Interview with Rudy Salinas, March 9, 2021

Interview Summary

Rudy Salinas served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia from 1962 to 1964 and as Peace Corps recruiter in several colleges from 1964-to 1965. In Medellin, he trained physical education teachers in an industrial school how to use low organization games such as relay races. He then became a Volunteer Leader for the Northern Region teaching these techniques to fellow volunteers and teachers. Salinas talks about how his many friendships with Colombians and fellow volunteers contributed to his success. He discusses the profound influence that Reverend William Sloane Coffin had on his life, including his joining the Peace Corps. He talks about growing up as a “poor Chicano from East LA,” including a wrongful arrest by the Los Angeles Police Department and the many developmental opportunities afforded him, including participation in Crossroads Africa, Encampment for Citizenship and other programs. He discusses Colombians’ grief at President Kennedy’s assassination and friendships with leftwing anti-American students. He reflects on learning about differences among Hispanic cultures, the many prejudices held by people throughout the world and his lifework to address these wrongs.

Interview Keyword

Colombia (Country of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Education 1962-1964 (Date of service) 1964-1965 (Date of service) Hispanic Americans Outward Bound Training John F. Kennedy Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Anti-American sentiment Colombian history William Sloane Coffin Harold Isaacs Spanish (Language) Medellin (Colombia) Quibdo (Colombia) Texas Western College Latinx Puerto Rico Diversity in the Peace Corps

Interview LC Subject

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