Have you heard of the Nakayama family? Do you know how they influenced local agriculture? New Mexico State University’s (NMSU) new exhibit aims to answer those questions and more.
NMSU highlights the story of a Japanese American farming family. Their work helped develop the agricultural and social landscape of southern New Mexico. The initiative reflects the university’s commitment to preserving underrepresented histories and advancing community-engaged scholarship.
“Land, Labor, and Community: A Japanese American Farming Family” opens Wednesday, March 11, at the Branson Library on the main campus. The free event runs from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The exhibit welcomes the public at the fourth-floor Humboldt Casad & Evangeline Smith Mandell Exhibit Gallery.
Jennifer Olguin, associate professor and Rio Grande Historical Collections archivist for the NMSU Library, Archives and Special Collections, curated the exhibit. Elizabeth Villa, library specialist, co-curated it.
What Does The Exhibit Showcase?
The exhibit tells the story of the Nakayama family and their lasting contributions to local agriculture and community life. Photographs, documents and interpretive narratives reveal how land and labor shaped the family’s livelihood, identity, and sense of belonging across generations.
According to NMSU, the exhibit situates the Nakayama family’s experiences within broader histories of Japanese American immigration, exclusion, and resilience in the Southwest. It highlights how Japanese American farmers molded agriculture and economic landscapes, particularly in the Mesilla Valley.
Additionally, the exhibit spotlights the newly acquired Nakayama family papers and emphasizes preserving family and community histories for future generations. Campus and community members are encouraged to reflect on themes of perseverance, community, and continuity.
The Heart of the Nakayama Family’s Story
“What drew me to the Nakayama family’s story was how it represents land, labor and community in southern New Mexico,” said Olguin. “Their experience reflects not only the resilience and resourcefulness of a single family, but also the broader, often overlooked contributions of Japanese American farmers to local agriculture and regional history. Through photographs, documents and everyday objects, the Nakayama materials reveal how work on the land was tied to identity, belonging and contributing to agricultural efforts in the Mesilla Valley.”
Olguin said the exhibit fulfills the university’s responsibility to highlight underrepresented histories in archival collections and public narratives.
“This felt like the right moment to share the Nakayama family’s story with the campus and broader community as conversations about migration, labor and belonging continue to shape our present,” she said.
Rather than chronicling major historical events, the exhibit features how the Nakayama family lived, worked, and built community. It helps visitors understand how national histories affected individuals at the local level.
“I hope visitors leave understanding that land and labor are central to the formation of identity, belonging and community over time,” Olguin said. “For the Nakayama family, working the land created stability, connection and a sense of purpose that carried across generations. The exhibit shows how these everyday practices shaped family bonds and community ties, and how those relationships continue to influence how we understand belonging today.”