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, the tragedies, and the victories of the Japanese American community in Los Angeles. A new pop-up exhibition at Mercado La Paloma features photographs that record 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 LA 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.

“During the day, I lived in Japanese culture, then I’d go home and go back to living in Mexican culture at night,” said Reyes, who retired in 2024. 

JANM and Mercado La Paloma are pleased to connect our neighborhoods and communities through free pop up exhibition.

Media Sponsor: The Rafu Shimpo