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MM: After leaving UH you went on to Tokai University.

RK: Well no, before that I was, I did some consulting work in Samoa and Micronesia and Puerto Rico. But I worked in the governor's office, John Waihee. And John, a relatively young university law school graduate, University of Hawaii law school graduate, was in the legislature and decided to run for governor. And I remember that, when John first approached me to help with the campaign, I said, "John, have you seen the poll figures?" He said, "Yeah, I know I'm way behind by thirty points or whatever, but we thought there was a chance." And he did get elected and he asked me to be one of his assistants. It was a very general assignment. I was one of several assistants and he said, "You help me in education and international -- national/international affairs." And supposedly I was part-time (but it) was a full-time job. But it was a very interesting task because I worked downtown in the middle of the city, got to know more of the business community and their views of the university. And also I accompanied the governor on most of his mainland trips. Two or three times a year there was a national governor's conference and I went along as one of his advisors and sat in on the meetings, wrote some of his responses and there I met interesting people like Dukakis and Clinton and got to know Washington, D.C. and also traveled to the governor of, made plans when he went to Japan to visit our sister cities, and when we went to Thailand, etcetera. I made his itinerary, prepared some of his speeches, and it was an interesting experience going around to all these different foreign countries. I went to Taiwan and meeting these different people. And so it was a very interesting time.

<End Segment 42> - Copyright © 2004 Japanese American National Museum. All Rights Reserved.