Interview with Tara Leitzell Morton, January 15, 2021

Partial Transcript: Today is, uh, January 15, 2015. Uh, my name is Evelyn--(audio cuts out)--was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Somalia from 1966 to 1968. And today, I'm interviewing Tara Leitzell Morton who was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Jordan from 2001 to 2002 and she was in a nonprofit development program.

Segment Synopsis: According to her parents, Morton has always been interested in helping others around her. As a student, Morton had lived in Latin America and in Montreal. Morton was interested in travel, particularly in the Middle East. As a student at Georgetown University, Morton studied Arabic for a year. Morton grew up in a white, middle class neighborhood of Chicago. Morton left high school a year early to attend an international school on Vancouver Island. While in college, Morton had an interest in joining the Foreign Service.

Keywords: Altruism; Arabic (Language); Chicago (Ill.); College majors; Future plans; Gender roles; Georgetown University; High schools; McGill University; Montreal (Canada); Nonprofit organizations; Study abroad; Traveling; Undergraduate education; Vancouver Island (Canada)

Subjects: International travel; Language and languages; Latin America; Middle East; Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Religion; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, was there anything memorable about your application process?

Segment Synopsis: Morton specifically asked to be posted to the Middle East. Although it was less popular, Morton contends that Volunteers who requested the Middle East were less likely to leave early.

Keywords: Applications; Applying; Georgetown University

Subjects: Central America; Latin America; Middle East; Peace Corps (U.S.); Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: How many of--how many people were in your group?

Segment Synopsis: Morton's cohort started with 45 members. Morton's cohort left for pre-service training in June 2001. Just as Morton's group was to be sent to their work sites, the 9/11 attacks occurred. Also, a couple weeks earlier, Morton's godfather had passed away. So, Morton had been sent back to Washington for mental evaluation before being sent to her remote village assignment in Jordan.

Keywords: Cohorts; Deaths; Dulles Airport; Leaving; News; Returning; Swearing in; Traveling; Villages

Subjects: International travel; Jordan; Mental health; Peace Corps (U.S.); Voluntarism; Volunteers; Washington (D.C.); World politics

Partial Transcript: So, let's talk about your training and, and, and what happened on 9/11. How, how you all dealt with that.

Segment Synopsis: Morton's pre-service training was at Madaba. Morton's was the fifth cohort sent to Jordan. The trainees stayed with host families. Morton comments that although earlier Volunteers generally had fewer physical amenities, female Volunteers in Jordan had an especially challenging time because of the culture.

Keywords: Amman (Jordan); Appearance; Cohorts; Cultural training; Differences; Gender roles; Host families; Language training; Madaba (Jordan); Safety and security training; Women

Subjects: Culture; Middle East; Peace Corps (U.S.); Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, what happened on 9/11 when you were in training?

Segment Synopsis: Morton had been in Washington, D.C. for a week getting checked out by the Peace Corps following the death of her godfather before being sent to her remote work site. When Morton flew back to Amman, she was met at the airport by two trainees in her cohort. In the taxi back to Madaba, Morton first heard on the car radio about the 9/11 attacks. Morton found the Jordanian people supportive of the trainees but half of her cohort decided to return home soon after 9/11.

Keywords: 9/11/2001; Amman (Jordan); Cell phones; Changes; Deaths; Decisions; Leaving; Local people; Locals; Madaba (Jordan); News; Paris (France); Quitting; Returning; Safety; September 11, 2001; Support; Swearing in; Traveling

Subjects: Afghanistan; Emotions; Health; International travel; Middle East; Peace Corps (U.S.); Religion; September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001; Voluntarism; Volunteers; Washington (D.C.); World politics

Partial Transcript: And so, we ended up going out to our village. And my village was As-Safawi.

Segment Synopsis: Morton was one of three Volunteers assigned to As-Safawi, a village close to the border with Iraq. Morton was living on a research base. Morton describes her housing as like a dormitory. Teachers and military personnel also lived on the base. The purpose of the research being conducted was to use modern technology to aid formerly nomadic Bedouins to adapt to a less mobile lifestyle. In part, Morton served as a translator for visiting researchers from Europe. Morton also helped run an information technology center in the village and wrote grants. Morton describes the types of research being done by others, such as mechanisms related to generating wind power and solar power. Many of Morton's associates spoke English, which slowed her gaining fluency in Arabic. Morton loved her assignment and planned to extend for a third year.

Keywords: Adjustment; Arabic (Language); Assignments; Distance; English (Language); Extensions; Fluency; French (Language); Grants; History; Housing; Language skills; Living situation; Plans; Rural areas; Site mates; Spanish (Language); Sustainability; Translation; Villages

Subjects: Europe; Iraq; Italy; Jordan; Language and languages; Lifestyles; Palestine; Peace Corps (U.S.); Religion; Research; United Kingdom; United States. Agency for International Development; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, you talked about this Iraqi woman that you worked with. Um, were there other local women that you became friends with?

