Recent Acquisitions

Albuquerque's Asian Heritage

THE EXHIBITION, COURAGE AND COMPASSION: OUR SHARED STORY OF THE JAPANESE AMERICAN WORLD WAR

II EXPERIENCE, presented in the Keleher Gallery in 2019, focused on the history of Japanese Americans in Albuquerque. And it was also the exhibition that prompted Geri and Dennis Miyoshi to donate two framed family crests to the Albuquerque Museum History Collection.

These stunning artifacts are each made from 1,000 folded origami cranes, and measure 24 inches. Each crane is made from a single sheet of origami gold-foil paper. One crest features chrysanthemum and the other features gentian leaves encasing a flower-like family emblem.

Family crests made in this way are a popular Japanese American tradition in honor of 50th wedding anniversaries. “This is a particularly exciting acquisition because we would like to build our collection of Asian American historical objects as they relate to our community,” says Leslie Kim, curator of history. “We don’t have many objects like this that enable us to tell the stories of Asian Americans.”

The Miyoshis moved to Albuquerque in the late 1960s as newlyweds when Dennis secured a job as a physicist at Sandia National Laboratory. They have lived here since, raising two daughters and bringing both sets of their parents to Albuquerque. The crests were presented to Geri and Dennis’ parents on their 50th wedding anniversaries, in 1990 and 1991. The family folded every crane in the two crests and had them finished in Hawaii, where such crests are particularly popular.

When Geri visited the Courage and Compassion exhibition in 2019, she thought the crests would make a good addition to the Museum’s chronicle of Asian Americans in New Mexico. In research files included as part of the donation, Geri wrote, “…We would be honored to share these crest art pieces with the Albuquerque community to offer a glimpse into some of the culture and tradition of a Japanese American family.”

Unidentified artist, dates unknown; Kauai County, Hawaii Ouchi Family Crest, 1991, mounted and framed origami Albuquerque Museum, gift of Geri and Dennis Miyoshi, PC2021.20.1

Unidentified artist, dates unknown; Kauai County, Hawaii Miyoshi Family Crest, 1990, mounted and framed origami Albuquerque Museum, gift of Geri and Dennis Miyoshi PC2021.20.2