Interview with John Arango, April 7, 2020

Partial Transcript: This is Evelyn Ganzglass.

Segment Synopsis: Evelyn Ganzglass interviews John Arango, a former Peace Corps volunteer and director. In this segment, Arango details the reasons why he wanted to join the Peace Corps and the process of joining.

Keywords: Colombia; Ecuador; Engineer; Engineering; Higher education; Panama; Peace Corps; Physics; Schools; Spanish (Language); University; Volunteer

Subjects: Colombia.; Education.; Engineers.; Higher education.; Peace Corps (U.S.); Physics.; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: What, what was the, the label that was put on the chicken coop, and, um, project?

Segment Synopsis: Arango describes the initial training he received for the Peace Corps and the immense amount of media attention they received as the first group to enter training.

Keywords: Cameras; Journalism; Media; News; Peace Corps; Projects; Reporters; Rutgers University; Training; Volunteers

Subjects: Journalists.; News.; Peace Corps (U.S.); Rutgers University; Training.; Volunteers.

Partial Transcript: So what did your father, or your parents think about you going to Colombia in the Peace Corps?

Segment Synopsis: Arango describes the reactions of his friends and family to the news that he would be leaving the country to work for the Peace Corps in Colombia.

Keywords: Colombia; Family; Friends; International travel; Peace Corps; Travel; Volunteer

Subjects: Colombia; Families.; Friends; International travel.; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Travel.; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, so you clearly knew about Colombia and you were ready to go. Talk a little bit about the training.

Segment Synopsis: Arango talks about what training was like for him as a member of the first group, as there was no precedent for Peace Corps training. Arango discusses what his training consisted of, the demographics of volunteers, and the length of the training.

Keywords: Colombia; Demographics; History; Peace Corps; Spanish (Language); Training; Volunteer; Volunteer workers in community development

Subjects: Colombia; History.; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Training.; Volunteer workers in community development; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Okay, so you finished training.

Segment Synopsis: Arango details meeting Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, and later President John F. Kennedy, when the Peace Corps volunteers took a trip to Washington, D.C.

Keywords: John F. Kennedy; Lyndon B. Johnson; Peace Corps; President Kennedy; The White House; Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson; Volunteers; Washington, D.C.

Subjects: Government; Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973; Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Politicians.; Volunteer workers in community development; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: What is it that you actually did in the program?

Segment Synopsis: Arango describes his work in a coffee-growing community in Colombia while working with the Peace Corps.

Keywords: Agriculture; Coffee; Colombia; Community development; Education; Girls' education; International travel; Peace Corps; Schools; Travel; Volunteers; Water; Water systems

Subjects: Agriculture.; Coffee.; Colombia; Community development.; Education.; International travel.; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Schools.; Travel.; Volunteer workers in community development; Volunteers; Water.

Partial Transcript: But while I was there, the, um, CARE staff came to me and said...

Segment Synopsis: In this segment, Arango details leaving the coffee-growing community and moving to a gold-mining community in Colombia.

Keywords: Colombia; Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE); Gold; Gold mining; Jungles; Mining; Peace Corps; Travel; Volunteer

Subjects: Colombia; Gold mining; Gold.; Mining; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Travel.; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So what did, so what did you do in your spare time?

Segment Synopsis: Arango talks about what he did in his free time while in Colombia. He shares about the trunk of clothes he received from the Peace Corps, as well as subscriptions to "The New Republic" magazine.

Keywords: Armed Forces Network; Clothing; Diet; Food; Jazz music; Leisure time; Magazines; New Republic Magazine; Peace Corps; Radios; Sears; Subscriptions; The New Republic; The New Republic Magazine; Volunteers; Weight loss

Subjects: Clothing; Diet.; Food.; Jazz music.; Magazines; Peace Corps (U.S.); Radio.; Recreation; Volunteers; Weight loss.

Partial Transcript: Did you go--travel at all around the country or in the region?

Segment Synopsis: Arango talks about whether he traveled while working in Colombia. He details instances of political conflict and how the Peace Corps managed the volunteers. Additionally, he describes the continued media interest in the Peace Corps.