Segment Synopsis: Most of the other residents on Morton's base were male. On the base, Morton became close to one local couple in particular. Morton also interacted with people in the village.

Keywords: Assumptions; Chicago (Ill.); Clothes; Cultural differences; Expectations; Friends; Local people; Locals; Misconceptions; New Mexico; Second Goal; Stereotypes; Understanding; Villages

Subjects: Emotions; Evacuation; Interpersonal relations; Manners and customs; Middle East; Peace Corps (U.S.); Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Well, it's good. So, you said, too, you were evacuated. How--why were you evacuated?

Segment Synopsis: After she had been at her work site about 18 months, Morton was evacuated before the U.S. started to bomb Iraq. Morton felt safe at her work site but there were increasing tensions in the region. This tense atmosphere contributed to more Volunteers choosing to return home early. In addition, some Volunteers, whose Jewish background was evident, were sent home for security reasons.

Keywords: Americans; Amman (Jordan); Anti-Americanism; Dangerous; Dangers; George W. Bush; J. William Fulbright; Leaving; Osama bin Laden; Princeton University; Quitting; Regional conflict; Safety and security; Traveling

Subjects: International travel; Iraq; Jordan; Lebanon; Middle East; Palestine; Peace Corps (U.S.); Religion; Small business; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers; World politics

Partial Transcript: So, how did, how did you learn about evacuation?

Segment Synopsis: Morton's mother and aunt had come to visit her. Morton was accompanying them to Petra when she got a phone call. Morton was told she had four hours to pack and to get ready to evacuate. Morton returned to her village and then was housed in a hotel in Amman with the other Volunteers. The American ambassador gave them the rationale for the evacuation, which Morton found nonsensical. The bombing of Iraq started two weeks later. The Volunteers were returned to Washington, D.C. while Morton's mother and aunt continued their vacation in Jordan. Morton later learned that there was an American military base close to her work site. Morton agreed to her family's request that she not travel internationally for the next year. So, Morton returned to Chicago.

Keywords: Amman (Jordan); Chicago (Ill.); Close of Service; Criticism; Family; Leaving; Petra (Jordan); Returning; Telephone calls; Traveling

Subjects: Emotions; International travel; Iraq; Jordan; Mothers; Peace Corps (U.S.); Saudi Arabia; Voluntarism; Volunteers; Washington (D.C.); World politics

Partial Transcript: It definitely changed. The, the experience changed me.

Segment Synopsis: Morton says that she was changed by coming in contact with people from different cultures during her Peace Corps service. Morton mentions some of the cultural differences she encountered. Morton decided that it was presumptuous for her to go overseas to try and help others when there were so many domestic problems. Accordingly, Morton opted to do development work in Chicago.

Keywords: Bedouins; Boston (Mass.); Boulder (Colo.); Career paths; Chicago (Ill.); Cultural differences; Denver (Colo.); Expectations; Fort Collins (Colo.); Gender roles; Grants; Jobs; Marriage; Master's degrees; Misconceptions; Re-entry; Transition periods; Traveling

Subjects: Iraq; Jordan; Manners and customs; Palestine; Peace Corps (U.S.); Religion; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And you mentioned going into schools, um, and doing presentations. Can you talk a little bit about what you did there?

Segment Synopsis: When Morton was in Chicago, Boston, and Colorado, she joined the local Returned Peace Corps Volunteer groups, which she helped with fundraising. Morton would also visit high schools and give talks about Jordan. Morton notes that Volunteers from ethnic minorities often had their nationality questioned by the local people in Jordan.

Keywords: African Americans; Asian Americans; Black Americans; Books; Boston (Mass.); Chicago (Ill.); Clothing; Colorado; Cultural differences; Diversity in the Peace Corps; High schools; Hispanic Americans; People of color; Poverty; Returned Peace Corps Volunteers; Speaking; Stereotypes; Technology

Subjects: Finance; Hygiene; Jordan; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Minorities; Non-governmental organizations; Peace Corps (U.S.); South Africa; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, as you think back on your Peace Corps service, it clearly changed the tr-trajectory of your life. Um, do you think Jordanians learned a lot by getting to know you? Learned about Americans?

Segment Synopsis: Morton has had more impact on Jordanians with whom she has maintained contact. Morton contends that her Peace Corps service presented other people with a side of Americans besides that which they saw on television and in movies. Morton advocates for two years of mandatory service for Americans to increase their understanding of others.

Keywords: Americans; Clothing; Conversations; Friends; Second Goal; Social media; Understanding; Women

Subjects: Interpersonal relations; Jordan; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Voluntarism; Volunteers