Interview with George Gorayeb, October 14, 2020

Interview Summary

George Gorayeb served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco from 1971-1973, worked in the office responsible for staging at Peace Corps headquarters in 1974, and as deputy Peace Corps director in Yemen from 1975-1977. In the first year, he taught English in an all-boys Islamic Institute in Tetouan and in the second year in a co-ed school in Marrakech. He talks about the profound respect for Islam he gained as a Syrian- American Christian in Muslim countries and his challenges as an Arabic-speaking volunteer. He speaks about Peace Corps’ impact on peoples’ lives in Yemen; the impact of the cross-cultural relationships on volunteers and host-country nationals; and the impact service had on his life, including his career in international marketing and his Third Goal activities to educate Americans about Islam. He concludes with a heartfelt pitch about why people should join the Peace Corps.

Interview Keyword

Peace Corps staff Morocco (Country of service) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Education 1971-1973 (Date of service) Headquarters Peace Corps Staff Job: Deputy Director Islam Inter-cultural communication Tangier (Morocco) Third Goal activities Impact of Peace Corps on his career Reasons to join the Peace Corps Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) Yemen (Country of service) Diversity in the Peace Corps 1975-1977 (Date of service) 1974 (Date of service)

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco Yemen Morocco Peace Corps (U.S.)--Yemen 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

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