Interview with Regina Macdonald Harrison, February 17, 2021

Partial Transcript: Hello. Today is February 17, 2021. My name is Jay Sztuk. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji in 1974. And today, I'm interviewing Regina Harrison who was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador from 1967 to 1970 working in community development.

Segment Synopsis: Harrison had a degree in fashion merchandising. While a college student, Harrison and two friends applied to the Peace Corps together and all three were accepted. The application process included a language capability test. Harrison had wanted to serve in Peru and her husband wanted to serve in Nepal. When she received the invitation for Ecuador, Harrison was disappointed.

Keywords: Amherst (Mass.); College majors; Disappointment; Examinations; Exams; Friends; Jacqueline Kennedy; Letters; Marriage

Subjects: Emotions; Guianas; Nepal; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--1960-1970; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ecuador; Peru; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in community development; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: I think my mother was more favorably disposed to the Peace Corps. My father, this entered into a whole bunch of problems.

Segment Synopsis: Harrison's husband's joining the Peace Corps caused a wider rift between him and Harrison's father, a military veteran.

Keywords: Conversations; Family; Military drafts; Problems; Veterans

Subjects: College students--Attitudes; Ecuador; Families.; Interpersonal relations; Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, you joined with your, your husband.

Segment Synopsis: Harrison and her husband got married shortly before pre-service training so they could be posted together. Pre-service training for Harrison was at Bozeman, Montana. As she had grown up on the East Coast, Harrison experienced culture shock in rural Montana. Harrison's cohort started with about 130 trainees, of which about 100 became Volunteers. The cohort included two Hispanic Americans and two African Americans. De-selection occurred during pre-service training. The de-selection caused stress among and protests from the trainees.

Keywords: Activities; African Americans; Alabama; Anxiety; Background checks; Billings (Mont.); Black Americans; Books; Boston (Mass.); Bozeman (Mont.); Career paths; Chicago (Ill.); Cohorts; College majors; Cultural differences; Dangerous; Dangers; De-selection; Diversity in the Peace Corps; Fears; Friends; Graduate schools; High schools; Hispanic Americans; Home; Jack Vaughn; Language training; Leaving; Louisiana; Marriage; Midwest; Military drafts; North Carolina; Peace Corps directors; Peace Corps interviews; Problems; Questions; Quitting; Racial discrimination; Returning; Rural areas; Spanish (Language); Three Forks (Mont.); Uncertainty; Vietnam War; Waiting periods; West Coast; Winthrop (Mass.)

Subjects: Cuba; Ecuador; Emotions; Language and languages; Minorities; Peace Corps (U.S.); Racism; Stress (Psychology); Teaching; Vietnam; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And finally, we got a call. And I think it was within two days we were packed up and going to, um, do a forestry project. And I was going to be teaching at the university.

Segment Synopsis: When the Harrisons arrived in Quito, they were told that their projects had both been changed to economic development. Also, their work site had been changed from a big city to a village, Oña. The village had had Volunteers before. When asked about possible projects, the mayor suggested building an airport to boost tourism. Harrison estimates the village population to be 500 to 700 people. Most of the men had left to seek jobs by the coast.

Keywords: Acclimation; Changes; Clothing; Cuenca (Ecuador); Loja (Ecuador); Oña (Ecuador); Peace Corps directors; Population; Preparation; Professors; Quito (Ecuador); Special occasions; Telephone calls; Tourism; Tourists; Traveling; Unprepared; Villages

Subjects: Acculturation; Emigration and immigration; International travel; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peru; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Tell me how you were feeling then and what, what your first impressions were.

Segment Synopsis: The Harrisons were ecstatic to finally be Volunteers. Harrison was impressed by the mountain scenery in Quito. This was Harrison's first international trip. The Harrisons were met at the airport in Quito by a member of the Peace Corps staff.

Keywords: Montana; Mount Fuji (Japan); Peace Corps staff; Quito (Ecuador); Traveling

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

Partial Transcript: We're taken down to, uh, Oña, again, with the regional director in his car.

Segment Synopsis: Compared to the capital, Harrison was not favorably impressed by Oña, which she describes. The Harrisons stayed temporarily in a small, decrepit boarding house which gave Harrison serious second thoughts about continuing her Peace Corps service.

Keywords: Housing; Living conditions; Oña (Ecuador); Peace Corps directors; Quitting; Traveling

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

Partial Transcript: Um, but I think, then when we searched around for a place to stay, we found a family with seven kids.

