Jeanettee L. Del Rosario oral history interview: transcript

i
AN INTERVIEW WITH JEANETTEE DEL ROSARIO
An Oral History Conducted by Alessandra Del Rosario
Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander
Oral History Project
Oral History Research Center at UNLV
University Libraries
University of Nevada Las Vegas
ii
©Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander
Oral History Project
University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2020
Produced by: The Oral History Research Center at UNLV – University Libraries
Director: Claytee D. White
Project Manager: Stefani Evans
Transcriber: Kristin Hicks
Editors and Project Assistants: Vanessa Concepcion, Kristel Peralta, JerwinTiu, Cecilia Winchell, Ayrton Yamaguchi
iii
The recorded interview and transcript have been made possible through the generosity of a grant from the City of Las Vegas Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial and funding from private individuals and foundations. The Oral History Research Center enables students and staff to work together with community members to generate this selection of first-person narratives. The participants in this project thank University of Nevada Las Vegas for the support given that allowed an idea the opportunity to flourish.
The transcript received minimal editing that includes the elimination of fragments, false starts, and repetitions in order to enhance the reader’s understanding of the material. In several cases photographic sources accompany the individual interviews with permission of the narrator.
The following interview is part of a series of interviews conducted under the auspices of Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islanders Oral History Project.
Claytee D. White
Director, Oral History Research Center
University Libraries
University of Nevada Las Vegas
iv
PREFACE
“It’s my privilege to have an interview right now regarding my ethnicity or my experience from the Philippines in comparison to here. It’s my privilege to do this.”
The second to the oldest of ten children, Jeanette Del Rosario was born in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan province, Philippines, in 1965. She recalls some of her fondest memories growing up in the Philippines, including cultural celebrations, customs, and the familiar hospitable environment that surrounded her during her life in the Philippines. Del Rosario sought higher education, eventually obtaining her Associate degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. After arriving in Las Vegas in 2006, she worked as a guest room attendant at the Stardust for two years until they closed, and then at the Paris (where she was Employee of the Month). She speaks about the immigration process, missing her family in the Philippines, Barangay festivals, pride in her work, language difficulties and traditions of respect, foods, language, and religion.
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview with Jeanettee Del Rosario
December 6th, 2021
in Las Vegas, Nevada
Conducted by Alessandra Del Rosario
Preface…………………………………………………………………………..………………..iv
Del Rosario starts by outlining some of her background information. Stating her birthplace, birthday, and basic information about her family composition. Del Rosario also mentions her educational background, stating that she went on to obtain an associate-level degree as she could not continue higher education due to financial restrictions. ……………………...…………….1-2
Recalling her immigration story, Del Rosario explains her journey from the Philippines to Las Vegas. With the aid of her husband who had resided in Las Vegas seven years prior, Del Rosario was able to come to the United States with her two children. From then on, Del Rosario mentions her transition from a Visa holder to a United States citizen. Del Rosario, in addition to the paperwork involved with immigration, mentions the hardships she endured when she had to part from her comfortable family life in the Philippines for the sake of a better future for her children in the United States. Del Rosario also mentions navigating within the workplace including her difficulties with transport to and from her work. ……………………………………………….3-7
Recalling some of her traditions and cultural norms in the Philippines, Del Rosario mentions that she notices the contrast between the way Filipino-Americans operate as opposed to Filipinos in the Philippines. Del Rosario details the lively celebrations and hospitable nature of the people she had once known in the Philippines, and how she misses those sentiments. Del Rosario goes on to mention some of the ways Tagalog has permeated throughout her daily life in America and where she utilizes the language. ………………………………………………………………………8-10
Del Rosario mentions her religious affiliations and how religion plays a part in her life in recent times. ……………………...………………………………………………………………….11-12
Contrasting her life in Las Vegas with her life in the Philippines, Del Rosario points out some stark differences in the cultural nature between the two locations. From the general “easiness” of life to transportation Del Rosario mentions many differences between the two, a big one being the hospitality of individuals from the two geographic locations. While in the Philippines, Del Rosario felt comfortable approaching and entering people’s homes, she does not feel that same comfortability in the United States. Del Rosario then quickly states how she goes about getting around in Las Vegas. Del Rosario continues to focus on her life in Las Vegas, mentioning the weather, the gaming industry, and how Filipino food is accessed despite being so far from the
vi
Philippines. From noodles dishes to seafood, Del Rosario has developed an expansive list of recipes that she is able to make that come from her experiences in the Philippines. ………..13-16
Focusing more on her identity as a Filipino, Del Rosario notes her opinions on recent Asian American racial issues as well as the spaces Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have in Las Vegas. She further notes some of her Filipino friends in Las Vegas and their backgrounds as well. Lastly, Del Rosario notes that both the Philippines and Las Vegas are good places to be, and that it is her privilege to be able to participate in projects that highlight her experience in regard to her ethnicity. …………………………………………………...…………………….…………..17-19
vii
1
This project is for the Asian American/Pacific Islander, AAPI, Oral History Project for UNLV’s Special Collections. Today we’re in Las Vegas, Nevada. The date is December 6th, 2021. I am Alessandra Del Rosario, and I’ll be interviewing Jeanettee Del Rosario.
