| When I first met Mary Jane at the recent | | | | Denmark under the name Peace Builders and |
| Canadian-US Servas Conference in Vancouver, | | | | later changed to the Esperanto word Servas to |
| her youthful radiance struck me. I thought | | | | serve, I realized that the purpose of the |
| she might be in her early fifties, and then | | | | organization was to build peace one person at |
| she revealed that she is 70! No wonder - here | | | | a time. That was for me!I have had over 300 |
| is a woman who exudes optimism, who always | | | | Servas visitors in my 28 years in Servas and |
| has a smile on her face. As a long-term | | | | have learned so much from their questions |
| member of Servas in the United States, Mary | | | | about who I am, what I believe, what the USA |
| Jane has travelled the world, and by being a | | | | is or is not, and how much more there is to |
| host she has brought the world into her home | | | | learn. There are many ways to travel and see |
| - in fact in almost 30 years she has opened | | | | other places. One of the best ways to travel |
| her home to around 300 travellers from all | | | | is through the open wide ranging |
| over the world.Starting with her childhood | | | | conversations with a travelers whether it be |
| during WWII, growing up with a mother from | | | | in their home or mine.3. Please tell us a few |
| Austria-Hungary and a father from Japan, Mary | | | | stories about some of the international |
| Jane's intercultural sensitivities got | | | | visitors that have stayed at your home or |
| sharpened very early, and her commitment to | | | | travellers you connected with, and tell us |
| social justice started when she was very | | | | how some of these experiences have opened |
| young. Today she is involved in a whole range | | | | your eyes..The Russian Connection: |
| of causes in San Francisco and her time and | | | | |
| dedication are making a difference - Mary | | | | One of my visitors was a teacher in Russia |
| Jane builds peace one person at a time. Here | | | | and wanted to see inside a San Francisco |
| is a dynamic woman with a truly interesting | | | | public school. I arranged for him to visit a |
| story:1. Please tell us a little bit about | | | | second grade class. The students |
| yourself. Where are you from, what is your | | | | enthusiastically welcomed him. He pulled up a |
| profession, where do you live now?I was born | | | | bill out of his wallet and showed it to the |
| and raised in Pennsylvania. My parents were | | | | class. He asked the class who the man was. |
| college educated but were looked down upon by | | | | Many hands went up and he discovered that |
| the locals as foreigners. My father was | | | | they all thought the person to be Abraham |
| prevented from becoming a citizen due to the | | | | Lincoln, because he was on money and had a |
| federal 1924 Asian Exclusion Act until the | | | | beard. But, no it was Lenin who was also |
| early 1950 when the law was changed.Mary | | | | famous but in Russia. And where is Russia? |
| JaneMy mother lost her citizenship because in | | | | Here on the map was Russia and here is San |
| the 1920s when my parents were married, a | | | | Francisco. I came away with a conscious |
| woman who married a foreign man would loose | | | | awaking about my cultural lens. As I look at |
| her citizenship, no matter if she was a birth | | | | different situations as I travel, I may not |
| right citizen or a naturalized one. This was | | | | perceive them correctly. I need to reflect, |
| not the case for men. Thus, my mother was | | | | discuss what I think I perceive and ask for |
| naturalized twice. This law was eventually | | | | clarification. |
| changed in the 1930s. Citizenship and human | | | | |
| rights became an important issues in my | | | | Discovering antique quilts at Esprit, of all |
| life.As a first generation American, with a | | | | places: |
| mother from Austria-Hungary and a father from | | | | |
| Japan, you can imagine the stares we received | | | | A Servas visitor from Australia, was an |
| as a mixed race family with a 5' 10" | | | | artist who wanted to see the wall hangings at |
| Caucasian mother and a 5' 6" Asian dad. You | | | | Esprit, a women's clothes designer and |
| can't imagine how we were treated growing up | | | | distributor. I said I did not think they had |
| during W.W.II with a German speaking mother | | | | quilts but would call to see if we could |
| and a Japanese speaking father.As a child, I | | | | visit them. Much to my surprise, the company |
| was familiar with discrimination in society. | | | | headquarters was filled with antique quilts, |
| When a very blue black Kenyan and a Japanese | | | | the company provided a catalogue of their |
| American from the Relocation Camps could not | | | | quilts which could be purchased and there |
| find a place to rent in the | | | | were open visiting hours. No, there was no |
| Philadelphia-Trenton area, they came to live | | | | publicity about this display and the company |
| with us. And there were others that stayed | | | | preferred word of mouth. When we visited, I |
