Interview with Michael Kirwin, January 29, 2021

Partial Transcript: Hello, my name is Jay Sztuk. Today is January 29, 2021. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji in 1974 through 1976. And today I'm going to interview Michael Kirwin who was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Brazil from 1967 through 1969 in the education program.

Segment Synopsis: Kirwin grew up in Columbus, Ohio and attended Ohio State University. Kirwin was inspired by his older brother who had already joined the Peace Corps. Kirwin's brother was a Volunteer in Colombia and loved the Peace Corps, in part, because serving as a Volunteer kept him out of the military. While he was a Volunteer, Kirwin also received a deferment from the military draft. Peace Corps flew Kirwin to Madison, Wisconsin and put him up in a hotel with others in his group.

Keywords: Columbus (Ohio); Examinations; Exams; Fort Hayes (Ohio); High schools; Influences; Madison (Wis.); Military drafts; Ohio State University; Siblings; Traveling; Vietnam War; Wisconsin

Subjects: Colombia; Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--1960-1970; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Brazil; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in education; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: At that time, were you able to pick a country or did you have some preference for where you were going to go?

Segment Synopsis: Kirwin requested a posting in South America as he had enjoyed three months in Mexico as a college student. Subsequently, Kirwin became a member of the 35th cohort sent to Brazil.

Keywords: Applications; Applying; Brothers; Cohorts; Study abroad; Traveling

Subjects: Brazil; Colombia; International travel; Mexico; Peace Corps (U.S.); South America; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And, and how many people were in that group?

Segment Synopsis: Kirwin's group started with about 60 members. By the end of pre-service training, the number had decreased to 40. Pre-service training began in Madison, Wisconsin and later moved to an Olympic training camp. Kirwin mentions interviews of the trainees by a Peace Corps psychologist and further de-selection of trainees for political reasons. Overall, Kirwin found pre-service training very good.

Keywords: Books; Cultural training; De-selection process; Fears; Fluency; History; Language skills; Language training; Madison (Wis.); Peace Corps interviews; Portuguese (Language); Screening process; Student activities; Students for a Democratic Society (SDS); Traveling; Wisconsin

Subjects: Brazil; Emotions; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Stress (Psychology); Teachers; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: It was three months of training and, and then we took, uh, a plane from New York to Rio.

Segment Synopsis: Kirwin's group flew from New York City to Rio de Janeiro. Next, Kirwin went to Fortaleza and then to his work site, Quixada. Kirwin was accompanied to Quixada but after two days, he was left on his own. Kirwin's only directive was to do something to further primary education there. Kirwin was unable to find a school to serve as a base. For most of his service, Kirwin lived in the impoverished, countryside settlement of Gorgodama. Kirwin describes the settlement.

Keywords: Distance; Fortaleza (Brazil); New York City (N.Y.); Poverty; Quixada (Brazil); Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Rural areas; Traveling

Subjects: Atlantic Ocean; International travel; Peace Corps (U.S.); Religion; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: What I originally did was I started a co-op, a medical co-op...

Segment Synopsis: Kirwin started a co-op to provide medical supplies to the members. Unfortunately, the co-op failed after Kirwin left. In Gorgodama, there were no social services. Infant mortality was high. Kirwin would walk to Quixada to make purchases.

Keywords: Medical co-ops; Medicine; Quixada (Brazil); Supplies; Sustainability

Subjects: Health; Peace Corps (U.S.); Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in community health services; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And they said, "Go out in the campo and live."

Segment Synopsis: When asking about housing, the local people in Quixada directed Kirwin to the countryside. Kirwin found a house in Gorgodama and modified it over time. Kirwin also helped make improvements to 15 to 20 other houses in his settlement. To Kirwin's knowledge, these people had no means of livelihood. The surrounding area was a desert. As the only formally educated person there, Kirwin was asked, and agreed, to help to deliver babies. There was one other education Volunteer who worked at a school in Quixada. A Peace Corps director visited Quixada for a few hours every 6 months, but Kirwin worked largely autonomously.

Keywords: Acclimation; Autonomy; Difficult; Improvements; Lack of communication; Living alone; Local people; Locals; Medical care; Medicine; Outhouses; Peace Corps directors; Questions; Quixada (Brazil); Site mates; Site visits; Supplies

Subjects: Acculturation; Peace Corps (U.S.); Schools; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in community health services; Volunteer workers in medical care; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Was there any time that you got, um, overwhelmed by it, maybe discouraged and just felt like you'd made the wrong decision?

Segment Synopsis: Kirwin wanted to continue his Volunteer service in order to remain out of the military.

Keywords: Military drafts; Motivations; Vietnam War

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

Partial Transcript: Tell me about your, um, your relationships with the, the people you lived and, lived and worked with.

Segment Synopsis: Kirwin went to the local bar and socialized with locals there. From people he met this way, Kirwin started the medicine co-op. Kirwin then went to some of these people's houses and built an enclosure for their outdoor cooking area. Sometimes, Kirwin would apply a waterproof coating to the exterior of their housing to better get it through the rainy season. In these ways, Kirwin was accepted and able to develop friendships. Kirwin reports that the locals had little concept of the world outside of the immediate area. Overall, Kirwin liked what he was doing.

