Interview with Lorraine Farinha "Lorie" Adams, October 30, 2020

Interview Summary

Lorraine Farinha "Lorie" Adams served as a Peace Corps volunteer as part of the Brazil I 4-H group from 1962-64. Afterwards, she was an Invitational Recruiter at San Francisco State and other colleges and worked in the Public Relations department at Peace Corps Headquarters from 1965-1967. She discusses dropping out of college to join the Peace Corps and describes training in Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and at a rural university in Brazil. She recounts experiences as a youth program volunteer in three sites in southern Brazil, including being expelled from Rio Grande do Sul by the governor who she says was anti-American and Santa Catarina because of non-cooperation by counterparts; and her 6-monhs in Rio do Sul. She talks about Peace Corps’ impact on helping Brazilians understand Americans’ diversity and increasing her own self-confidence. She discusses her continued involvement with the Peace Corps community and the importance of volunteerism and honoring people’s diverse paths.

Interview Keyword

Brazil (Country of service) 4-H (Peace Corps Program) 1962-1964 (Date of service) Peace Corps recruitment Early volunteer training practices Puerto Rico Kennedy inspiration Immigrant family Anti-Americanism Peace Corps impact Diversity in the Peace Corps Volunteerism Peace Corps staff Peace Corps Staff Job: Recruiter Hammarskjöld Training Center Peace Corps Volunteer Job: 4-H

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Brazil Brazil Acculturation Communication and culture Culture Culture shock Intercultural communication Interpersonal communication and culture Interpersonal relations Interpersonal relations and culture Language and culture Language and languages Lifestyles Manners and customs Voluntarism Volunteers

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