<Begin Segment 47>

DG: Why do you think they became Lions instead of Kiwanis or Rotary?

GF: Well, I think the service. Kiwanis and Rotary are -- this was what I hear and I'm not sure because I never did go into that. They tied work into their, to help promote their business. Lions is not... see, we don't talk about business. We're not supposed to talk anything about --

DG: So it's not a networking place.

GF: You are not supposed to talk, that "I'm a lawyer," or, "I'm a doctor." We don't say these things. We're there to help people. And whatever you are, you might be a farmer, you might be a beggar, I don't care. But you're all out there to help people and that is the thing that I think the Nisei people sought. So that's what I thought. I'm not going into promote my business or anything like that. I like to whatever we can do, we can help the people that are in need and I think that's...

DG: There must have been some social reason to get together.

GF: Oh, there is a social reason, too, yes, but we don't say a social group. That's taboo. We're there to help. I know like the Kiwanis is more a social group. They get together and we're not supposed to say that we're social group. We're there to serve, that is our main purpose that we get together. They're a social group, too. Just like myself, I go there and I get to know all these other people, which makes it nice. Otherwise, I'm a stranger in this town. I haven't been here too long.

DG: But see, there aren't that many different organizations with Niseis that are like that.

GF: Uh-huh.

<End Segment 47> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.