Hello Kitty in space And she's been a part of global popular culture ever since.
"When Hello Kitty arrived in the U.S. in the mid-1970s, it was a commodity mainly in Asian enclaves: Chinatowns, Japantowns, etc.," explains Yano. "In talking to Japanese Americans who grew up in the 1970s, they say, 'That figure means so much to us because she was ours.' It's something they saw as an identity marker. But there's a lot we don't know about Hello Kitty. I am talking about Hello Kitty, the adorable cultural force that began life as a character on a coin purse in Japan 1974.
And, Yano, who is currently wading through hundreds of objects for the exhibition at the the Japanese American National Museum (including the famous Gaga dress), gives us the lowdown: This is why the exhibition is being held at the Japanese American National Museum. Produced by Sanrio, she arrived in the United States two years later. It's about reconnecting her to this community.
Hello Kitty in space And she's been a part of global popular culture ever since. It gives the whole thing a certain poignancy and power."