Gene Tang, son of Edward Gaw, in front of the Fremont’s at 616 Central Ave SW in 1958. He managed the liquor department, with imported spirits from Europe. Photo courtesy of the Tang family for UNM’s China: Then & Now.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have had a lasting impact on Albuquerque’s Route 66 and were instrumental in the economic development of the city’s Downtown core. In 1918, Edward Gaw (Tang), an immigrant from China, opened Fremont’s Fine Grocery on Central Avenue. The store, which imported gourmet foods from the East Coast and Europe, was the first Chinese-owned business in the city.Later, Gaw built a larger Downtown location in 1932, at 616 Central Avenue SW. This unique jade-paneled Art Deco building is now home to the New Mexico Holocaust & Intolerance Museum. Chungking Café, a restaurant next door to Fremont’s, was owned and operated by Gaw’s half-brother, Wing Ong and his wife Wong Lin Ong. In 1949, the Ong family opened The New Chinatown Restaurant on Route 66 in Nob Hill. This Chinese fine-dining establishment was enormous, occupying a full city block. The Tang family operated Fremont’s for four generations on Central Avenue, and later at the Coronado Center until 2010. The Tang family immersed themselves in New Mexico’s cultural landscape, leaving a positive mark on Albuquerque. Edward Gaw’s model of importing goods from all over the world set the precedent for modern-day markets like Talin Market on East Central.

Fremont’s Grocery flaming neon sign can be seen at the far right, Downtown Albuquerque looking East from 7th Street, ca. late 1950s - early 1960s. Photo courtesy of Derik Lattig, Albuquerque Memories on Facebook.

Interior dining room of the New Chinatown Restaurant, 5001 Central Ave NE, ca. 1960. Photo courtesy of Patrick Garcia, Albuquerque Memories on Facebook.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which barred Chinese immigrants from becoming U.S. citizens, was repealed in 1942, signaling better times to come for Albuquerque’s Chinese community. However, the incarceration of over 120,000 Nikkei (meaning “Japanese people in America”) following the tragedy at Pearl Harbor in 1941 cast an ugly shadow over the Asian-American story in New Mexico. There were four internment camps in the state, and the question of internment was left to New Mexico’s local communities to decide. Dr. Nikki Nojima Louis recalled how the Japanese held onto their American Dream within the family camps through collaboration and creation. They tended gardens and built schools for the children, “reclaiming the desert” in face of dire circumstances. Some individuals stayed in New Mexico after internment, building new lives in the cities with an eye towards an equitable future. Dr. Louis remarked, “We are raised on … American pioneer stories. We are pioneers. These are people who came to this country without knowing the language for a better life.”

Families from across East and Southeast Asia settled in Albuquerque in the 1960s and 1970s, notably from Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and the Philippines, seeking refuge from conflict in their homelands. Victor Limary, owner of Talin Market, moved with his family to East Central Avenue from Laos in the mid-1970s, and his family noticed that the Asian entrepreneurial presence was sparse. So they opened a little shop out of their garage, selling goods from their own pantry and kitchen. At 8 years old, a young Victor was manning the cash register at his family’s business. He never thought he would continue the family business, until the City of Albuquerque contacted him in 2000 with an offer to support the Limary business. Victor built upon the grocery store idea with a new concept of a global experience, where one can travel across continents through curated aisles. Celebrating his international customer base was a top priority to Victor, bringing together Latino, Asian and African cultures on the floor of Talin Market, in a neighborhood comprising over 75 nationalities.

On East Central Avenue, Route 66 motels defined the neighborhood character. When Route 66 was aligned along Central Avenue, a small scattering of overnight lodging blossomed into an endless sea of motel amenities. As lodging demand shifted from the domestic homegrown motels of the early 20th-century to the efficient, uniform hotel chains of the 1960s, Route 66 motels struggled to keep afloat. In the 1980s and 1990s, immigrants from across Asia sought their American Dream on the Mother Road, and many set their sights on Route 66 – the mythic highway of opportunity.

The Sleepy Bear TraveLodge (also University TraveLodge) circa 1980. Albuquerque Museum, gift of Nancy Tucker. PA2014.007.461.