Segment Synopsis: Eventually, the Harrisons found a room with a local family. Harrison cooked for her husband and herself on a portable stove. Although the living conditions were harsh, Harrison developed a close relationship with one of her host sisters.

Keywords: Acclimation; Dangers; Fears; Gender roles; Host family; Host sisters; Language skills; Problems

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

Partial Transcript: After the airstrip project was canceled with the mayor. Yeah, we kind of deftly avoided talking about that anymore.

Segment Synopsis: The Harrisons ignored the suggested project of building a local airstrip. Projects of previous Volunteers had included a rabbit co-op and re-forestation. Eventually, Harrison started teaching English at a school for boys. The Harrisons tried to convince the people to start a sheep co-op as a ram was available from the Heifer Foundation. Eventually, the sheep co-op got started, though the local priest had denounced the Harrisons as being communists. Harrison tells of problems with the co-op.

Keywords: Animal husbandry; Anxiety; Communism; Communists; Criticism; Heifer Foundation; Plans; Problems; Teaching English as a foreign language; Uncertainty

Subjects: Emotions; Non-governmental organizations; Nonprofit organizations; Peace Corps (U.S.); Religion; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, right about that time, we get this, uh, notice from Peace Corps. They are thinking of opening up Galapagos. And they think we might be the best to, to do it.

Segment Synopsis: After about 8 months, the Harrisons were flown to Quito to consider re-assignment to the Galapagos Islands or to a cattle raising area in the Amazon. The Peace Corps doctor had reservations about sending Volunteers to the Galapagos Islands because of the geographical isolation. However, Harrison preferred going to the Galapagos.

Keywords: Anxious; Boston (Mass.); Changes; Choices; Doctors; Galapagos (Ecuador); Isolation; Quito (Ecuador); Risks; Traveling

Subjects: Amazon; Emotions; Health; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ecuador; United States. Agency for International Development; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And another one, too. They put me into we--getting the women to weave, uh, cloth. They were going to try to sell it in the Peace Corps store in Cuenca.

Segment Synopsis: Before her re-assignment, Harrison was involved in another project to try and get the local women to weave cloth to be sold in Cuenca. The basic obstacle was that the traditional looms would need to be widened in order to produce the desired size cloth. One positive result was that Harrison learned about dyeing cloth.

Keywords: Cuenca (Ecuador); Learning; Problems; Women

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

Partial Transcript: So, we're about eight months into it. And they still, even to that point, were evaluating both of us.

Segment Synopsis: A supply ship transported the Harrisons to San Cristobal Island which had a population of about 1,500 people. Soon afterwards, the Peace Corps sent a team of four people for a couple months to build a school on the island where the Harrisons were living. The plan was for the Harrisons to start a fishing co-op. The local fishermen were supportive but the local storekeepers wanted to maintain control of prices and were opposed.

Keywords: Accountability; Charles Darwin Research Station (Ecuador); Conflicts; Cuenca (Ecuador); Darwin Station (Ecuador); Fathers; Foreigners; Galapagos Islands (Ecuador); Guayaquil (Ecuador); Interviews; Media; Plans; Population; Problems; Quito (Ecuador); San Cristobal Island (Ecuador); Site mates; Special occasions; Tourism; Tourists; Transportation; Traveling

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

Partial Transcript: With the notice of that failure, Peace Corps decided they were not only going to change our project, they were going to send us to another island.

Segment Synopsis: The Harrisons re-located to Santa Cruz Island where there was a small community of foreigners among the local people. The Harrisons' new project was to organize the community to build a school. After the supplies for the school had been gathered, the father of the Peace Corps director arrived in a luxury pleasure boat and took over directing the actual construction. Each evening, he would retire to his private boat.

Keywords: Amenities; Changes; Charles Darwin Research Station (Ecuador); Darwin Station (Ecuador); Decisions; Fathers; Foreigners; Funds; Joseph Blatchford; Living conditions; Mosquito nets; Peace Corps directors; Santa Cruz Island (Ecuador); Site visits; Traveling

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

Partial Transcript: Our first house, because of our rapport right away with the Europeans. You know. They were delighted.

Segment Synopsis: The other foreigners at the new work site welcomed the Volunteers. Harrison describes the fabulous housing which was initially found for them. When the house owners returned, the Harrisons moved again into the town. Living in the Galapagos, Harrison learned to conserve resources.

