Tips for the Fulbright to Peru

For those that might be applying for the Fulbright Scholar award to Peru, here is some advice:

• In the research proposal, pick out a very specific research question that can be described in one to two sentences.
  
• In the research proposal, include a specific time line of how you will carry out the research
  
• In the research proposal, explain how doing this research will help you in the future and how your individual research will contribute to the overall field and you future
  
• Make sure that your project is doable within the time line set
  
• Have a few people review your application, not dozens of people
  
• Consult other Fulbright winners as your write your application
  
• Make your personal statement unique, tell a story
  
• Check to make sure your are following the guidelines set out by IIE
  

Peruvian Sheepherders in Colorado

Is a modern day form of indentured servitude happening on the western slopes of Colorado? According many groups that work with sheepherders - including the Colorado Legal Services, yes. Most sheepherders in Colorado are Peruvian. The New York Times reports:

Sheepherding has long occupied the bottom rung of migrant labor. Most borregueros speak no English; many have only a vague idea of where they are and no knowledge of their legal rights as documented immigrants. The herders enter the country under the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program, which allows companies to hire foreigners if no Americans want their jobs.

Of seven sheepherders interviewed, four said they had not been paid, despite being on the job up to eight months. Current and former sheepherders told of contracting tick-borne illnesses and also of sustaining serious injuries after being thrown from horses. Rarely, they said, did they receive prompt medical treatment.

Virtually all the herders agreed that their working and living conditions were worse than in their home countries but that they needed the money. Wages here, they said, ranged from slightly to significantly more than they earned in South America.

Last year, Colorado Legal Services filed six complaints with the department on behalf of sheepherders, accusing ranchers of providing abysmal working conditions. In one, a sheepherder said he became so hungry that he ate part of a rotting elk carcass. According to the complaint, his boss accused him of poaching the animal and dropped him off at a local immigration office for deportation. A federal agent there took pity on the man, bought him lunch and helped him contact the state labor department, the complaint said.

2009-2010 Fulbrighters in Peru

In 2009 and 2010, fourteen Fulbright winners will travel to Peru to pursue a wide variety of projects that promote cultural exchange in diverse ways. We will post about our adventures here – including tips for applying to the Fulbright in Peru, interesting articles about the country, stories about our research and who we are as individuals, and of course about our experiences!