Interview with Charles Salton by George Green on April 23, 1976. Salton discusses arriving in Las Vegas in 1929, after his family had moved from New Jersey to Huntington Beach, California. His father sold real estate, and expected a boom after the authorization for the construction of Hoover Dam. His father was involved in bootlegging and then owned Al's Bar, a drinking and gambling establishment, on the alley at South First Street. Salton describes the area around Fremont Street and Las Vegas Boulevard with businesses and grocery stores, the grammar school and high school, and the hospital. Salton talks about his social activities, including involvement in the Jewish Community Center (Temple Beth Sholom), and several of the bars, clubs and casinos in the area. He briefly discusses the mob influence in the casinos versus corporate ownership and then speaks about the education system in Clark County.
Through her oral interview and the materials she provided, Virginia Beckley Richardson gives us a unique and fascinating look at both a pioneer family of Las Vegas and the early activities of the Service League, the forerunner of the Junior League of Las Vegas. Her personal recollections are an insight into life in the city's early years, and the biography of her father written by her brother, Bruce, humanizes a prominent figure in Las Vegas' history. The newspaper articles she made available enhance her descriptions of the Service League's activities. In addition, the article, "Merchant's Home Becomes Monument," describes her family home originally located on Fourth Street and relocated by the Junior League of Las Vegas in 1979. Her recollections clearly demonstrate her enthusiasm about her family's accomplishments and her involvement in the Service League
Oral history interview with Astrid Silva conducted by Monserrath Hernández and Barbara Tabach on April 22, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Astrid Silva was born in Gomez Palacio, Durango in 1988. She immigrated with her mother to the United States in 1992, where they were met by her father before flying to Los Angeles. She recounts her first impression of the United States and her families eventual move to Las Vegas, where she describes her time living in Las Vegas' west side and struggles she faced being an undocumented student living in Las Vegas. She describes her first meeting with Senator Harry Reid and the friendship that developed afterwards. She has spoken at the Democratic National Convention and has been vocal about her status as a Dreamer. She is currently the Executive Director for DREAM Big Nevada which was established in 2017 in order to provide aid to Nevada's immigrant families. She writes about her hopes for Dreamers and her continued work in expanding the ways that immigrant families can be helped in an always changing political climate. Subjects discussed include: DACA, Dreamers, Immigrant Rights, and Higher Education.
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.
Oral history interview with Dr. Alvaro Vergara-Mery conducted by Barbara Tabach on October 28, 2020 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Alvaro discusses his personal history and his upbringing in both Chile and the United Kingdom before immigrating to the United States; due to political unrest in Chile, he moved to the U.K. where his mother was born before attending university in the United States. Alvaro talks about his work as a medical interpreter for University Medical Center (UMC) as well as his college teaching experience at University of Nevada Las Vegas and California State Berkley.