OBRAS DE LUZ (Works of Light): A 40-Year History of the Japanese American Community through the Lens of Photojournalist Mario Gershom Reyes.

As a photojournalist with The Rafu Shimpo, Los Angeles’s Japanese American newspaper since 1903, Mario Reyes (1956–2025) documented the milestones, tragedies, and victories of the Japanese American community in Los Angeles. The new pop-up features photographs of the moments and people that make up life in Little Tokyo, from Nisei Week Parades and political protests to schoolchildren and sports stars.

Reyes was born in Mexico City and immigrated with his family to Los Angeles when he was four years old. Eventually, his family settled in Boyle Heights. He started working at The Rafu Shimpo as a senior at Roosevelt High School. Through his work, Reyes was a fixture in the Japanese American community for four decades.

The Japanese American National Museum and Mercado La Paloma are pleased to connect our neighborhoods and communities through this free pop up exhibition.