The Peace Corps Volunteer Program burst into the consciousness of the people of Micronesia at a time of economic and political development for the island communities. In the late 1960s, Micronesia, under the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or TTPI, was in the midst of transition. The United States aimed for a form of associated instead of immediate independence, while some residents began to demand for self-determination.
These island communities of Micronesia—the Mariana Islands (excluding Guam), Caroline Islands (now the Federated States of Micronesia), and Marshall Islands—welcomed the Peace Corps Volunteers in October 1966, five years after President John F. Kennedy signed the Peace Corps Act, which was to promote world peace and friendship.
TO HELP SHAPE ETERNITY. A feature of the teaching work of the Peace Corps Volunteer Program. This feature story captures the work in the West African country of Nigeria in the late 1960s.
(Photo Credit: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.)
As the Peace Corps Volunteers found their way into the island communities, their work was considered a much-needed support and fostered relationships between Americans and Micronesians during a period of transition.
Craig Severance, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Hawaii-Hilo, noted in his paper that the Peace Corps Volunteers were perceived as “better Americans” who would do good things for the Micronesians, contrasting with the civil service and Trust
Territorial personnel who were seen as aloof in their subsidized government housing.
The Peace Corps Volunteers came to Micronesia and “were able to be good in a humanitarian sense and were able to do good in the educational, political, social, and economic development arenas. In the process, their activities supported the expanded programs and raised expectations, particularly in the outer islands, which have helped keep the U.S. in Micronesia for good. [1]
The program would eventually capture the Pacific islanders that showed “the goodness and effectiveness of volunteers,” countering the “Ugly American” image. [2]
Their assignment in Micronesia was a unique part of the PCV program, where the PCV was invited to assist in an area administered by the United States. [3]
The duality of PCV’s tasks required ‘responsible awareness. [4]
In an island society, Peace Corps-Micronesia was highly visible, calling for extra awareness and fidelity to their role. This visibility was referred to as “the extra price of Paradise” by PCV Director for Micronesia John Pincetich in 1967.
In the first year of operation, the PCV brought a total of 458 volunteers to serve Micronesia. [5]
Over the years, a total of 259 volunteers served Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Agrigan, and Pagan.
In the Northern Mariana Islands, the volunteers were mostly young and optimistic, believing in their mission to contribute to the islands’ development while experiencing a culture far different from their own. [6]
“Volunteers and staff changed the islands, and the islands changed us.” [7]
The arrival of Peace Corps Volunteers was timely, as Saipan had recently been used as a training base for the CIA and was the seat of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. The 259 volunteers served for two to three years, with most returning to the U.S. mainland to continue their studies, work, and settle down. Some made their careers in the islands, continually serving and believing they could do more beyond their tour-of-duty.
From 1966, when the first Peace Corps volunteers set foot in the Northern Marianas, some of them married, started their families, and became part of the communities they served nearly sixty years ago today.
[1] P.59 – Being Better American and Doing it for Them: The Peace Corps in Micronesia (1981) by Craig J. Severance
[2] Ibid.
[3] Peace Corps of Micronesia Handbook (Message, P 1) by John Pincetich, Director/Micronesia, 1967
[4] Ibid.
[5] 2018 Association of Pacific Islands Legislature (APIL) Resolution No. 37-GA-16
[6] Accounts of PCV volunteers as retold in their reunion website, https://nmipcreunion.com/
[7] Ibid.
