The other week I received an amazing e-mail from a complete stranger. A woman named Dee contacted me to let me know that she had a Los Angeles Times newspaper clipping from 1967 that mentioned my grandpa, Ernest Fukuda who was the first Japanese-American to be employed by the LA Department of Water and Power.

Dee wrote that her mother had saved articles that she found interesting and that Dee had recently discovered this clipping among her mother’s things. After reading this story about a ballot measure that my grandfather helped petition for, Dee was curious to learn of the outcome. She did a search and found my post about my grandpa about how he helped the amendment to pass so that Japanese-American LA DWP employees who were removed from their jobs during the WW2 internment would receive years of continuous service toward their retirement plan. Dee was so kind to scan in the article and also send it to me in the mail!

My grandpa was an inspiring man and my family is so thrilled to have this piece of our history. And Dee and her mother's kindness and generosity have inspired me, my family and friends and that is what Heart is Hot is all about! Thanks again, Dee!