Interview with David P. Dolson, May 4, 2021

Partial Transcript: So, today is May 4th, uh, 2021. My name is Marya Nowakowski and I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic from 1987 to 1990. I am interviewing David P. Dolson who was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bolivia, uh, from 1967 to 1970 and that includes his training period.

Segment Synopsis: As a 14-year old, Dolson was inspired by President Kennedy and sent away for and tracked information about the Peace Corps. Dolson attended the University of California at Santa Barbara and applied to join the Peace Corps during his junior year. Growing up, Dolson had gained some fluency in Portuguese and had anticipated being assigned to serve in Brazil. Dolson regrets not improving his fluency in Portuguese as a Volunteer but had a wonderful experience in Bolivia. In college, Dolson studied Latin American history with the intention of becoming a professor.

Keywords: Azore Islands (Portugal); Azores; Career paths; College majors; Expectations; Fluency; Jobs; John F. Kennedy; Language skills; Motivation; Portuguese (Language); Professors; Regrets; Undergraduate education; University of California, Santa Barbara

Subjects: Applications; Applying; Bolivia; Brazil; Emigration and immigration; Immigrants; Language and languages; Latin America; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--1960-1970; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Bolivia; Teaching; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, what was the application process like?

Segment Synopsis: After attending a presentation on campus by three Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, Dolson applied to join the Peace
Corps. Six months later, Dolson was invited to attend pre-service training at Antioch College for a rural community development program in Bolivia.

Keywords: Antioch College; Applications; Applying; Community development; Invitations; Ohio; Pre-service training; Returned Peace Corps Volunteers; Rural areas

Subjects: Bolivia; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Bolivia; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, what was it like at Antioch?

Segment Synopsis: Dolson's group of 63 trainees was housed in dormitories at Antioch College for 10 weeks. Dolson studied Aymara language. One challenge for the trainees was to learn an indigenous language of Bolivia via Spanish as the language instructors did not speak English. About two-thirds of the trainees also received training in using Spanish. Much of the non-language training was done in Spanish. Dolson's training also involved multi-day excursions into local communities. Dolson found all of the other trainees to be of similar age and social outlook as himself. After pre-service training, Dolson returned for his senior year of college during which he continued to study materials sent to him by the Peace Corps. Dolson believes that the Peace Corps training during his senior year was not intensive enough. During winter break, Dolson's training group was brought together again for a week in New Mexico. By then, the training group had shrunken to less than 40 members.

Keywords: Activities; Ages; Antioch College; Aymara (Language); California; Challenges; Changes; Clermont County (Ohio); Contact; Criticism; Cultural training; Disappointment; Discrimination; Fluency; Fort Loramie (Ohio); Health training; Holidays; Housing; Indiana; Kentucky; La Paz (Bolivia); Language skills; Language training; New Mexico; Ohio River; Orientation; Problems; Quechua (Language); Spanish (Language); Technical training

Subjects: Appalachia; Bolivia; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Bolivia; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: You know, what were your first days in Bolivia like?

Segment Synopsis: Dolson arrived in Bolivia at a highly politically charged time as Che Guevara had been killed less than a year before. Dolson's cohort stayed in dormitories and received 6 more weeks of training focusing on agriculture. Language training continued, as well.

Keywords: Animal husbandry; Anti-Americanism; Aymara (Language); Che Guevara; Deaths; Language training; New Mexico; Ohio; Politics; Pre-service training; Spanish (Language); Technical training; Traveling

Subjects: Acculturation; Altiplano; Bolivia; College students--Attitudes; Culture; International travel; Language and languages; Latin America; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Bolivia; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: When you went to your, um, site, uh, what was that like?

Segment Synopsis: Dolson and a second Volunteer, who was assigned to another nearby village, were dropped off by the Peace Corps staff on the road in front of a locked, empty school. The Volunteers seemed unexpected by the local people. It took Dolson 6 weeks to find lodging in the local village where he was assigned. Dolson comments on the unsettling effect of the deselection process during pre-service training, especially in light of the military draft and Vietnam War. Dolson was assigned to the village of Molino Cucho, population 250 people, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Dolson found only 3 people in his village who spoke Spanish as opposed to Aymara.

Keywords: Alaska; Antioch College; Anxiety; Anxious; Aymara (Language); Choices; Communication; Gender roles; Lake Titicaca (Peru and Bolivia); Language barriers; Letters; Local people; Locals; Military drafts; Molino Cucho (Bolivia); Norms; Peace Corps staff; Population; Pre-service training; Spanish (Language); Traveling; Vietnam War; Villages; Women

Subjects: Acculturation; Bolivia; Culture; Language and languages; Latin America; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Bolivia; Stress (Psychology); Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, what was your, um, daily, you know, activities like?

