Historical Afghan diaries
A people's history, recorded by the people who lived it.
Archive photograph
Photo · upcoming
Why this matters
History leaves the room with every elder.
The diaries project began as a quiet effort to slow that loss — to sit with grandparents and parents, turn on a recorder, and ask them to talk about how they got here, what they carried, and what they hope their grandchildren will know.
Some entries are written. Some are audio. Some are video. All of them, eventually, will live here in a searchable archive so the next generation has a place to begin.
The archive
A small selection of in-progress entries.
Placeholder cards while we build the archive interface — full transcripts, audio, and family-submitted photos will land here.
Late 1970s
Departures
An elder, recorded 2024
Full entry coming soon.
Early 1980s
Refugee camps in Pakistan
A father, recorded 2023
Full entry coming soon.
1985
First Saturday in Northern Virginia
A mother, recorded 2024
Full entry coming soon.
1992
Founding the academy
A board member, recorded 2025
Full entry coming soon.
Late 1990s
Growing up between two languages
A graduate, recorded 2025
Full entry coming soon.
2021
The August evacuation
A new arrival, recorded 2024
Full entry coming soon.