The book that led President Kennedy to create the United States Peace Corps
The book, “The Ugly American,” written by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick in 1958, is commonly cited as the book that led former United States President John F. Kennedy to create the U.S. Peace Corps in 1961. The book's portrayal of American diplomats in Southeast Asia failing to connect with local communities underscored the need for the United States to take an alternative approach to international relations.
I was gifted this book by a former Peace Corps Trainee during my training and it allowed me to compare the ideas in the book to the concepts I was being taught by the Peace Corps staff. The Peace Corps staff emphasized many of the ideas that were present in the book; however, I was able to gain a stronger understanding of the importance of modest and intentional work in other countries.
The book discussed a seemingly common theme among those working with Americans abroad — Americans in other countries tend to live more lavishly and carelessly outside the United States, which makes them less palatable to foreigners. However, foreigners in the United States largely accepted Americans for their work ethic and kindness. This discrepancy in Americans worldwide was unfavorable for the United States during its fight against communism, as evident in the book.
Nonetheless, Kennedy saw the potential for American citizens to make a positive impact abroad through cultural exchange, grassroots development, and an overall effort for Americans to understand people in other countries. However, I would also argue that the Peace Corps was created as a soft form of propaganda to counteract the behavior of diplomats. Whether or not that remains the case is something I won’t speculate on.
After reading “The Ugly American,” I could see the embodiment of the lessons from the book through the mission and goals of the Peace Corps, and I would encourage anyone interested in this line of work to read the book. However, "The Ugly American" also provided me with a new lens of judgment for development agencies, including the Peace Corps.
I have found that the Peace Corps values the relationships we make more than the projects we complete. For example, I am an agriculture volunteer, and I have been trained in countless agricultural practices since I have been in Cameroon. Still, I am by no means an expert, and I am not going to be able to solve all of the agricultural issues in my community. However, I am encouraged to work with local agricultural experts to solve problems.
Though our projects are incredibly important, I appreciate the emphasis that the Peace Corps places on our goals two and three: (2) to share our understanding of those we serve to the American people and (3) to allow those we serve to understand the American people. As I come to know and love the people of Cameroon, I have recognized that as citizens of “the West” in a country that has and continues to be exploited by “Westerners,” we need to prove ourselves as agents of change and not agents of further exploitation. Therefore, and as made prevalent in the book, those who intend to do good must understand the power of showing people a new concept instead of telling them about it.
For example, in the book, an American couple started canning in their home in a small village in Southeast Asia. When the people of the community saw that the Americans were eating produce past the season for that produce, they began to ask questions. From there, the American couple was able to share their knowledge on canning with community members, eventually leading to the entire village being known for its canning. I believe this story, along with many others throughout “The Ugly American,” is the epitome of what the Peace Corps hopes from its volunteers.
Similarly, the story of the couple in Burma highlights that catalysts for change in countries worldwide are often not found in major cities. They are found in smaller towns where ideas are challenging to catch on to, but they spread fast once their effectiveness has been proven. For this reason, the Peace Corps sends volunteers to small communities, which often have no more than a few thousand citizens. My village, for example, has less than 1,000 inhabitants.
In addition, Peace Corps Cameroon encourages agriculture volunteers to create demo gardens to grow crops. We are also encouraged to farm frequently and within the view of others so that our techniques are visible to community members. The idea is that others will see our crops and ask questions or request help for their gardens. Thus, providing an outlet to share knowledge and improve agricultural practices in the community without ideas being pushed onto community members.
I do believe the Peace Corps is conscious of its impact. Through my research on the Peace Corps, I have observed that, for the most part, if they know better, they will do better.
However, no development organization is devoid of making decisions that negatively impact communities, and I will speak on them as I see them. For example, a common theme in the book is that if an individual aims to live and work in another country and be accepted by its members, they should have adequate skills to communicate with those people.
Though the Peace Corps has historically had a language requirement for most countries, the requirements have been reduced since COVID-19 to get more volunteers back into the field — which I understand and respect. However, these reductions should not be made at the expense of the people who will be served.
For example, I studied Spanish in college but was placed in Cameroon, a predominantly French-speaking country with some English. During my first three months in Cameroon, I took over 100 hours of French lessons to get me to an intermediate-mid level of French, which is the minimum language proficiency to swear in as a volunteer. With my current understanding of French, I can get around in my community, but I do not feel competent enough to instruct farmers on good agricultural practices in French, which is my primary assignment.
Despite this shortfall, the Peace Corps does allow volunteers the first three months of service to conduct a needs assessment and to integrate into our communities before beginning our projects. I find this idea to align well with the lessons in “The Ugly American,” and I believe it provides volunteers with time to improve their language skills before they need to use them in a professional setting.
As I continue my service, I plan to revisit the ideas in “The Ugly American” to reflect on my experiences in the Peace Corps. The stories throughout “The Ugly American” serve as a reminder that actual change lies in listening, learning, and adapting rather than imposing one's values. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in international relations and making a positive impact abroad.
If you have read the book or want to discuss the ideas I have mentioned, I encourage you to use the Forum feature for "The Ugly American."
I see my girl hasn’t lost her paper writing skills!