learning the traditions and sets of behaviors associated with events like weddings and banquets. He talks about the different situations he learned to prepare for in China and how that made him feel prepared.

Keywords: Banquets; Behaviors; Chengdu; China; Culture; Education; Food; Language; Lifestyle; Living abroad; Norms; Peace Corps; Southwest China; Teaching; Traditions; Training; Wedding

Subjects: Communication and culture.; Language and culture.; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: And then when you completed training, where were you posted?

Segment Synopsis: Siangco talks about where he was placed after his training in Chengdu, China. He talks about the records of previous Peace Corps workers who worked in the agriculture program in Guizhou. He talks about hearing some volunteers' stories who had worked as faculty members for years. He talks about how valuable these contacts were when the Peace Corps volunteers were suddenly evacuated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He talks about the benefit of having previous volunteers who were liked in the community and how that gave him more freedom when teaching.

Keywords: Agriculture program; China; Connections; Contacts; Coronavirus; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); English; Faculty; Foreign teacher; Freedom; Guizhou; History; Liupanshui; Liupanshui Normal College; Mountain; Pandemic; Peace Corps; Peace Corps site; Previous volunteers; Remote; School; Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); Interpersonal communication and culture; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: So you taught at a university there. You're teaching, uh, university-level students.

Segment Synopsis: Siangco talks about building relationships with faculty members in a variety of departments. He talks about the divide between faculty members who come from outside of Guizhou and those who were originally from Guizhou. He talks about how he introduced his ethnicity and nationality to faculty and students.

Keywords: America; Asian American; China; Communication; Connections; Contacts; Ethnicity; Faculty; Faculty members; Guizhou; Heritage; Immigration; Liupanshui Normal College; Nationality; Philippines; Students; Teaching; United States

Subjects: Guizhou; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: So tell me about a typical, uh, work day.

Segment Synopsis: Siangco talks about his typical day, waking up and walking with other faculty members to the university. He talks about the different foods he had for breakfast and the office he shared with another Peace Corps worker. He talks about preparing for his lessons and his class schedule. He talks about his after school routine where he picked up dinner and interacted with students. He talks about the long walk up the mountain back to his apartment and then begin his routine again the next day.

Keywords: Apartment; Attire; China; Communication; Cuisine; English; Faculty; Food; Housing; Landscape; Liupanshui Normal College; Living situation; Peace Corps; Routine; Teaching; Typical day

Subjects: Communication and culture; Peace Corps (U.S)--China; Peace Corps (U.S.); Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: Tell me about this, this--your little side project there.

Segment Synopsis: Siangco talks about the English corner his founded at the university. He talks about the different activities there and the people who would show up to the event. He talks about his freedom to create clubs like the English corner and a cooking club. He talks about the times his students would come to his apartment to cook him Chinese dishes. He talks about introducing local community members to both American and Filipino cuisine.

Keywords: Activities; American cuisine; China; Chinese cuisine; Communicating; Community members; Connection; Cooking; Cuisine; Engagement; English; English club; Faculty; Filipino cuisine; Food; Freedom; Learning; Living situation; Music; Peace Corps; Side project; Students; Teaching

Subjects: Culture.; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S)--China; Peace Corps (U.S.); Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: So I guess it's safe to say that you never felt isolated--

Segment Synopsis: Siangco talks about some difficulties that he had while in China at the university. He talks about a time where he was sick and the staff at the university asked him to judge a spelling competition. He talks about his interactions with Peace Corps staff and their support. He talks about going to their headquarters in Chengdu because of the different committees he was on.

Keywords: Chengdu; China; Culture shock; Difficulties; Guizhou; Hierarchical structure; Liupanshui Normal College; Obstacles; Peace Corps; Peace Corps staff; Societal standards; Teaching; Traffic laws; Working at the university

Subjects: Culture shock; Culture.; Language and culture.; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--China

Partial Transcript: So you were volunteering to, to be on Peace Corps volunteer teams?

Segment Synopsis: Siangco talks about his work in Chengdu with different committees planning different events. He talks about a time he missed celebrating Thanksgiving with other regional committees so they created a Thanksgiving dinner for him. He talks about the beginning of the year, finishing up grades, and heading to Chengdu. He talks about going back to the site after the training and finding the site to be deserted.

Keywords: Chengdu; China; Committee; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Cuisine; Leadership; Media; Pandemic; Peace Corps; Peace Corps Program; Peace Corps staff; Peace Corps teams; Professional experience; Questions; Spring festival; Teaching; Thanksgiving; Training; Wuhan

Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); Communication and culture.; Interpersonal communication and culture; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: But, but then after Spring Festival, the week after, the Peace Corps medical officer called each one of us to check that we had masks, that we had medication, uh, that we had, uh, medical supplies.

Segment Synopsis: Siangco talks about some of the first changes due to COVID-19, such as Peace Corps providing medical supplies and masks. He talks the first email he received that informed him that the Peace Corps volunteers would be evacuated to Bangkok, Thailand. He talks about his role in coordinating twenty volunteers who were stationed in Guizhou. He talks about how quickly the volunteers were evacuated from Guizhou and the hope that they would be going back to their sites soon. He talks about working with Peace Corps staff in Bangkok, Thailand and taking it day by day. He talks about the compounding disappointment of being sent home but also learning that the Peace Corps program in China was closing.

Keywords: 2020; Bangkok; Chengdu; China; Close of Service; Coordinating; Coronavirus; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Disappointment; Emotions; Evacuation; Guiyang; Guizhou; Leaving; Masks; Pandemic; Peace Corps; Peace Corps China; Thailand; Volunteers

Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); Peace Corps (U.S); Peace Corps (U.S)--China; Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: What do you think of the decision to close the program?

Segment Synopsis: Siangco talks about the closing of the Peace Corps China program and the need for the program to continue. He talks about how the different tenets of the Peace Corps are still relevant in China today, specifically the idea of building relationships. He talks about coming home and working with Peace Corps representatives in Washington D.C. He talks about working with Peace Corps groups in Seattle, Washington and starting graduate school.

Keywords: America; China; Coming home; Connections; Coronavirus; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Culture; Experience; Friendship; Graduate school; Host country nationals; International experience; International relations; Life after Peace Corps; Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey; Pandemic; Peace Corps; Peace Corps China; Politics; Returning; University

Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: So, um, have you--you haven't reapplied--

Segment Synopsis: Siangco talks about working with the National Peace Corps Association but deciding not to reapply to go back into the field. He talks about studying international development in graduate school. He talks about how Peace Corps has impacted his career goals and work in graduate school. He talks about his plans to go back to Asia and work with international institutions like the Asian Development Bank. He talks about advice he would give to those thinking about applying for Peace Corps and the benefit that one would receive as a volunteer.

Keywords: Advice; Asian Development Bank; Career; Community members; Connections; Contacts; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Experiences; Graduate school; International development; International experiences; International institutions; Life after Peace Corps; Multilateral organizations; National Peace Corps Association; Pandemic; Peace Corps; Shared experiences; Sharing stories; Stories; Storytelling; Travelling; Volunteer experience

Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Voluntarism