Each story begins with a single letter.
The Fudeko Project helps Japanese American former incarcerees share their stories with loved ones.
We send you weekly prompts. You pick one and respond via email or letter. We compile your responses online so you can share them with family and friends. At the end of a year, you get a booklet, a physical record of your work.
I saw firsthand how my grandmother, Fudeko Tsuji Maruyama, struggled to talk about her experiences at Jerome and Heart Mountain. Despite expressing an interest in recording her stories, she often shut down quickly as she began speaking. When I was in high school, she answered some questions for me via letter—that’s where the idea for this project originates.
The Fudeko Project creates bite-sized opportunities for storytellers to practice telling their stories, building up comfort bit by bit. It fits into your daily routine, uses familiar tools (like email and pre-stamped envelopes), and can be done from the comfort of your own home. We're registering our first cohort now. We hope you'll join us on this adventure—when you're ready, you can sign up below.