Interview with Wesley Mukoyama, July 13, 2021

Interview Summary

This is the first of two interviews with Wesley Mukoyama. He is a Japanese-American with an M.A. in Social Work who served in two Peace Corps staff roles. Before those jobs, Mukoyama was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania from 1965-1967, traveled in Asia, lived in Japan, and worked for the Veterans Administration. He describes his first staff role, in Western Samoa, as Assistant Director for Programs and Training, from 1979-1982. He talks of his work challenges, which included communicating with Peace Corps Volunteers in remote locations; of Polynesian culture; and of enjoying great family time with his wife and two sons. Returning to California. Mukoyama resumed his career with the V.A. He discusses his second staff position, in the Solomon Islands, where he was Country Director from 1998-2000. He describes the local economy and living conditions, and finishes by telling spell-binding stories of the challenges he faced in evacuating all Peace Corps staff and volunteers from the Solomon Islands during the revolution there in 2000.

Interview Keyword

Tanzania (Country of service) Peace Corps staff Japanese Americans Samoa (Country of service) 1979-1982 (Date of service) Solomon Islands (Country of service) 1998-2000 (Date of service) Peace Corps Program and Training Officers Peace Corps Country Directors Apia (Samoa) Honiara (Solomon Islands) Matai (Samoan family chief) Polynesian culture Pickaninny (Language) Malaita (a Solomon Islands tribe) Guadalcanal Island (Solomon Islands) Guadalcanal Liberation Army. Peace Corps Assistant Directors

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S) Peace Corps (U.S)--Samoa Samoa Peace Corps (U.S)--Solomon Islands Solomon Islands Peace Corps (U.S)--Tanzania Tanzania 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

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.