<Begin Segment 17>

SF: What were some of the things that you did in that period to sort of actualize your values and your thinking at that time?

RI: Well, you know, again, I don't think it was so unique. Not only Vietnam stuff, where I played -- I would play my guitar and sing at these rallies. I think I led the only organized, and led the only demonstration and march on a Buddhist temple in Hawaii. Where the 442 was stationed at the YBA -- this was their clubhouse. Many of them were from Buddhist backgrounds. And every year Memorial Day was a big observance for them. They all wore their uniforms and their badges in memory of the fallen during World War II basically. And this particular year they invited Senator Dan Inouye to be the keynote speaker. And I thought, "This is a great opportunity to, to voice opposition to the war." Here with -- all the newspapers will be there and everything. So I said, "But, how am I going to do this?" So, I remember, I went to the university and just kind of organized a lot of mainland hippie types who wanted to march anyway. And from the university went all the way through town, and came up -- there's a tunnel that comes right up into the Honganji -- and as we emerged from that tunnel the YBA, 442 were, they were in shock seeing this. And they said, "Call the police," right? "Call the police and have these guys arrested." But then some said, "But the bishop's son is in front of 'em. You can't do that!" And so there's this great confusion, and just kept coming forward until I, I reached Senator Inouye. I still remember offering him the open letter of protest, and offering my hand to shake, and realizing at that time that he didn't have a right arm. I still remember that. And so we did it this way. [Demonstrates handshake] And then after we presented, we left. But, it was things like that, you know, picketing for the UFW against all the supermarkets there. And here, I married a grape grower's daughter [Laughs] from the Fresno area, right? So, there was great tension in our family gatherings. But those type of things, doing a lot of things at the University of Hawaii as far as supporting activist organizations and fund raising, and even sponsored a rock concert at the amphitheater there to raise funds for a Tibetan Buddhist group that needed funding to bring their teacher. Again, I was raised nonsectarian -- not just to support Japanese, or JoudoShin. But if I saw a Tibetan Buddhist, say, "Hey, we have to do this." We sponsored a rock concert complete with all the pot smoking and everything. [Laughs] I hadn't asked for that -- just came along with it. [Laughs] So those type of things that you just do again without real planning in response to what you perceive to be the needs at the time.

<End Segment 17> - Copyright © 1999 Densho. All Rights Reserved.