Keywords: Colombia; Conflicts; Journalists; Media; News; Peace Corps; Politics; Reporters; Travel; Vacations; Volunteers

Subjects: Colombia; News.; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Politics.; Travel.; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So you finished your two years in Colombia, and then what?

Segment Synopsis: Arango talks about what he did after leaving his work with the Peace Corps in Colombia. He details his work as a trainer for the Peace Corps, and later as a director of community development training.

Keywords: Albuquerque (N.M.); Colombia; Community building; Community development; Community development training; Directors; Lower class; New Mexico; Peace Corps; Trainers; Training; University; Volunteer

Subjects: Colombia; Community development.; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Training.; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So you went from community organizing to training for Peace Corps training in the United States.

Segment Synopsis: Arango discusses the differences he noticed in community organizing and training in the United States and Colombia.

Keywords: Investigation; Peace Corps; Politics; Suspicion; Training; United States; Volunteers

Subjects: Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Colombia; Politics.; Training.; United States.; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So you worked at OEO for a while, and then, um...

Segment Synopsis: In this segment, Arango discusses his work as Peace Corps Director in Panama and Ecuador.

Keywords: Directors; Ecuador; Family; Panama; Peace Corps; Peace Corps Directors; Travel; Volunteers

Subjects: Ecuador.; Family.; Panama.; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ecuador; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Panama; Travel.; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, can you talk a little bit about what it's like to be a Peace Corps Director?

Segment Synopsis: Arango talks about the differences between being a Peace Corps Director and being a Peace Corps volunteer.

Keywords: Community development; Directors; Peace Corps; Power; Projects; Volunteer

Subjects: Community development.; Interpersonal relations; Peace Corps (U.S.); Volunteer workers in community development; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So Nixon was, was now President.

Segment Synopsis: Arango provides an anecdote about when President Nixon appointed a new Director of the Peace Corps, who developed a meeting with every Peace Corps Director.

Keywords: Directors; Ecuador; Meetings; Peace Corps; President Nixon; Richard Nixon; Travel; Vietnam War

Subjects: Ecuador; Meetings.; Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ecuador; Travel.; Vietnam War

Partial Transcript: Let, let me just ask you...

Segment Synopsis: Arango discusses Peace Corps' relation to United States foreign policy.

Keywords: Ambassadors; Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); Foreign policy; Government; International affairs; Military; Peace Corps; Politics; United States

Subjects: Foreign policy; Government; International affairs.; Peace Corps (U.S.); Politics.; United States.; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So one of the things that I agreed to do...

Segment Synopsis: Arango discusses the initiatives he took on, such as allowing families to enter into the Peace Corps and interactions with Indigenous groups.

Keywords: Children; Community development; Family; Indigenous; Indigenous groups; Peace Corps; Projects

Subjects: Children.; Community development.; Families; Indigenous people; Peace Corps (U.S.)

Partial Transcript: So to make a long story short, what I figured out was there were a number of factors that determined whether volunteers were s-satisfied with their job.

Segment Synopsis: Arango describes the actions he took to improve work for the Peace Corps volunteers and the overall improvements in the Peace Corps, as a whole.

Keywords: Community development; Jobs; Peace Corps; Projects; Research; Volunteers; Work

Subjects: Community development; Peace Corps (U.S.); Poverty.; Research.; Volunteer workers in community development; Volunteers; Work.

Partial Transcript: So you finished your two years in Ecuador.

Segment Synopsis: Arango shares what his work in community organizing and development has been like since leaving the Peace Corps.

Keywords: Community development; Experience; Jobs; Peace Corps; Poverty; United States

Subjects: Community development.; Experience.; Jobs & careers; Peace Corps (U.S.); Poverty.; United States.

Partial Transcript: Well, you've said many, many profound things during this interview.

Segment Synopsis: Arango shares additional stories about his work. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Community development; Peace Corps; Poverty; Travel; Volunteer

Subjects: Community development.; Peace Corps (U.S.); Poverty.; Travel.; United States.; Volunteer workers in community development; Volunteers