Interview with Ruth Rosas, August 6, 2020

Interview Summary

Ruth Rosas served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji from 2015 through 2018, in the Youth Development Program. Rosas was born in Mexico and migrated to the U.S. as a child. She first heard of Peace Corps in an elementary school history lesson. She met a Fiji RPCV while volunteering with Chicago Cares. He inspired her to apply to Peace Corps, and select Fiji. She was one of two Latinx volunteers in her training cohort. She lived with a host family in Naimasimasi village during training. Her permanent assignment was in the city of Lautoka, an ethnically diverse urban community, where she taught at an all-girl high school. Her secondary projects included conducting educational sessions on waste management, and helping to start a bicycle club. She was able to arrange for a shipment of bicycles from the U.S. This interview includes discussion of training, assignment, travels throughout Fiji, and contrasts between assignment in an urban vs. rural area.

Interview Keyword

Peace Corps (U.S.)--2010-2020 Fiji (Country of service) Fijian (Language) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Youth in Development Youth development Mexico (Birthplace) Mexican Americans Immigrants First generation Americans Latinx Cancer survivors Chicago Cares (volunteer organization) Host family Naimasimasi, Fiji Lautoka, Fiji Reproductive health Cycling clubs Cycle tours Suva, Fiji Waste management Extended tours Urban assignments Diversity in the Peace Corps

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Bicycles Fiji Naimasimasi (Fiji) Lautoka (Fiji) Sex instruction Sexual health Sex educators Cycling Suva (Fiji)

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.