Do you mind stating and spelling out your first and last name?
First name is Jeanettee, J-E-A-N-E, double T, double E. Del Rosario, D-E-L, space, R-O-S-A-R-I-O.
Do you mind just talking about your childhood, your family, where you’re from?
I think from the Philippines, one of the provinces. I lived in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan with twelve members in the family. I am the second to the oldest.
Do you have any schooling, education in the Philippines? When were you born?
Yes, I go to school, elementary. I finish elementary and high school. I finished second year of college in associate hotel and restaurant management.
When were you born?
I was born December 31, 1965.
What was your experience like living in the Philippines? Is it happy, sad? Did you enjoy it? Did you not enjoy it?
I enjoy it. I love Philippines because I was growing up over there, simple living.
Can you tell us about your grandparents, what they did, any stories that you remember?
I don’t remember my grandparents because when I was born, I don’t see them anymore, so I cannot speak with them.
And you said you did some college education, higher education. Why did you choose that major? You said hospitality?
No. It’s hotel and restaurant management.
2
Why did you choose that specifically?
Because before, the hotel and restaurant management look like the peak course before so that I can go to the other country to work and more salaries than in the Philippines. In the Philippines, it’s a little bit lower. You cannot support your family, whatever. That’s why.
Did you enjoy it?
Yes. In training, I have on-the-job training, something like that, in one of the hotels.
But you only did two years?
Yes, only associate.
Why did you only do associate’s?
Because we are ten in the family, and then we didn’t have enough to get the four years. Only my dad is working, and my mom is only a plain housewife.
When you were in college, who was the youngest in age? You said there was ten siblings.
Yes.
When you’re in college, who is the youngest age, like the difference?
Almost like the difference between me and my siblings is one year, something like that, in every sibling.
How do you identify ethnically?
I am a Filipino. Filipino, we have hospitality if you have visitor. You have to go to your house and get some food, hospitality, and feed the visitor or something like that, put merienda, or snacks with them.
Do you identify as an American as well, or do you not, just Filipino?
The visitor, if I get Americans?
Do you identify ethnically American as well, or just Filipino?
3
Yes, I’m a dual citizen then. I am Filipina and American already by immigration.
Can you please tell me about your family’s migration story? Why did you decide to move to the United States? When did you leave? Why did you leave?
Yes, because my husband petitioned us, with my kids, and then we leave Philippines to go here to have a better living and a good future for my kids. We just leave Philippines since July 2003.
Who came with you to the United States?
I came here with my children.
How many?
I have two kids.
How old were they when they moved to the United States?
My son was seven years old, and my daughter was two years old.
Where did you decide to move to the United States, and why?
I moved here through my petition with my husband so that we have a good future.
Why did you decide to move to Las Vegas specifically? Was it because of family? Did you just decide on a random city?
No. Because my husband stays here already in Vegas.
For how long?
I’ve been here since 2003.
How long was he living in the United States before you moved here?
Seven years before I got here.
When you left the Philippines, what was the hardest thing leaving behind? Family? Friends?
4
It’s hard to leave my country because of my mom and my siblings and my friends. We grew up together, and we have a big family, happy, so it’s hard for me.
Did you miss them a lot when you moved here?
Yes. I always call them sometimes by phone cards and Messenger, video calls. Sometimes I send them money and some boxes with goodies and clothes, foods from here to make them happy. I give them shoes, clothes.
Do you think it’s the same as being there physically, or do you think it’s always going to be different, like communicating with them?
It’s easy because there is a video call, and I can see them. I feel them happy when they talk to me. Sometimes when I call my mom, she is crying. She is emotional.
What type of things do you talk about when you call?
We talk about life, her conditions because she’s getting old. I tell her to stay healthy, be happy, or just relax.
