The plight of early 1940s Mexican laborers and the present growth of Hispanic communities are portrayed through photographs, text and maps on display in the Atrium of Parks Library. The display is running in correlation with Hispanic Heritage Month.

“Memory, Community, and Activism: Mexican Labor in the Colombian Basin” is a project of Jerry Garcia’s, assistant professor of history and curator for the exhibit.

The exhibit focuses on the Northwest, specifically Washington and the foundation of the Mexican community there. The photographs, text and maps illustrate Mexican Americans’ general contributions to the nation.

According to Garcia, there are three main themes of the exhibit. These include the contributions of Mexican labor to the agriculture field, Mexican community, culture and labor, and political activism throughout the various time periods.

The exhibit is based off of Garcia’s research on the Emergency Farm Labor program and the role Mexican Americans played in it.

“Iowa State was a participant in the Emergency Farm Labor program, it’s just that nobody started the research until now,” he said.

The exhibit ties Iowa into the national program on a smaller scale, Garcia said.

He added that the exhibit was brought to Ames because of Iowa’s strong heritage in farming and agriculture and the emergence of a growing Hispanic population.

“The exhibit is great because it introduces students to Hispanic history,” said Leticia Romo, junior in business and one of the student chairpersons for Hispanic Heritage Month.

“Hopefully, it will spark an interest to attend activities and to learn about our culture,” she said.

Romo said the theme for Hispanic Heritage Month is “Latinos: The Next Generation.” She said that to focus on the future, it is important to learn about the past and the exhibit is doing that.

“We were here in the past and our culture is still alive,” Romo said.

As the national curator for the exhibit, Garcia said he has received support from his department as well as the university.

Before traveling to Ames, “Memory, Community and Activism” was exhibited in Portland, Ore., and will return to north central Washington after its time in the Midwest.

The exhibit will be open until Oct. 15 and Hispanic Heritage Month begins with Opening Ceremonies at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Border Crossing statue south of Lebaron Hall.