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