What are your fondest memories of being in the Philippines?
My fondest memories are during Christmas, New Year, birthdays. I miss those because we’re happy especially when it’s my birthday, December 31, and that’s New Year. We celebrate it, and then we enjoy.
What are the types of things you would do typically when you celebrate?
We’re eating something good, do the fireworks, something like that, dancing.
Anything else? Any vacations you would take with your family?
We did not go on vacations because we don’t have money before to go somewhere. We just stay home together. Sometimes we go to the beach or something like that.
How often would you go to the beach?
5
Once in a year.
What was it like for you and your family members to go through U.S. Immigration? What was the process? Are you a U.S. citizen now? Were you a visa holder?
Before, my visa is like a green card holder, and after five years I applied for a U.S. citizen. Right now, I am a U.S. citizen.
What was it like applying to a U.S. citizenship?
You have to apply for U.S. citizen, and then they process it, and then after that they call you for an interview. If you pass, then you go to an office to get your citizenship thing.
Was the interview hard?
Yes. They interview me like…What do you call that?
Was it the questions?
Yes, questions.
About American history?
Yes, the American history, something like that.
Can you talk more about the immigration process from the Philippines to the United States? You said you had a visa?
Yes. My husband petitioned us, and then how many years you have to wait. Then we go to the U.S. Embassy to get an interview and a medical thing. If you pass the medical, then they process again, and you have to wait, and then you have to wait for your visa.
How long did that process take?
It takes like a year before the interview.
What were the most difficult things in the early days when you moved to Las Vegas? Did you miss family? Was it hard to find work?
6
No. When I got here, I missed them, but later on, the days go by, and then I have work. I got busy from the work. Everything is fine now.
Is it difficult for you now?
No more. It’s not difficult now because I always call them by Messenger and Face call. Sometimes I visit them, last time in 2012. But right now, I cannot go because of the pandemic. It’s hard to travel.
Can you compare Las Vegas with your home city? What were the differences, similarities?
It’s different because in the Philippines, I don’t go somewhere, just at home, stay home, market and the field. But right now, I can go in the shows or in the mall you can go because you have a salary. Before I don’t have work, so I don’t have money. It’s hard to find a job over there and small salaries.
Was it easier to find a job in the United States than in the Philippines?
Yes, it’s easy over here. There is a lot of work, not in the Philippines. It’s so hard especially when you’re old already. You cannot find. Then the salary is not enough to provide for your family to live. Here I have opportunities for work, to find. It’s just hard work, sacrifice.
Can you tell me more about the family composition here in Las Vegas? Who is in your family here, extended family, if there is any?
In my side, I don’t have any relatives in Vegas, but I have a sister in some other state, San Francisco. My husband has a sister over here.
Can you tell me about your jobs that you worked here in Las Vegas, all of them?
My first job when I got here, I worked in the Stardust for two years.
When did you get the job at Stardust?
7
I started there in 2006, two years, and then they closed. Then I applied in Paris Hotel and Casino, same work, guest room attendant, and now I’m working there.
Do you think you applied what you learned in your college education to what you’re doing today?
Yes, because I finished hotel and restaurant management, but I don’t manage the hotel. I work at the hotel as a guest room attendant cleaning the rooms.
How did you get around in Las Vegas and going to work? What were your transportation methods?
When I go to work?
Or just travel around in the city.
When I go to work, I take the bus because I don’t drive. When it’s my days off, my husband drives me to go to the market and buy something or going somewhere, to the doctor. But it’s really when I go to work, I take the bus.
Is it hard?
Yes, it’s hard. It takes two hours before I get to work because there is a time for the bus, and I always go early. I don’t want to be late.
Where in Las Vegas have you lived, in what neighborhoods?
I live in east Las Vegas. My neighborhoods are nice, friendly. I have neighbors that are Americans, Hispanic and some Filipinos. They’re good. They’re nice. I don’t have problems with them. It’s peaceful.
Is it different from in the Philippines?
Yes, it’s different. Our neighborhoods in the Philippines are different here and there. Here you cannot go to their house and say hello. I go to their house. But in the Philippines, you can see
8
them, you can say hi, talking with them all day. But here, it’s different. You cannot go to their house and speak with them because they’re not there, and they have work. They’re busy. It’s different here than in the Philippines. If you go outside from your home, you can see people a lot gathering or talking to each other. Here it’s different.
Can you tell me of any traditions or festivals, festivities that are important to your family?
In the Philippines, every year there is a fiesta, like festival, fiesta.