Sharmin's collection of University TraveLodge memories. Courtesy of Sharmin Dharas.

Sharmin Dharas, the visionary director behind Hotel Zazz, recalled the times of her youth among a tight-knit community of “motel families.” Hotel Zazz was built as a Sleepy Bear TraveLodge in the 1950s, which her parents purchased in 1996. Dharas described a time when Nob Hill hoteliers knew and supported each other, hosting birthday parties at different pools and after-school activities with the hotelier families. Managing motels along Central Avenue was a family enterprise: her uncle, Mohamed Natha, ran the historic Aztec Motel down the street from the TraveLodge; her grandparents operated the Nob Hill Motel; and family friends operated El Vado Motel, Townhouse and Pioneer Motel. Raising the Mother Road takes a village.

Hotel Zazz today.

Today, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are active members of the Albuquerque community, with a prominent business presence in Nob Hill. Both generational and recent enterprises converge on Route 66, with plenty of new up-and-comers supported by long-time professionals. Ihatov Bakery’s founders, Nobu Mizushima and Yuko Kawashiwo, opened their bakery business in the heart of Nob Hill in 2020. The name was taken from Japanese author Kenji Miyazawa’s utopia “Ihatovo,” “The Land of Harmonious,” leading Nobu and Yuko’s dream of reconciling distant lands in one beautiful space. 

Kei Tsuzuki, of Kei & Molly Textiles, highly recommends a coffee and bagel from Ihatov – be sure to peruse their photography books and Japanese literature while you sip. Fan Tang and Soo Bak Seoul Bowl continue the Asian culinary legacy in historic Nob Hill with nods to New Mexican flavors. Coda Bakery’s elevated Vietnamese classics, notably their bánh mì (Vietnamese baguette sandwiches), are tried and true favorites of the Albuquerque lunchtime crowd. 

The AAPI story is still unfolding on Route 66 as the Centennial approaches. To learn more about AAPI history in Albuquerque, plan a visit to one of the city’s renowned museums, The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. Experience the tranquility of Japanese botanic artistry at the Sasebo Japanese Garden at the ABQ BioPark, built in honor of Albuquerque’s sister city, Sasebo.

Asian and Pacific Islander-owned Businesses on Route 66

There are countless AAPI-owned businesses on and near Route 66 that you can support today. The following is a selection of some notable stops for your road trip:

Kei & Molly Textiles, 4400 Silver Ave SE Suite A

Workshop and gift store selling New Mexico-themed textiles, prints, and local goods.

Hotel Zazz, 3711 Central Ave NE

A colorful boutique hotel on Route 66 with "dive-in" movie nights at the pool, a day spa, and a secret speakeasy (touch the golden banana!).

Coda Bakery, 201 San Pedro Dr SE Suite B1

Elevated Vietnamese sandwiches, bowls, spring rolls and pastries off of Route 66.

Talin Market, 88 Louisiana Blvd SE

New Mexico's largest international market offering food staples and prepared items to-go.

Soo Bak Seoul Bowl, 111 Hermosa Dr SE

Nob Hill Korean bibimbap eatery with New Mexican touches on the menu. Vegan friendly!

Fan Tang, 3523 Central Ave NE

Asian fusion restaurant in a former Route 66 service station in the heart of Nob Hill.

Mata G Vegetarian Kitchen, 116 Amherst Dr SE

Continental casual vegan and gluten-free eats in the historic Nob Hill Business Center, with Moroccan, Lebanese, Indian, and East Asian influences.

Ihatov Bread and Coffee, 3400 Central Ave SE

Bakery offering classics such as pastries, quiche, and bread in a cozy setting.

Orchid Thai Cuisine, 4300 Central Ave SE

Delicious Thai food and desserts in a relaxed dining room on Route 66.

O Ramen, 2114 Central Ave SE

Rustic restaurant near the University of New Mexico serving heart Japanese ramen and curry.

Café Da Lat, 5615 Central Ave NE

A warm atmosphere with extensive offerings of standard and niche Vietnamese dishes.

Annapurna’s World Vegetarian Cafe, 2201 Silver Ave SE

New Mexico's premiere Ayurvedic restaurant serving plant-based cuisine and first-class chai.