Keywords: Acceptance; Community involvement; English (Language); Improvements; Local people; Locals; News; Portuguese (Language); Questions; Quixada (Brazil); Socializing; Traveling

Subjects: Interpersonal relations; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Maybe walk me through a typical, typical day--

Segment Synopsis: Kirwin was a constant subject of curiosity to the local children. After cooking himself a breakfast of gruel, Kirwin would walk around the settlement and talk to the other villagers and possibly suggest ways that they could jointly improve their house. Then, Kirwin would have a sandwich at home for lunch and take a nap. In the mid-afternoon, Kirwin would tour the settlement and see if anyone needed medicine. For a small payment, Kirwin would offer to acquire the needed medicine. Kirwin would return home for another meal of canned sardines and local bread. Kirwin went to bed shortly after dinner as, after sunset, candles provided the only light.

Keywords: Children; Conversations; Food; Medical care; Medicine; Social interactions

Subjects: Peace Corps (U.S.); Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in community health services; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: What was the hardest thing for, for you to adjust to?

Segment Synopsis: Kirwin's biggest challenge was speaking Portuguese. To the local people, Kirwin tried to depict life in the U.S. and explain why he had left the U.S.

Keywords: Challenges; Deaths; Fluency; Language barriers; Language skills; Local people; Locals; Portuguese (Language); Second Goal; Wars

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

Partial Transcript: While you were there, did you get to travel much and see, see other parts of Brazil or South America?

Segment Synopsis: His first Thanksgiving there, Kirwin traveled to Alto Santos with half a dozen other Volunteers. On another vacation, Kirwin and another Volunteer flew to Manaus and met up with Kirwin's brother who was a Volunteer in Colombia. They then traveled to a village on the Rio Negro and then down the Amazon to Santarem. From there, they flew back to Fortaleza. Another journey took Kirwin and some other Volunteers to Rio de Janeiro by bus and then to Buenos Aires via train before they returned.

Keywords: Alto Santos (Brazil); Buenos Aires (Chile); Holidays; Manaus (Brazil); Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Santarem (Brazil); Transportation

Subjects: Amazon River; Atlantic Ocean; Chile; Colombia; Forteleza (Brazil); International travel; Peace Corps (U.S.); Rio Negro; South America; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: How was traveling in those days? Was it, uh--were they fond of Americans?

Segment Synopsis: Kirwin reports that there was no personal danger while traveling. The Volunteers were able to touch base with the ordinary local people.

Keywords: Questions; Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Site visits; Traveling

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

Partial Transcript: And what kind of con, contribution--or how successful do you think Peace Corps was in making a, a contribution there in Brazil?

Segment Synopsis: Kirwin feels that the Volunteers were successful in presenting a positive image to the locals of Americans as ordinary people who wanted to help them.

Keywords: Americans; Perceptions; Second Goal

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

Partial Transcript: Did it change, change you?

Segment Synopsis: As a Volunteer, Kirwin had helped to deliver a lot of babies, so he was inspired to become a doctor. Kirwin attended the University of Guadalajara for three years and then did his residency in the U.S. for three years. Kirwin has a son who served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras.

Keywords: Career paths; Difficult; Doctors; Family; Influences; Medical care; Medicine; Study abroad; Traveling; University of Guadalajara

Subjects: Honduras; International travel; Peace Corps (U.S.); Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in community health services; Volunteer workers in medical care; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And, here's why I think the Peace Corps was important.

Segment Synopsis: Kirwin believes that all Americans from ages 18 to 25 should do two years of community service, either domestically or abroad. Kirwin again mentions the importance of people-to-people relationships.

Keywords: Age ranges; Americans; Career paths; Community service; Relationships; Young people

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

Partial Transcript: Was, was it hard to leave?

Segment Synopsis: Near the end of his service, several other Volunteers were sent home early because they had used marijuana in-country. Consequently, Kirwin decided not to try and extend his service and explored other options. After returning to the U.S., Kirwin was able to satisfy his draft board by filling teaching vacancies for two years.

Keywords: Changes; Cincinnati (Ohio); Decisions; Drug use; Jobs; Marijuana; Military drafts; Rural areas; Traveling; Vietnam War; Vinton County (Ohio)

Subjects: Peace Corps (U.S.); Teachers; Teaching; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Originally, Carol and I, originally, after we got married, went to Ohio University and I took pre-med and she, she took ceramics.

Segment Synopsis: After he was no longer eligible to be drafted, Kirwin got married and took pre-med classes at Ohio University. Kirwin and his wife were struggling economically, but through a listing in a Peace Corps/ACTION magazine, they got a job in Washington, D.C. watching over a house for patients released from a psychiatric hospital. Kirwin met a supervising doctor there who advised him to apply for medical school in Guadalajara, where Kirwin was admitted.

Keywords: Advice; Disabled persons; Doctors; Guadalajara (Mexico); Jobs; Marriage; Ohio University; Traveling

Subjects: Education, Higher; Finance; Peace Corps (U.S.); People with disabilities; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: If somebody comes along and, and tells you that they're interested in joining Peace Corps, what advice do you give them?

Segment Synopsis: Kirwin advises other interested people to apply to the Peace Corps. Around eight people in Kirwin's family have joined the Peace Corps. Kirwin has traveled extensively throughout South and Central America.

Keywords: Family; Manchu Picchu (Peru); Personal growth; Traveling

Subjects: Africa; Central America; International travel; Mali; Nicaragua; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peru; South America; Voluntarism; Volunteers; Washington (D.C.)