When?
It’s done in December.
It’s usually in December?
Yes. There is a lot of activity. There is a beauty contest, each barangays. They’re beautiful ladies. They compete with each other, like Miss Universe, something like that. They choose the prettiest, the talented young ladies to compete. Each barangay has a representative, and then they have a competition in every barangay. There is a competition for beautiful place and clean barangays, this competition, something like that.
Can you define what a barangay is?
Barangay is a place, street, something like that. There is a head, like barangay captain, to settle the problems in the place, or barrio.
Going back to the festival, what type of other events happened during that time?
Sometimes in the festival, sometimes there is eating, something like that, a party. We have to cook. We get some food for the party, and every house has to bring food to celebrate and eat together, something like that.
Does that still happen in Las Vegas?
9
No. It’s different. Here, if you have a party or Christmas party, it’s only inside your house. There it’s very happy. You talk to each other, your relatives or your neighbors. But here it’s different.
They don’t do that here?
No. Only your house, your family, and that’s it. But you cannot call them because sometimes they’re busy, or they’re in their house if you call them. It’s just different because it’s a different culture, too. Americans or Hispanic people, maybe they don’t like the food.
How did your celebrations and festivities change after you moved to Las Vegas?
I miss the activity. It’s happy. It’s different. I miss that.
How is it different?
Because here the life looks different. I cannot express. I am ashamed to go to their houses whenever because in the Philippines, you’re never rude. It’s just like your cousins or a relative. It’s easy to speak with them and ask them whatever, their lives and everything. But here it’s different.
Do you think it’s harder for you to communicate with them because you’re from a different country?
Maybe something like that. Maybe they don’t understand me, or I am ashamed to. I say, “Hi,” and it’s okay. But to speak to them, no, I don’t speak with them.
What are a few of the most significant events in the history of your family in the community when living in Las Vegas?
When my kids graduated in high school, and at work I’m an Employee of the Month.
Being Employee of the Month was important?
Yes, it’s important because of my hard work, they can see how I work, and they choose me because some supervisor nominated me. People nominate them, and they’re going to pick the
10
higher position or better person who got Employee of the Month. That’s important, too, as recognition of your work, hard work.
You said that both your children graduated high school?
Yes. That’s important to me, too. I hope they graduated, too, in college. It’s a big privilege for me.
What are the greatest differences that you find between Las Vegas and other places you lived, culturally, language, religiously, like style and stuff like that?
In the Philippines, you say opo when you answer the elderly and mano, like respect when you see the elderly, get their hands and put on your forehead for respect.
They don’t do that here in the United States in Las Vegas?
No, I don’t see it. It depends on the parents if they teach their children to respect the elderly. It depends.
Is this just a Filipino thing?
Yes, that’s the Filipino way to respect the elderly. If they ask you something, instead of yes, you say opo. That means yes, opo. If you see them or relatives, elderly relatives, you have to respect them, and you say to them, “Mano opo,” and get their hands and put them on your forehead, like respect.
How about through the language? Is English spoken a lot in the household, or do you still speak Filipino often?
In the house? Yes, in the Philippines, we speak Tagalog. That’s our national language. But here in the U.S., I speak Tagalog, but my kids answer us in English. Maybe they still understand our dialect, but they cannot speak it. Sometimes I speak English to them, but usually I use Filipino language.
11
Do you speak Tagalog to other friends here in Las Vegas?
Yes, we speak Tagalog when I’m with my friends, all Filipino.
How well do you think your English is?
How well?
Like speaking.
It’s called from one to ten?
Yes, zero being the worst, ten being the best.
Five.
Do you still practice the same religion from being in the U.S. compared to the Philippines? Can you talk more about that?
In the Philippines, every Sunday I go to the church, but here I cannot go to the church because of work. Only sometimes I watch online mass, I’ll do it.
You would watch mass?
Yes, on the website there is a mass. Sometimes when I get my day off, I take mass through the website, and at night I always pray before I go to sleep.
Do you still go to church?
Here, once a year only because I don’t have time.
Why don’t you have time?
Because of work, I’m off Monday and Tuesday. Church is Sundays. As long as you pray at home, you’re fine as long as you pray even inside your house.
How about in the Philippines?
12
I always go there every Sunday to church because you have time. But right here, the two days off is not enough for you. I just stay home and clean the house, go to the market, cook, and some appointments, doctor appointments.
What church do you go to here in Las Vegas?
I go to a Catholic church.
Do you remember what church is called?