Keywords: Amenities; Baltra Island (Ecuador); Complaints; Conservation; Foreigners; Galapagos Islands (Ecuador); Impact; North Carolina; Panama Canal (Panama); Supplies

Subjects: Ecuador; Emotions; Germany; Lifestyles; Peace Corps (U.S.); Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, we eventually, um, we eventually finished the school and it, it was a wonderful three-room school house.

Segment Synopsis: The building of the school brought together the community of resident foreigners and the local people.

Keywords: Angermeyer brothers; Cooperation; Cultural differences; Foreigners; Galapagos Islands (Ecuador); Hamburg (Germany); Local people; Locals; Media

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

Partial Transcript: We had some incipient tourism out there.

Segment Synopsis: Harrison describes visiting with some of the foreign tourists who arrived on their boats. Harrison reports that the people on board were often at odds with each other. This dissuaded the Harrisons from their fantasy plans to sail off to the Marianas.

Keywords: Changes; Future plans; Marianas; Panama Canal (Panama); Socializing; Telephone calls; Tourism

Subjects: Europe; International travel; Peace Corps (U.S.); Voluntarism; Volunteers; West Coast of the United States

Partial Transcript: Alright. So, we get the, the school fixed, right?

Segment Synopsis: Because there was no money for teachers, the Harrisons became part of the school staff. The local priest was recruited to teach Spanish grammar. A local scientist agreed to teach biology. Harrison held a student art contest with an ecological theme. Eventually, government teachers did arrive at the school.

Keywords: Awareness; Charles Darwin Research Station (Ecuador); Co-teachers; Conversations; Darwin Station (Ecuador); Friends; Spanish (Language); Teaching English as a foreign language

Subjects: Art; Ecuador; Finance; Language and languages; Manners and customs; Peace Corps (U.S.); School management and organization; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in education; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Oh, no. There's a need for a high school on this island where other students from the other islands can come to.

Segment Synopsis: Harrison reports that their next project was to build a high school, which was completed with similar assistance as was received for the elementary school. The Harrisons' subsequent project was the construction of a basketball court. The Peace Corps then tasked the Harrisons with assisting with the installation of electrical power on the island. Another Volunteer was sent out to give technical assistance.

Keywords: High schools; Improvements; Santa Cruz Island (Ecuador); Site mates; Support; Technology; Translation

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

Partial Transcript: By then, we were extending. We had finished our two years.

Segment Synopsis: The Harrisons' service had been extended for a third year. This meant that Harrison's husband no longer needed to be concerned about the military draft. Also, in their third year, the Harrisons had become comfortable with the local language and culture.

Keywords: Acclimation; Fears; Fluency; Language skills; Military drafts

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

Partial Transcript: They had a generator.

Segment Synopsis: Harrison describes socializing with the scientists at the Darwin Station.

Keywords: Amenities; Charles Darwin Research Station (Ecuador); Clothes; Darwin Station (Ecuador)

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

Partial Transcript: It seems like you accomplished a tremendous amount of stuff while you were out there. Building two schools, uh, this basketball court, helping with the electrical project.

Segment Synopsis: After her Peace Corps service, Harrison became a professor of literature and anthropology. Harrison received an honorarium from the Smithsonian Institution and has returned to her last work site in Ecuador and has visited Peru.

Keywords: Galapagos (Ecuador); Machu Picchu (Peru); Speaking; Tourism; Tourists; Traveling

Subjects: Ecuador; International travel; Interpersonal relations; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peru; Professors; Returning; Smithsonian Institution; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: I think it was September. And, we were lea--we were going to end right before Christmas.

Segment Synopsis: Near the end of their service, the Harrisons were contacted by the main Ecuadorian tour agency. People from the tour agency took the Harrisons out in Quito and asked them to recommend people to be hired as guides. The Harrisons agreed. Subsequently, the Harrisons left the islands on the same plane which brought in the first group of tourists. The Harrisons had been invited to join the tour for free but decided to attend graduate school and needed to be in Quito, instead, to take the GRE.

Keywords: Advice; Decisions; Examinations; Exams; Graduate schools; Inoculations; Invitations; Jobs; Plans; Quito (Ecuador); Regrets; Tourism; Tourists; Traveling; Vaccinations

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

Partial Transcript: And with the divorce and everything, I didn't feel like going back right away.

Segment Synopsis: In part because she had gotten divorced, 16 years passed before Harrison returned to the Galapagos Islands. Harrison returned with her students from Bates College and was still remembered by some of the locals. Harrison describes the changes brought by the increased tourism.

