Oral history interview with Manuel Banuelos conducted by Rodrigo Vazquez, Barbara Tabach, Laurents Banuelos-Benitez, and Nathalie Martinez on October 5, 2018 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Manuel Banuelos discusses his childhood and early life in Zacatecas, Mexico, where he was born. He discusses immigration and his experiences with it. He recalls his move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1985 and discusses his experiences working in the restaurant and hospitality industry, mostly discussing the places he worked such as the El Cortez Hotel & Casino and Las Palmas. Manuel Banuelos recalls the jobs he had working at the border between California and Nevada as well. He also discusses his family and his experiences as a father. Interview is conducted in Spanish.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Nadean L. Voss conducted by Laura Bell on March 03, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Voss discusses her personal history and the history of Boulder City, Nevada. Voss describes moving to Boulder City in 1933 and what life was like in the city. She also describes the construction of the Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam), visiting the growing Lake Mead, and how Boulder City has changed. Voss goes on to discuss her career working for the Bureau of Reclamation and desert wildlife.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Pablo Macias conducted by Elsa Lopez, Monserrath Hernandez, and Claytee D. White on December 07, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Pablo Macias was rasied in the small town of Carlin outside of Elko, Nevada. His father and mother met in Ogden, Utah where his father was working on railroad in Nevada and Utah. After finishing high school, he got a job at Elko Blacksmith Shop, where he learned to weld. After attending Northern Nevada Community College, he enrolled and graduated from UNR. After graduation, he took a position at Von Tobel Middle School in 1990 teaching Spanish and Physical Education. While working as a Spanish teacher in Rancho High School he enrolled in a Master’s program at Nova Southeastern University, completing the program in education administration. He currently serves as the Associate Director of Corporate Work Study Program Operations for Cristo Rey St. Viator College Preparatory High School. Subjects discussed include: Education, Rancho High School, Von Tobel Middle School, Barrick Mining, and Cristo Rey.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mei Yang conducted by Jourdin Wilson on November 10, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) professor and graduate coordinator Mei Yang talks about her family and childhood in Shanxi Province, southwestern China. She shares her educational background pursuing her bachelor's and master's degrees in China before immigrating to the United States to earn her PhD in Computer Science from the University of Texas, Dallas. Mei Yang talks about her move to Las Vegas, Nevada, her work and professorship at UNLV, and her thoughts on pursuing a STEM (science technology engineering math) career as a woman. She shares how she raises her daughters in the United States away from her husband overseas, the Chinese community within Las Vegas, and traditions she celebrates.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Eric Mendoza conducted by Holly O'Donnell on November 29, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
In this interview, Eric Mendoza shares his family's chain migration history from Manila, Philippines to the United States and his difficult immigration and naturalization process once arriving in America in 1996. He talks about what brought him to live in Las Vegas, Nevada, his education and professional pursuits, what his life is like in the United States compared to that of the Philippines, and the lives of his eight siblings. Eric Mendoza discusses the historical past of the Philippines, the infrastructure in place there, and government corruption. He also speaks to Filipino traditions and festivals, food and customs, his cultural identity, and assimilating to American culture.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Randy Garcia conducted by Laurents Bañuelos-Benitez on November 27, 2018 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Garcia discusses growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1950s and 1960s. He talks about attending Saint Anne’s Catholic School and Bishop Gorman High School, his experience as a Latino in Las Vegas, and facing discrimination because of his race. Garcia recalls graduating from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), studying business administration and accounting, and his first job in a stock brokerage firm. Later, Garcia discusses opening his own firm, the Investment Counsel Company, in 1987 and how he manages it. Lastly, Garcia talks about his involvement in the UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees, the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, the Latin Chamber of Commerce, and Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Diane Orgill conducted by Claytee D. White on March 30, 2018 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Diane Orgill, a volunteer with Red Cross, discusses her experience on the night of the October 1, 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. She speaks of her role as a Red Cross representative at the Emergency Operations Center and the efforts of the Red Cross command center to provide a sense of order in the chaos. She describes some of the support provided to the survivors through the Family Assistance Center and the Disaster Action Team, giving an in-depth explanation of how these sections of the Red Cross function.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Randy Lavigne conducted by Stefani Evans and Claytee D. White on August 23, 2016 for the Building Las Vegas Oral History Project. Lavigne discusses working as the Executive Director of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Las Vegas since 1997. She also talks about the Fifth Street School’s plans to celebrate the AIA Chapter's sixtieth anniversary; the now defunct auxiliary organization, the Architects' Wives League, and various topics having to do with architecture as a profession and architectural firms.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mike Montano conducted by Lisa Gioia-Acres on September 19, 2008 for the All That Jazz Oral History Project. Montano begins by discussing his mother and father, who met in Hawaii when his father immigrated there from the Philippines, and later moved to Stockton, California during the late 1930s after Montano was born. He describes racial prejudice he has faced as an Asian American, how he developed interest in playing the piano as a child, and his siblings. Montano continues, detailing how he started playing jazz while attending the College of the Pacific and the musicians he played with. He describes first going to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1960 and returning throughout the 1960s as a member of various touring jazz bands. He talks about the other places he performed around the world and the celebrities and prominent musicians he has met. Montano concludes by reflecting on his career as a musician and his life in Las Vegas after moving there permanently in 1974.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Arlone Scott conducted by Glen Ette Davis on July 03, 1975. Scott discusses her experiences in inter-racial relations carried on by various Black and White churches in Las Vegas, Nevada. Scott then talks about job opportunities for minorities and the importance of the Culinary Workers Union. She also talks about how segregation and discrimination affected entertainment for Blacks and limited them to seeking recreation in West Las Vegas.
Archival Collection