Interview with Larry Berkowitz, October 2, 2002

Partial Transcript: Hello. Today is October 2, 2020.

Segment Synopsis: Berkowitz' parents were anti-war activists in 1969 during the Vietnam War and considered Peace Corps a form of alternative service to the country. His parents applied separately for acceptance into Peace Corps so that each would be evaluated on their own merits. Originally, they were to go to Samoa, but ended up in Fiji when Berkowitz was 10 years old. Their training was held in San Jose, and then in Suva, Fiji. They lived in a house in a multi-national neighborhood with a nearby park where kids played together. They were the only white family there. In school, Berkowitz was in 5th grade, but accelerated into 6th grade, so that he'd be on-level when they returned to the U.S. Also, classes were held in English which helped him advance in school. Both parents could bike or walk or take a bus to work. His dad worked at the University of the South Pacific and his mother at a hospital and a school for with children with disabilities. The curriculum in school was based on the British system. British sports were played, along with classes in genealogy, sociology, modern problems, experimental chemistry, Hindustani -- areas he wouldn't have studied in elementary school in Massachusetts.

Keywords: Alternative service; Anti-war activists; Application process for family; Children of Peace Corps Volunteers; Children with disabilities; Fiji; Hospitals; Multi-national neighborhoods; Peace Corps children; Peace Corps dependents; Peace Corps family; Peace Corps kids; University of the South Pacific; Vietnam War

Subjects: Childhood; Education; Families; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji.; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Stepping back a bit, when you were still in the States and your parents told you that you were going to go to Fiji, do you remember what kind of image you had in your mind of what that was going to be like?

[Audio echoes for a few seconds at beginning of segment.]

Segment Synopsis: Before departure, Berkowitz didn't know what to expect when they arrived in Fiji. All 4 members of the family were excited about going. Once they got there, and Berkowitz became the "new kid on the block," fears and trepidation set in. It was "one of the signature experiences of my life," says Berkowitz. It affected him a lot. Fiji is a family-oriented culture. The cultural diversity was very different for him as a kid. He had lived outside of Boston, in Natick, so the diversity was an eye-opener for Berkowitz. It was very different to live where they were the only white family, yet that didn't seem to make a difference to others. Life in Fiji for boys centered around kite season, which was his favorite. When the trade winds blew, kids from various neighborhoods played with Indian kites. They'd have kite wars, customizing the kites to fly well. Top season was when it rained. He used a wooden top with a string and competed with other kids. Also, there were marbles. Hand-eye coordination is extremely important for Fijians, and the skill of the kids was obvious.

Berkowitz got into trouble when cruise ships would depart in the harbor. The bands would play as the ship left and people threw money. The kids broke the police line in order to catch some bills. Berkowitz was written up in the local newspaper for this transgression. He and his friends explored all of Suva. They'd fish at night at the harbor, and they had access to the docks where he and his friends climbed bags of coconuts. Berkowitz was the only member of his group who got an allowance, and that money allowed him to buy fresh Chinese bread from a store close to his house. His gang shared in the warm loaf of bread with butter.

In school, the teachers seemed to have more autonomy than in Boston. People were very aware of world events, more than typical Americans. Teachers and kids would gather together and questions were asked and answered about global issues. As a student, he was expected to know what was going on in the world and have opinions on it. Berkowitz said that girls had their own social scene.

Keywords: "New kid on the block"; "Signature experiences"; Allowance; Alternative energy sources; Awareness of world events; British educational system; Children of Peace Corps Volunteers; Cruise ships; Friends from Fiji; Kite season; Marbles; Money; Multi-national; Only white family; Peace Corps children; Peace Corps dependents; Peace Corps family; Peace Corps kids; Respect for elders; Schools; Top season; Welcoming

Subjects: Acculturation; Childhood; Culture; Education; Families; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji.; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: I think their work experience for both of my parents was an extraordinary thing.

Segment Synopsis: For his parents, their work experiences were influential in their careers. His mother returned to graduate school upon re-entry and worked with special needs students. His dad had worked for the Mitre Corporation, and then, upon return, transitioned into alternative energy companies. When they left Fiji, they traveled the world, going west through Australia and New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and then home. They traveled for $25 per day. It was an extraordinary experience for all 4 of them. Berkowitz has returned to Fiji several times since leaving, with lifelong friends from Fiji. It took a while to adjust to Fiji but returning to the U.S. was also difficult. Berkowitz had little in common with peers in school upon return. He missed the cultural elements of living in the U.S.: someone will remember a fad in the '70s and he missed it. There was no TV in Fiji, instead the family listened to the radio together. Food in Fiji was a combination of ethnicities and there was none of that in Natick. He was 13 when he returned to the U.S., a time when friends were having their bar mitzvahs, and they were quite aware of the money that they'd get from it. Berkowitz had no interest in that, which set him apart from his friends. He came back with a different set of values from his friends and peers. He "stuck out in weird ways." Peace Corps becomes a very important set of experiences for most RPCVs, according to Berkowitz. There was no support from Peace Corps when they returned. No one "knew what to make of us." The family splintered for several years. People would ask about his experiences, and Berkowitz could tell immediately if they were really interested; he learned to give a short synopsis and leave it at that. That was isolating.

Keywords: Children of Peace Corps Volunteers; Friends from Fiji; Lack of support upon return; Out of sync with friends upon return; Peace Corps children; Peace Corps dependents; Peace Corps family; Peace Corps kids; Special needs education

Subjects: Acculturation; Childhood; Culture; Culture shock; Families; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji.; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: --Did you consider joining Peace Corps as an adult?

Segment Synopsis: Berkowitz married a pediatric surgeon who couldn't afford to lose ground in her profession by leaving the country for 2 years, so he did not join Peace Corps as an adult. He still thinks about it. Berkowitz's family was interested in travel. Going to Fiji was a more intense experience, however. It changed the way that he looked at the world. Living in a different culture with different values gave him a comfort being out of his normal setting/circumstances. Berkowitz feels that he's more sensitive to cultural issues, exclusion, racism, and sexism. Being considered to be an "other" made life in the U.S. difficult. By now, he's resigned to living here, though. His sister also has visited Fiji. She didn't have the same experiences as Berkowitz. It was not as formative an experience for her as for him, partly due to gender differences and age differences. For his parents, it was an extremely important time in their lives - both professionally and personally. Volunteerism is important to both parents. His dad joined AmeriCorps in his early 70s where he taught at a community college in Utah and in a prison there. His mother is involved in her community, too. Berkowitz is somewhat more cynical than his parents.

Keywords: AmeriCorps; Comfort outside of usual settings; Impact on parents' lives; Interest in travel; Sensitivity to social and cultural issues

Subjects: Acculturation; Childhood; Culture; Culture shock; Families; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Fiji.; Voluntarism; Volunteers