"Tsuru" = Japanese Crane
"Ori" = Fold
​"Gami" = Paper

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After Pearl Harbor was bombed, my family was forced to burn, bury, and turn over to authorities
all of their belongings that represented their
Japanese heritage. 

But the US government
couldn’t take away their craft.

My grandmother
taught me how to fold
Japanese origami cranes–representations of peace, health, and long life.
As a mixed-race woman
raising my own children,
I am trying to reclaim
the cultural heritage of my ancestors through origami cranes,
and use them to help
​recount their stories.

Photo credits: Lena Newlin
​Copyright 2024