I forgot the name.
Is it close to your house?
Yes, it’s close.
In terms of lifestyle, do you think living in Las Vegas is easier, harder than living in the Philippines?
In the Philippines, you can plant some vegetables, fruits, and you can eat fresh things.
The fruits and vegetables are more fresh?
Are more fresh. Fish, the meats. Not here. In the U.S., it’s frozen and with preservatives.
Do you think that it’s a better lifestyle over there in the Philippines than living in Las Vegas?
Yes, the food is good, always fresh.
How about life in general, is it harder, easier living here, or harder?
Before, when I take a shower, we have a bucket and a tabo [scoop], and you have to get the water from the dip well and get to the bathroom, and there is no shower. Right here, you have a shower.
Would you consider it easier or harder than—
It’s a lot easier here, the lifestyle, but the food is not.
13
How about in terms of working?
In terms of working, here you work eight hours a day, and then there is a lot of rules and policies in your company.
You said you still work at Paris, right?
Yes.
How about in the Philippines, how was the work lifestyle there?
I don’t work before. I just stay home.
In the Philippines?
In the Philippines, I never worked.
You never worked?
No, I never worked. I don’t know the policy over there.
How about transportation or traffic? What type of transportation did you use in the Philippines, and what’s the transportation you use in Las Vegas?
There we don’t have a car. We commute when we go the town, and we ride a tricycle, a jeep, or a bus.
Can you explain what a tricycle and the jeep is?
The tricycle is a bicycle, a motor bicycle. Only two people go inside a cart, just two people inside, and one person outside, like the driver. The jeep is a big one, like twenty people inside. The bus is the same thing as here. There are big buses. When we go to the school, we just walk from the house near the school.
Would you say you would walk more often? Do you walk more often?
Yes, sometimes when we go to the market, I just walk before. If I have got something heavy from the market, I just ride in a tricycle.
14
How is that different from here in Las Vegas? What type of transportation did you take?
Here you take a bus, and you have to go to the bus stop and wait for the bus. In the Philippines, when you go out from your house or in the street, you can get right away a bus or even three minutes, five minutes. But here you have to wait. There is a timeline, like thirty minutes you have to wait, and you have to catch the time.
How about in terms of walking? Do you still walk everywhere in Las Vegas?
No. I exercise by walking, but I don’t go somewhere. If I go near here, like Albertson’s, I don’t walk.
Why?
It’s too far. In the Philippines, there is a small store by your neighborhood that you can buy food or something like that, small things, like crackers, bread. Right here in your neighborhood, there are no stores, like a business small store.
How about in terms of driving? Do you drive?
No, I don’t drive.
Why don’t you drive?
Because my husband drives when we go to the store. He drives, but me, I cannot drive because I have no good eyesight. I am scared.
Just a few more questions. What do you like most about living in Las Vegas in terms of employment opportunities, family events, entertainment, church activities?
The culture. Because in the Philippines, they have a good hospitality if you have visitors.
Do you think that Las Vegas has the same hospitality?
No, it’s different.
How is it different?
15
The hospitality here, you cannot go to their house, just go there. In the Philippines, if you have visitors, hospitality, or friends, you feed them good, like snacks.
What is the best thing you like about Las Vegas?
The best thing, entertainment.
Do you like watching shows?
Yes, I like shows. You can go to the Strip roaming around.
How about the weather? Do you like the weather in Las Vegas?
Sometimes, but it’s hot. It’s very hot. But in the Philippines, it’s humid and hot, but you sweat. But right here, it’s dry when it’s hot.
How do you feel about the activity of gambling and the gambling industry here in Las Vegas? Do you think it’s a good thing or a bad thing, neutral?
I don’t gamble because I don’t know how. I’ve never tried to gamble. But some other people, they’re lucky to win, and sometimes they lose their money. Because you’re always gambling and you lose, you do not have enough to pay the bills. It’s hard to pay if you don’t have. For me it’s more important to pay your bills first before you gamble. But some people gamble and they’re lucky. They have a lot of money. If there is no gamblers, there is no Las Vegas. If you gamble…What do you call that? They get some taxes for the government.
Moving on to the type of foods, what type of foods remind you of your family back home or your ancestors? Can you get these types of foods or ingredients in Las Vegas? If so, where do you typically get them?
I always cook food. My mother taught me how to cook adobo or pancit. I always cook pancit especially on birthdays, Christmas and New Year. I always cook pancit for the birthdays because they say it’s long life, the noodles.
