Oral history interview with Cristina Alano conducted by Cecilia Winchell and Stefani Evans on September 9, 2022 for the Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Alano recalls a happy childhood in Pampanga, Philippines. After attending college for a banking and finance degree, she briefly worked at a bank before marrying her husband and immigrating to the United States. She would go on to move to Colorado where she lived for seven years, and finally moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2003. Alano recalls her first jobs in Las Vegas, including Walmart, SEI Electronics, a cashier at the Riviera, and finally the airport where works as a supervisor at Hudson as well as an assistant manager at Brighton. She discusses what she has done at each job and how she ended up getting involved with the Culinary Union in 2016. Since joining the union, she has done everything from being a shop steward to canvassing, most recently flying down to Georgia to help campaign for Senator Warnock. Throughout the rest of the interview, she discusses everything from food, to festivals, and her family.
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Oral history interview with Meli Calvo Pulido conducted by Laurents Banuelos on November 13, 2018 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Pulido discusses her early life in Tijuana, Mexico and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in the mid-1970s. She talks about the challenges she faced as an English as a Second Language (ESL) student, and assisting her parents who did not speak English fluently. Lastly, Pulido describes volunteering for the non-profit organization Project 150, the work the organization does for homeless youth in Las Vegas, and assisting underprivileged students.
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Oral history interview with Mirtha Rojas conducted by Marcela Rodriguez-Campo on December 6, 2018 the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Mirtha talks about her artistic upbringing in Cuba and how she immigrated to the Florida with her brother. She talks about relocating to Las Vegas in 2000, her membership with the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, and her employment as a guest room attendant and shop steward at the Aria Hotel and Casino.
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Oral history interview with Deryk and Melissa Engelland conducted by Barbara Tabach on May 23, 2019 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project.
Deryk Engelland is a professional hockey player and team spokesperson for the Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas. He and his wife, Melissa, discuss the events of the October 1 shooting and how the Golden Knights chose to honor the community that they were representing after this tragic event. Deryk and Melissa Engelland established the Vegas Born Foundation to honor first responders and community heroes, and the couple talks about the organization's accomplishments since its inception.
Subjects discussed include: Las Vegas healing.
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Oral history interviews with John Fudenberg conducted by Barbara Tabach and Claytee D. White on May 3, 2018 and May 23, 2018 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, John Fudenberg, the coroner for Clark County in Las Vegas, Nevada, gives an account of his experience during the October 1, 2017 mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip and what his role was during the tumultuous days after the shooting. He explains how he and the staff of the coroner's office prepared for the large number of casualties as well as their arrival at the Route 91 Harvest festival venue. Fudenberg speaks of setting up the Family Assistance Center at the convention center and how it supported the community but also aided the coroner's office in gathering information about the deceased and identifying them. Fudenberg discusses the main job of the Coroner's Office during the first week after the shooting, which was to autopsy the bodies and communicate with the families, as well as the Police Department. He also talks about the emotional impact the shooting and its aftermath had on him and his staff members and the wellness program they implemented, of which trauma yoga and meditation had a large impact.
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Oral history interview with Danny Cluff conducted by Claytee D. White on December 8, 2017 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Danny Cluff discusses his attendance at the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the evening of the October 1, 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada with his friends and nephew. He talks of finding safety in Hooters with other survivors from the concert. When speaking of gun control, he discusses his perspectives on human nature, citing his experiences during and after the concert shooting. Throughout the interview, Cluff speaks of the ways he has healed and kept positive after the shooting, such as laughing through the hard times and writing poetry, of which he gives a few samples.
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Oral history interview with Marie Antoinette Antonio conducted by Cecilia Winchell and Stefani Evans on December 4, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Marie reflects on her upbringing in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines and her love of music that came from her mother. Marie talks about studying music in college and traveling with her husband to Guam to become a music teacher at a Catholic school before immigrating to San Jose, California. She shares the culture shock they faced adapting to life in the United States and the higher cost of living in California, which caused the couple to move to Las Vegas. Marie discusses her life in Las Vegas, traditions and cultural celebrations she partakes in, and the American Dream.
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Oral history interview with José Luis Gutiérrez conducted by Maribel Estrada Calderón and Barbara Tabach on October 1, 2018 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Also present during this interview is José's close friend Sergio Salgado, who was interviewed separately for the Latinx Voices project in 2018. José discusses his early life growing up in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and his migration to Tijuana and then Santa Barbara, California as a teenager. He talks about his restaurant employment history both in California and in Las Vegas, including his time working at the Jolly Parrot, the Dunes Hotel and Casino, and his own eatery: Tortilleria Los Arcos. Subjects discussed include: Tortilleria Los Arcos; Club Social Mexicano.
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Oral history interview with Brendan Ly conducted by Cecilia Winchell and Stefani Evans on March 27, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Brendan discusses his background growing up in communist Vietnam in the early 1970s and fleeing with his family as refugees; they immigrated to Hong Kong, China before moving to the United States to live briefly in North Carolina before settling in California. Brendan talks about working at a young age picking fruit, working in catering, and having positions in retail before pursuing higher education and studying pharmaceuticals. He shares stories of his work experience with Walgreens and how this led to him opening a pharmacy with his brother, which they've managed together for the past 18 years.
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Oral history interview with Kevin Chung conducted by Cecelia Winchell, Stefani Evans, and Jerwin Tiu on December 18, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Kevin Chung discusses his upbringing in Southern Vietnam and how he and his family were forced to leave the country during the Vietnam War. Chung talks about his family's migration to Minnesota and how they adapted to American culture. He shares his educational background, his professional pursuits as a teacher, and the reasons he and his wife decided to move to Las Vegas. Chung reflects on the importance of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) in education with an emphasis on the arts and shares his teaching philosophy. He also gives details of his family's lives and talks about the importance of bringing together his Vietnamese and American cultures to connect the different generations of his family.
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