Interview with Andrew Reitz, January 13, 2021

Interview Summary

Andrew Reitz served as a Peace Corps volunteer in a rural infrastructure program in Ecuador from 1994-1996. He talks about joining the Peace Corps to break out of his somewhat insular and highly structured educational experience. He talks about the gradual process of learning a language and becoming acculturated to another culture, various cultural exchanges, and the close friendships he made, especially with the sons in his training host family. He also discusses the heady experience as a just-graduated engineer of serving as the Director of Potable Water for the Pedro Moncayo Canton and the work he and his team did to maintain and install water systems in the region. He talks about the culture shock of returning home, his life and work in Ecuador since Peace Corps, and that raising his dual nationality children as “citizens of world” is his major contribution to achieving Peace Corps' goals.

Interview Keyword

Ecuador (Country of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Rural Infrastructure 1994-1996 (Date of service) Cross-cultural exchange Peace Corps goals Pedro Moncayo Canton, Ecuador

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Ecuador Ecuador 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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