Segment Synopsis: Initially, Dolson focused on projects like raising chickens, rabbits, and growing small gardens. Dolson discovered that the local people knew more about gardening in the local climate than he did. Dolson describes how the chicken raising project, although small in scale, became successful.

Keywords: Activities; Adjustment; Animal husbandry; Changes; Food; La Paz (Bolivia); Local people; Locals; Problems

Subjects: Agriculture.; Bolivia; Finance; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Bolivia; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in horticulture; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, what were some of the cultural challenges?

Segment Synopsis: Dolson found that pre-service training had not prepared him for the discrimination to which the indigenous peoples of Bolivia were subjected. Government policy discouraged the use of indigenous languages, which was an obstacle for the Volunteers to assist the local people. Dolson contends that this contradiction was the basic reason that Peace Corps programs in Bolivia ended in 1971.

Keywords: Acclimation; Aymara (Language); Counterparts; Cultural differences; English (Language); Invitations; La Paz (Bolivia); Language barriers; Preparation; Rural areas; Spanish (Language)

Subjects: Acculturation; Bolivia; Language and culture; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Bolivia; Race discrimination; Race relations; Racism; South Africa; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Excuse me. One more quick comment about my, uh, placement in the Altiplano.

Segment Synopsis: Dolson describes his long-term involvements in Bolivia following his Volunteer service. Dolson comments that at his work site, efforts to remain healthy required so much time that they significantly detracted from time that could have been devoted to development projects. Dolson comments on how Peace Corps service in Bolivia has changed for the better.

Keywords: Career paths; Cell phones; Changes; Criticism; Distance; Doctors; Education programs; Family; Illness; Improvements; La Paz (Bolivia); Marriage; Molino Cucho (Bolivia); Peace Corps staff; Running water; Safety; Sickness; Support; Technology; Transportation; Traveling

Subjects: Altiplano; Bolivia; Emotions; Finance; Health; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Bolivia; United States. Agency for International Development; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, how was it with the Peace Corps staff?

Segment Synopsis: Dolson describes the administrative structure of the Peace Corps staff in Bolivia. After 6 months, Dolson was transferred to La Paz and acted as an adjunct to a Peace Corps staff member who was in charge of agricultural projects. Dolson helped to train and support other Volunteers and acted as a guide to visitors.

Keywords: Capabilities; Cohorts; Counterparts; Dental care; Doctors; Illness; La Paz (Bolivia); Language skills; Peace Corps directors; Peace Corps staff; Sickness; Support; Texas; Traveling; University of Utah

Subjects: Acclimation; Bolivia; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Bolivia; Universities and colleges; Voluntarism; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, um, earlier you mentioned, um, that you were able to go back to Bolivia, um, on other projects. So, were you employed by the World Bank?

Segment Synopsis: Dolson describes his positions which brought him back to Bolivia after his Volunteer service. Dolson goes into some of the differences which caused friction between him and his counterparts in Bolivia.

Keywords: Career paths; Changes; Difficult; Disappointment; Education programs; Evo Morales; Funding; Improvements; Literacy; Partnerships; Perspectives; Politics and government; Problems; Quechua (Language); Rural areas; Traveling; World Bank

Subjects: Bolivia; Finance; Intercultural communication; International travel; Interpersonal relations; Language and languages; Non-governmental organizations; United Nations Children's Fund; United States. Agency for International Development

Partial Transcript: So, when you came back to the U.S., um, what was that like?

Segment Synopsis: Shortly after returning to the U.S., Dolson joined the Teacher Corps for 2 years and became a bilingual teacher. Dolson also went on to earn a master's degree in education and became a school administrator. Ultimately, Dolson retired as Director of the Bilingual Office at the California Department of Education.

Keywords: California; Career paths; College majors; Coming home; Master's degrees; Retirement; Returning; Self-confidence; Teacher Corps; Traveling; Ventura County (Calif.)

Subjects: International travel; Peace Corps (U.S.); Teachers; Teaching; Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: The, the Peace Corps was such a important aspect of my life at the time and ever since.

Segment Synopsis: Dolson says that his Peace Corps service had a tremendous impact on his professional and personal life. Dolson ended up marrying a Bolivian who was an accountant at the Peace Corps office. Dolson says that his Peace Corps service was the springboard for his desire to bring about positive social change which manifested itself, in part, in his becoming an advocate for bilingual education.

Keywords: Azore Islands (Portugal); Azores; California; Career paths; Education programs; Family; Identity; Impact; Marriage; Peace Corps offices; Peace Corps staff; Personal growth; Perspectives; Traveling

Subjects: Bolivia; Emigration and immigration; Immigrants; International travel; Interpersonal relations; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Bolivia; United States. Agency for International Development; Voluntarism; Volunteers