Keywords: Attitudes; Bates College; Changes; Charles Darwin Research Station (Ecuador); Darwin Station (Ecuador); Divorce; Foreigners; Galapagos Islands (Ecuador); Local people; Locals; Study abroad; Tourism; Tourists; Traveling

Subjects: Ecuador; Europe; International travel; Interpersonal relations; Peace Corps (U.S.); Switzerland; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Well, and it sounds like the experience changed you quite a bit, too.

Segment Synopsis: While in the Galapagos Islands, the Harrisons applied to various graduate schools in the U.S. Subsequently, the Harrisons went to Illinois where Harrison's husband had been accepted for graduate school. After a year, Harrison got a 4-year grant from the University of Illinois and wrote a dissertation that focused on the descendants of the Incas. Harrison contrasts her living experience in the Peace Corps with the more theoretical background of some other academics.

Keywords: Application process; Applications; Applying; Decisions; Galapagos (Ecuador); Graduate schools; Grants; Harvard University; Illinois; Native Americans; Stanford University; Traveling; University of California, Berkeley; University of Illinois

Subjects: Education, Higher; Finance; Guatemala; International travel; Peace Corps (U.S.); Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: I mean I've seen more as a tourist going back.

Segment Synopsis: In 2016, Harrison returned to the Galapagos as a tourist for two weeks and was able to visit many more places than when she was there as a Volunteer. Harrison touches on other experiences in the Galapagos with her students from Bates College.

Keywords: Bates College; Galapagos (Ecuador); Herman Melville; Study abroad; Tourism; Tourists; Traveling; Weather

Subjects: International travel; Peace Corps (U.S.); Student activities; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: When we went on our only vacation--you know, in those days, I don't know about you, but Peace Corps Ecuador, we could not travel back to the United States.

Segment Synopsis: While Volunteers, the Harrisons took a vacation to Chile and Argentina. They were supposed to meet Harrison's parents and brother in Chile but they didn't connect. Days later, they bumped into each other on the street in Buenos Aires. Harrison describes her interaction on another occasion with a shaman in the Amazon jungle.

Keywords: Buenos Aires (Argentina); Scared; Siblings; Traveling

Subjects: Argentina; Chile; Emotions; International travel; Latin America; Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ecuador; South America; Tierra del Fuego; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And from that, because I'd had so much experience in the Peace Corps, and friends of mine are film makers, I decided to make documentaries.

Segment Synopsis: Harrison made three documentary films related to her anthropological studies. Harrison describes the subject of each film. Harrison has also written five books and received a grant from the Guggenheim Foundation. Harrison says that being in the Peace Corps led to her overcoming her shyness.

Keywords: Abraham Lincoln; Alexander Hamilton; Bates College; Books; Changes; Comfort zones; Decisions; European Union; Examinations; Exams; Friends; Galapagos (Ecuador); Grants; Hollywood (Calif.); Irvin Kershner; Language skills; Learning; London (England); Maryland; Perceptions; Personal growth; Potosi (Bolivia); Quechuan (Language); Safety; Speaking; Supplies; Support; Technical training; Tourism; Tourists; Traveling; University of Massachusetts Amherst; Villages

Subjects: Bolivia; Ecuador; Finance; International travel; Interpersonal relations; Language and languages; Latin America; Peace Corps (U.S.); Religion; Student activities; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: I was looking at the three goals and things like that.

Segment Synopsis: When Harrison first returned from Ecuador, she experienced culture shock from all the consumerism in the U.S. Harrison comments on the privilege of getting to live in Ecuador which led to her becoming multi-lingual and multi-cultural and had a tremendous impact on her career.

Keywords: Acclimation; Appearance; Assignments; Bates College; Belongings; Books; Career paths; Claude Levi-Strauss; Clothes; Coming home; Conversations; Cuenca (Ecuador); Cultural exchange; Foods; Friends; Galapagos (Ecuador); Grants; Impact; J. William Fulbright; Language skills; Moritz Thomsen; Privilege; Quechuan (Language); Questions; Returning; Social interactions; Spanish (Language); Taboo topics; Third Goal; Understanding; University of Maryland

Subjects: Acculturation; Africa; Bolivia; Cuba; Culture shock; Ecuador; Interpersonal communication and culture; Interpersonal relations and culture; Language and languages; Latin America; Lifestyles; Peace Corps (U.S.); Research; South America; Teaching; United States. Agency for International Development; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers