Interview with Aditya Banerjee, September 21, 2020

Interview Summary

Aditya Banerjee served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal from 2015 to 2017 in the Agriculture Program. Aditya’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from India. Due to his father’s work with World Bank, Aditya lived in several countries. He joined Peace Corps at age 28, after gaining work experience that included international development. Peace Corps Senegal language, culture, and technical training was conducted in Thies, and included Wolof language. Aditya was posted to the town of Bakel, in eastern Senegal, where he worked with locals on a number of agriculture projects. The interview includes discussion of motivations for joining Peace Corps, training, experiences living and working in a remote town, and interactions with Somalians at his training and work sites. He provides insights into interacting with other cultures, and the need for “cultural fluency.” It also includes his views on the value of Peace Corps service.

Interview Keyword

Senegal (Country of service) 2015-2017 (Date of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Agriculture Peace Corps (U.S.)--2010-2020 First generation Americans Asian Americans Wolof (Language) Thies (Training site) Bakel (Volunteer site) Asia Society Indian Americans

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Senegal 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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Interview Usage

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