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LT: Well, let's talk about your early life. Your parents were Fred and Mabel Ring, and they were very active in the Seattle community. Can you talk about their roles and their activities?

ED: Well, to begin with, they were active in their Baptist church, and whatever they did came from that activity. They got acquainted with a group called, it was a group where a number of races in the group met together, and I should know that name as well as my own, but I don't at the moment. You'll find it in some history, I'm sure.

LT: Was this the Fellowship of Reconciliation?

ED: That was one of them, but it's not the one I'm talking about. They went to, say, three or four different groups that included people of different races, and one that they were active in was a group that met on Sunday evenings in somebody's home I believe. I don't recall that it was in another church, but I think it was in people's homes, and they invited people of different races to supper on that occasion.

LT: And what was the goal of these groups?

ED: What was...

LT: What was the goal of these groups, and what was the goal that your parents set out in participating?

ED: To get acquainted and to enjoy each other, I think.

LT: And also then inviting those from other races to participate?

ED: Yes.

LT: And also inviting others from different races to participate?

ED: Oh, yes. They invited people of other races, and any other thing to say about that, I don't know that there were people from other national groups, I don't recall that.

LT: Well, it's clear from reading your parents' papers, which they donated to the University of Washington archives, that they really had very different views of Asian Americans and those from other ethnic groups. Can you talk about that and their beliefs?

ED: Not particularly. They didn't talk about it in my presence, at least, so I don't think of it as anything terribly important.

LT: When you were growing up, what did you see your parents doing or saying or particular activities?

ED: Well, they certainly took a position and were active in their Baptist church. At some point they may have done something with the YMCA, but I'm not positive about that, and I couldn't tell you what it was.

LT: Okay, that's okay. And what did your parents do for a living?

ED: My friends?

LT: Your parents. What did they do for a living?

ED: They were mostly other chiropractors.

LT: And your father and your mother were both chiropractors?

ED: Yes, they were.

LT: Okay. So your parents were busy professionals, they were active in the community, they were inviting others from other ethnic groups to participate. As a little girl growing up, what did you see and how did that affect your childhood.

ED: It just was. [Laughs] I mean, that was what they were busy doing. And occasionally the groups met in somebody's home, once in a while in our home.

LT: Okay. So that was, you were a kid and that's what you did and that's what you saw your parents doing.

ED: Right.

LT: All right.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2014 Densho. All Rights Reserved.