"To see how hard they worked is something I will never forget, and to know where my family came from, what they went through in the internment camps, to see what they believed as far as treating people and treating yourself and your life, that will always stay with me."
Yutaka Tanaka, Fowler's maternal grandfather, was six when, with his mother and aunt, he became one of more than 100,000 people of Japanese heritage living on the United States' Pacific coast who were forced into war relocation camps.
Yutaka is Fowler's middle name and when he was three it was his grandfather who introduced him to the game on a run-down range east of Los Angeles. So Rickie would swing away, becoming submerged in the process, while Yutaka would recount the stories of his own torrid youth.
"Of course it left an impression," Fowler said. "How couldn't it?"
It left a humble work ethic, which was fostered by watching his father, Rod, bringing sand and gravel from his building sites to the range to exchange for balls. "We kind of always had to earn our way," Fowler said. "But my mom would always say that if you continue to play golf and always work at that I'm not going to make you get a job. I've never had to work - as I get to play golf all the time now."
Fowler brings elan with an edge to his profession. If his working-class background is similar to that of McIlroy - whose parents took on multiple jobs to finance him through the amateur scene - then so too is the joy he brings.
Like McIlroy, it is tempting to watch his slight 1.75m frame jaunt down the fairway and believe that it all comes so easily. Little wonder he was billed as "the American Rory" when he played his first Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor four years ago, The pair had already faced off at the Walker Cup, three years before and in McIlroy's backyard of Royal County Down Fowler had been the star in the visiting team's victory.
"That was the start of it for us two," Fowler said. "Both of us being 25, we've got a long way to go."
It did not quite work out for him at Celtic Manor, despite an astonishing fightback against Edoardo Molinari earning the half which so almost pushed Corey Pavin's team over the line.
But with top-five finishes in each of this year's majors, and, indeed, with his history of standing up to McIlroy, there is plenty for a concerned European to suspect this could be case of murder most Fowler.
He began working with Butch Harmon last year and overhauled his swing. It was a brave call and one that has paid dramatic dividends this season.
Fowler is now perfectly happy to put himself up there alongside McIlroy, even in this intense arena. "It definitely won't be the last Ryder Cup we will play against each other and the more times we can match up and have some good battles then the better," Fowler said.
"I think we can have a chance of going back and forth for a long time. I have a little catching up to do, because he's got the best of me a few times. But both times I've won he's finished second and I'll see if I can knock off a few wins. It will be fun to have a few matches, especially at the Ryder Cup this year."
Fowler can hardly be called McIlroy's equal. McIlroy has four majors and despite becoming the first player in history to finish in the top-five in each of the year's four majors without winning one, Fowler has none. McIlroy has 15 professional wins to Fowler's two. But as the latter pointed out both of these came at the expense of the former - in 2011 in Korea and at 2012 at Quail Hollow.
Furthermore, Fowler pushed McIlroy harder than anyone at the Open - "I kept him honest," Fowler said - and was also at his heels at the US PGA Championship.
Fowler could always do it on the day, but the stunning improvement in consistency terms since he joined up with Harmon has created great excitement of a burgeoning rivalry.
"Yeah, between me and Rory there's definitely the possibility of something big developing. It's fun with him and I being buddies," Fowler said. "We can still go home and play and practise together and then get to the course and want to beat up on each other as bad as possible."
Fowler and McIlroy are close. They exchange banter on social media and dollars in practice rounds. But then, Fowler is a friend to everyone and that is why he could emerge as a Ryder Cup stallion. Even Bubba Watson refers to him as "my little brother" - and Watson is not the fraternal type.
The Americans took Fowler to their heart in Gwent, particularly when he fell foul of the rule book, conceding a penalty in his foursomes with Jim Furyk, which ultimately cost them the win against Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer.
In that match, he learned the hard way about partisanship in the Ryder Cup. He took a drop which the supporters on site knew was erroneous, but neglected, at the time, to mention.
"Obviously the fans didn't tell me until afterwards, but that's fine, I can't blame them, Fowler said. "They're not actually in a position where they had to tell me. It was a mistake and a lesson learned. It won't happen again."
Fowler is too nice and too wise to hold a grudge. "I love playing in the US but it's awesome playing overseas. Playing in front of your home fans is playing in front of your home fans, but over there the fans appreciate good golf. Over there they respect the game and seem to be more knowledgeable about it. Not that they're going to cheer for us very loudly, but they will applaud a good shot."
Silence would be golden for Fowler, just as it would be for the rest of American golf. After the Miracle of Medinah, they yearn for the "Get even at Gleneagles".
"I obviously didn't make that team but it was still tough watching that last day, tough to see the guys have to go through that. I know the feeling of not winning, being there in '10," Fowler said. "The last 15 years it feels like Europe has dominated. We are the underdogs and the team is definitely going over with a chip on their shoulder.
"I'm telling you we are ready to go and fight and get that cup back. We'll grind our socks off to do it." Whether those socks are emblazoned in stars or stripes or not.