16
What’s inside the noodles?
The noodles you can buy in a Filipino store, like with carrots, cabbage, some chicken, soy sauce.
Who taught you how to make this?
My mom taught me how to do that because when my mom cooked, I always helped her to prepare the ingredients. She taught me how. I know how to cook pancit. Every birthday we always cook pancit. They said it’s for a long life, is what they say.
Are there any other types of foods that remind you of your family back home that you’re able to still make here in Las Vegas?
Yes, some vegetables.
Like what?
Like pinakbet, different kinds of vegetables, like eggplant, watermelon, okra, something like that. You can buy it in a Filipino store, a healthy one. Sometimes I buy fish to grill.
What type of fish?
I cook tilapia, salmon sometimes, shrimp, something like that.
You said that these ingredients are available in Las Vegas, right?
Yes.
You’re still able to make them?
Yes, I always make it. I always cook for my family.
How did you feel when high-ranking U.S. officials called COVID-19 the “Wuhan virus,” the “China virus,” or the “Kung flu?”
Any country has a COVID-19 problem or the COVID-19.
Do you think it was right for them to be calling the virus and relating it to China and calling it racist?
17
No. One is a virus that came from another country and spread it. I don’t know how to speak to that one.
I just wanted to say that the Asian American and Pacific Islanders are the fastest-growing population group in Southern Nevada. What does that mean to you?
Maybe a lot of people migrate over here and choose Nevada. They move because of work, maybe. In the industry, the casinos, there are more opportunities for jobs in Las Vegas. A lot of tourists come here from other countries, and more opportunity here.
Would you consider Las Vegas a good place for the Asian American/Pacific Islanders to start moving here in Las Vegas?
Yes. It’s nice here and a lot of opportunities, work, and the commodities, the foods, it’s a little bit cheaper than other states. That’s why maybe they move here and more Asian Americans go here. It’s lower, the commodities are cheaper.
Do you have any Filipino friends in Southern Nevada? Have you met them through work, church?
Yes, I met them in work. My coworkers are Filipinos, some of them.
They work in Paris, too, right?
Yes.
Do you feel comfortable speaking English out in public with your friends?
When I saw my friends, we speak our language, Tagalog. But if there is something together with us, like another nationality, we speak English with them.
Where are your friends from in the Philippines? Are they from the same province as you?
No, it is different provinces.
What are the different provinces?
18
They came from Visayas, metro Manila, or Pampanga because there are a lot of different dialects as me, Ilocano. It’s a different province. There is one in Pampanga. It is a different language, too. But the national language is Tagalog. We can all speak Tagalog.
Do you recommend the Philippines to anyone in Las Vegas? Do you think it’s a good country, bad country?
Philippines is a nice place. You can visit there, a lot of nice people, hospitality, the food.
Would you recommend people in the Philippines to go to Las Vegas?
Yes, if they want, if they want to go here and have a tourist visa, I recommend them to go here and experience the Las Vegas life, the casinos, the nightlife, the shows.
Do you know anyone else in Las Vegas who are not part of the gambling industry that are also Filipino?
No, I don’t remember. All my friends are working in the casino, my coworkers. That’s it. I don’t have a friend working in the other casinos, in different works. No, I don’t have it.
Do you consider Las Vegas a good place to live?
Yes.
Why?
Las Vegas is a good place to live because of the work, the salary, and lower commodities from other states and low value of the house.
Have you visited anywhere else in Nevada or other states in the United States?
I visited California.
Did you visit any other states?
Utah. I visited Utah.
Anywhere in the East Coast?
19
No, I don’t travel in the East Coast. Only California and Utah I go. I don’t even travel in the East Coast.
Why?
We don’t have time and no money to spend. I just pay my bills first, the mortgage, the car insurance, food. That’s my priority than traveling and spend more. I save money for your future. You’re getting older. But pretty soon when I get retired, I can go in some other states. But my priorities are my bills, the mortgage.
Why is it valuable for the university to collect interviews such as yours?
It’s my privilege to have an interview right now regarding my ethnicity or my experience from the Philippines in comparison to here. It’s my privilege to do this.
I did want to say that this is the closing, ending of the interview, but I also wanted to ask if you can suggest anyone else you would consider this project to?
Yes.
Like who?
I recommend my sister-in-law.
Why?
Because she’s been here a long, long time ago, like three decades. She’s been in Las Vegas and U.S. for how many years, so I recommend her to do this one, too.
Thank you.
Bye. Thank you.
[End of recorded interview]