| with us over the years, but that was before | | | | did not know as we walked through the large |
| the 1964 Civil Right Act disallowed | | | | brick walled building whether to look at the |
| discrimination.Although I wanted to be an | | | | fabulous quilts or at how the company |
| engineer like my dad, I realized after my | | | | headquarters was organized. I realized that |
| second year in college that this would not be | | | | these quilts were made by women and were such |
| possible. In the 1950 women were not | | | | designs as white on white squares that would |
| considered for engineering jobs. So when the | | | | be seen at the Museum of Modern Art a hundred |
| Russians launched Sputnik, the United States | | | | or so years later. I realized that my visitor |
| launched a recruitment drive for math and | | | | had shown me part of San Francisco that I was |
| science majors to become teachers.That is how | | | | completely unaware of, but thanks to her I |
| I was recruited into the education profession | | | | learned about them. When the company was |
| where I have worked for over 35 years. I had | | | | sold, the quilts were donated to a museum for |
| many roles related to education in public and | | | | all to see.Learning about Tajikistan: |
| private schools, at the university level and | | | | |
| with the US Department of Education -- | | | | One of my most recent Servas visitors was |
| teaching, educational program evaluation, | | | | from Tajikistan. I must say I did not know |
| gender equity/civil rights/ | | | | anything about this country or even where the |
| de-segregation-integration, grant writing, | | | | country was on the map. So I went to the |
| budgeting and administration. Today, I am | | | | World Fact Book developed by the CIA. Yes, |
| retired, but still work part time as a Title | | | | the CIA which offers very current country |
| I math tutor to enable low achieving children | | | | specific information freely on line. I |
| to become successful in their regular | | | | learned that it was in Central Asia and |
| classrooms.I live in San Francisco which has | | | | formerly part of the Soviet Union. When the |
| a rich history of civil right activism and | | | | Soviet Union left, there was no structure of |
| provides many opportunities to support peace | | | | government. Tajikistan was destabilized by |
| and social justice issues. My life is | | | | civil war which has resulted in tremendous |
| enriched by my many volunteer activities.2 | | | | personal losses, economic crisis, deep |
| You have been a Servas member for many years | | | | poverty and other social problems. Tajikistan |
| now. How did you hear about this organization | | | | had the lowest per capita GDP of all the 15 |
| and what was your first travel experience | | | | former Soviet Republics. Muborak, my guest |
| like?As a teacher you have a large block of | | | | said that many have left Tajikistan for |
| time to travel in the summer. One summer, I | | | | safety and economic reasons and they send |
| visited Denmark and had the opportunity to | | | | money home. For those that remain, the |
| have home hospitality though the Meet the | | | | economy is very poor--the teachers receive $2 |
| Danes arranged by the Danish tourist bureau. | | | | per month, the physicians $5 per month and |
| I was impressed by the experience and all | | | | the public servants do not always receive |
| during my sabbatical trip round the world, I | | | | their government pay checks. Under these |
| kept searching for home hospitality | | | | conditions, bad things are happening.The |
| opportunities.It was not until 1977, when a | | | | whole interview with photos is published at |
| cousin from Austria visited me here in San | | | | Travel and Transitions - InterviewsSusanne |
| Francisco, told me how she was traveling | | | | Pacher is the publisher of a website called |
| around the US for 3 months with 5 others and | | | | Travel and Transitions( Travel and |
| visiting Americans using Servas. I was | | | | Transitions deals with unconventional travel |
| delighted to discover such an organization | | | | and is chock full of advice, tips, real life |
| existed and joined Servas immediately -- | | | | travel experiences, interviews with |
| first as a host and then as a traveler.My | | | | travellers and travel experts, insights and |
| first travel experience with Servas was as a | | | | reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests |
| host. Because I have a history of having | | | | and many other features. You will also find |
| people stay in my home, having Servas | | | | stories about life and the transitions that |
| visitors came easy. It is only a two night | | | | we face as we go through our own personal |
| stay and a good conversation. Being a host | | | | life-long journeys.Submit your own travel |
| brings the travel experience into your home. | | | | stories in our first travel story contest( |
| My first visitors were a couple from Denmark, | | | | and have a chance to win an amazing adventure |
| who helped me better understand what Servas | | | | cruise on the Amazon River. |
| represents. Because Servas was started in | | | | |