Will Vicuna oral history interviews (OH-03900)

Oral history interviews with Will Vicuna conducted by Stefani Evans on June 23 and July 3, 2023 for Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In the first interview, Vicuna goes into detail about his family's history, and his parents' life in Quezon, Philippines. Vicuna disusses his father's World War II service as a medic with the United States Armed Forces of the Far East (USAFFE), his parents meeting at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), their 1937 marriage, and the births of their six sons (including Vicuna) between 1938 and 1950. Vicuna's oldest brother, Venido, was the first of the family to move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1969, after arriving first as a tourist. When he sent Will a postcard of the newly opened Hilton Hotel and Casino, Will decided he would move to Las Vegas as soon as he completed his psychology degree in 1970. He concludes the first interview discussing his employment at the Hilton and the Flamingo Hilton, his 1972 marriage, and his 1973 UNLV graduation in Hotel Administration.

In the second interview, Vicuna talks about his wife, Felicidad, who graduated from University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila in Medical Technology. He shares details about her career, and her personal journey with medical diagnosis. Vicuna then talks about his own career in hospitality, working in a number of Las Vegas hotels including the Union Plaza, Landmark, Hilton and Flamingo Hilton, Castaway, Aladdin, Palace Station, Peppermill Mesquite, and the Golden Eagle in Pahrump. Throughout the interviews, Vicuna discusses family reunions in Las Vegas, shopping for Filipino food, and eating at various restaurants around town. Digital audio available; no transcript available.