Oral history interview with Sanje Sedera conducted by Kristel Peralta, Cecilia Winchell, Ayrton Yamaguchi, and Stefani Evans on April 16, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Sanje Sedera discusses growing up in Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, with his family. He shares his educational history, moving from Sri Lanka to Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia as a high schooler to learn English before immigrating to the United States to attend Idaho State University. Sedera discusses the political unrest and civil war that took place in Sri Lanka between the Tamil and Sinhalese people, and how he grew to appreciate political activism instilled in him by his paternal grandparents. Sedera shares his employment history working as a manager for K-Mart, an opportunity that brought him to Las Vegas, as well as his entrepreneurial pursuits of owning a mortgage business and becoming a realtor. He talks about the financial crisis of 2008 that led to losing his business, his attempts to run for public office, and how he helped to form Nevada's Asian American Democratic Caucus. Sedera concludes with a discussion of his Buddhist practice and how these philosophies have shaped his life.
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On March 5th, 1978, Karen Croteau interviewed Don Perry (b. 1928 in Clarksburg, West Virginia) about Paiute Indians and life on a reservation. Perry begins by mentioning his own Indian heritage with a Cherokee mother and his wife’s Paiute heritage. Perry focuses on his conversations with his wife’s grandmother, who lived on the Paiute reservation since birth, from who he learned about the reservations history. He particularly delves into the traditions of Indian burials, governing on the reservation, and the difference between an Indian reservation and an Indian colony. Additionally, he talks about recreation on the reservations, education of Paiute Indians, and how reservations have changed. Throughout the interview, Perry gives personal anecdotes about his life in connection to the Paiute people and his experiences with their traditions and belief systems. Perry ends by discussing governing politics of the Paiute reservation and the start of Las Vegas as a gambling town.
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The Jon E. Cobain Papers (1963-2009) contains material representing Cobain's experience as the first official graduate of Nevada Southern University (later University of Nevada, Las Vegas) in 1964. Materials include photographs of Cobain and his family, a scrapbook from his 1964 graduation day, newsletters, a copy of Beau's Bits Handbook, personal correspondence, and his diploma. This collection is comprised exclusively of digital surrogates.
Archival Collection
The Joseph LaMar Foremaster Photograph Collection includes black-and-white photographic prints and negatives of structures at the Old Ranch (Stewart Ranch) in Las Vegas, Nevada from approximately 1920 to 1939 when the Foremaster family lived and worked on the land.
Archival Collection
The Stephen Nasser Papers (1992-2018) mainly contain letters written from school children to Nasser who travels to schools, churches, and organizations around Las Vegas, Nevada to share his story of surviving the Holocaust during World War II. Materials in this collection document his captivity in various prison camps and includes photographs, awards, and newspaper clippings. Also included are speeches given by Nasser and book reviews and a teacher's guide of his book My Brother's Voice written by students of Dixie College, St. George, Utah. This collection includes a copy of
Archival Collection
The North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Records documents the activities of the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce in southern Nevada from approximately 1970 to 2007. The majority of this collection is comprised of photographs and scrapbooks documenting North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce member events. The collection also includes business guides, event invitations, and issues of the organization’s monthly newsletters,
Archival Collection
"The Art of Las Vegas Hard Core" Collection of Punk Rock Fliers and Photographs (1980-2013) includes fliers and photographs that document the Las Vegas, Nevada punk rock scene in the 1980s. The collection contains photocopied fliers from bands such as The Ramones, The Germs, Misfits, Meat Puppets, Wasted Youth, Black Flag, FSP, TSOL, Circle Jerks, Shattered Faith, Agent Orange, Self Abuse, Bad Attitude, and many others. The collection also contains digital images and scans of fliers of a slideshow of punk bands that played in Las Vegas in 1984.
Archival Collection
The Joe Williams Music Scores date from 1940 to 1991 and comprise the handwritten musical scores of American jazz musician Joe Williams, born Joseph Goreed. Many of the musical scores are Williams' original arrangements.
Archival Collection