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Oral history interviews with Virginia James conducted by Claytee D. White on various dates in October and November 2004, and March and July 2005 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In the interview, James describes her experiences as a dancer with the Texas Copa Girls at the Sands Hotel and Casino, and with the
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Oral history interview with Charles West conducted by Perry Kaufman on April 19, 1974 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. West discusses the African American community in Las Vegas, Nevada and what the living conditions were for them. West then explains how the Nevada Voters League changed the way politics played out after more African Americans went out to vote. He also discusses his work as the first African American Doctor in Las Vegas.
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Oral history interview with Donna George conducted by Barbara Tabach on May 14, 2012 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, George discusses growing up in Las Vegas and the changes in the city. She then talks about her husband, David George, and his employment at the Nevada Test Site. George recalls David’s transportation to and from the test site, how the two would communicate when David was working, and concerns about exposure to radiation. Lastly, she discusses the change from aboveground testing to underground testing.
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Oral history interview with Wayne Tanaka conducted by Ayrton Yamaguchi, Vanessa Concepcion, Kristel Peralta, Cecilia Winchell, and Stefani Evans on March 12, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Wayne shares his family's heritage and history as Japanese Hawaiians and discusses his father's internment during World War II. He shares his background growing up in Lahaina, Maui, Hawai'i and how he came to live in Las Vegas. Wayne discusses his career as an educator for the Clark County School District and talks about his life in Las Vegas with his wife and daughters. Subjects discussed include: Las Vegas Buddhist Sangha; Executive Order 9066; Sunset High School; Boulder Dam Area Council.
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Oral history interview with Olivia Meneses conducted by Elsa Lopez and Barbara Tabach on September 18, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Olivia Meneses describes growing up in Mexico City and attending la Universidad Iberoamericana during the 1968 student movement that culminated in the Tlatelolco massacre. She discusses migrating to the United States in 1983 and moving to Las Vegas in 1985, where she began teaching Spanish to kindergarten students.
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Oral history interview with Kaku Makino and Masako "Julie" Ishitsuka conducted by Kristel Peralta, Vanessa Concepcion, Ayrton Yamaguchi, and Stefani Evans on March 22, 2021 for the Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Makino discusses his early life in Tokyo, Japan and becoming a chef. He recalls arriving to the United States in 1989, establishing the Todai (now Makino Sushi & Seafood Buffet) restaurant chain, and opening nineteen locations in California, Florida, and in Hawaii. Kano talks about her upbringing in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan and describes Japan during the Meiji era. She remembers arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2000 and the cultural change she experienced. Lastly, Makino and Kano discuss the restaurant industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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