Oral history interview with Gene Noboru Nakanishi conducted by Ayrton Yamaguchi, Cecilia Winchell, and Stefani Evans on April 2, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Gene Nakanishi shares his detailed family history from both his father's and his mother's families. He discusses his paternal grandfather's work on the Union Pacific Railroad, the family's internment in Wyoming during World War II, and his father's release from the camp by joining the United States Army Signal Corps. Nakanishi also talks of his maternal grandfather who was of the Bushido ("warrior") class in Osaka, Japan, and his grandfather's work with Christian missionaries. He shares details of his mother's restaurant employment in Los Angeles and her opening of Osaka Japanese Bistro in Las Vegas in 1969. Nakanishi also talks about being born and raised in Las Vegas, his musical schooling at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and his graduate education at Harvard University. He discusses his work as a band teacher for the Clark County School District, his involvement in the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program band camp, and his interests in jazz music.

Dr. Joseph Rojas, born 1933 in Alexandria, Louisiana, was the son of Joseph Edward Rojas and wife Carroll. He graduated high school at age 16 and entered Loyola University of the South. Two years later he was accepted at Louisiana State University School of Medicine, graduating with a medical degree in 1957. He interned at Charity Hospital and then completed his OB-GYN residency at Tulane University. Several mentors worked with Dr. Rojas during his residency and he recalls learning surgical and bed-side skills from the likes of Dr. Lynn White and Dr. Fred Janson. He also remembers the very high volume of patients - up to 300 - that he and other residents saw daily. Dr. Rojas married Mona Robicheaux, RN, during his residency and afterwards joined the Air Force. He and his family — they eventually had six children — were stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, arriving in Las Vegas in 1961. He was chief of OBGYN and deputy hospital commander while at Nellis and then served as chief of OBGYN at Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital until 1972. He later served as chief of staff at Women's Hospital and Valley Hospital, and was the first chief of staff at Summerlin Hospital. Dr. Rojas also maintained a private practice outside of the hospital. His wife worked alongside him in his office, and they share memories and anecdotes of the patients they saw and the general atmosphere of the medical community. Both Joseph and Mona agree that Las Vegas hospitals were less racially segregated than the hospitals in Louisiana, and felt that the West was more open to integration. In 1966 Dr. Rojas started the first OB-GYN residency in Nevada, which led to the development of the University of Nevada School of Medicine. He was a researcher, lecturer, teacher, and author. He earned many awards, including the Harold Feikes MD Award for Outstanding Physician in Clark County (2001), and the Nevada State Medical Association Distinguished Physician Award (1980). Dr. Rojas passed away in May of 2009, leaving behind an incredible legacy of service to the residents of Clark County.

Maggie Arias-Petrel is a successful businessperson and philanthropist. Born in Quito, Ecuador in 1966, Maggie grew up during the Space Age, meeting astronauts through her father’s work as a NASA engineer. Her mother worked as a teacher in an all-girls school. When she was a teenager, Maggie visited her aunt in California and decided to stay in the U.S. She eventually returned to Ecuador and helped her mother run her toy store business, helping her manage multiple locations. Her entrepreneurship flourished as she helped the family business grow into a successful enterprise. Despite the success in her home country, Maggie always dreamed of coming back and living in the U.S. When her family returned, they settled in Las Vegas in 1991. Through her entrepreneurship, Maggie helped many doctors set up their practices, and began her own consulting business, Global Professional Consulting. Today, her expertise includes over 20 years of medical practice management, marketing and advertising for medical and legal, business development and consulting experience. Maggie is also the Chairwoman of the Executive Board of Directors of the Latin Chamber of Commerce of Nevada. She is responsible for changing the direction of the Chamber and helping it become what it is today. She is also the director of the Señoras of Excellence, a philanthropic organization that focuses on raising funds to help Latino students attend college. They have awarded thousands of dollars in scholarship funds to students across the Las Vegas Valley. Because of her work in the medical field, Maggie understands the importance of affordable health care and accessibility. During the Obama Administration, she was part of Senator Harry Reid’s promotion team for the Affordable Health Care Act. She also worked with Governor Jim Gibbons doing international research work in Mexico, and was invited to the White House for the Cinco de Mayo celebration through the U.S. Hispanic Chamber and the Latino Coalition. Maggie is also responsible for the partnership between the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, one of the most prestigious and accomplished institutions of higher education in Mexico, St. Rose Dominican Hospitals, and the Nevada System of Higher Education to develop nursing programs with direct collaboration from UAG to increase the number of bilingual-bicultural medical professionals in Nevada. She is the director for the Workforce Connections of Nevada Board and the Dignity HealthCare - St. Rose Dominican Hospital Board of Directors. Maggie has also received numerous accolades and awards such as the Community Service Award from the Latin Chamber of Commerce, Señoras of Excellence Award given to woman who excel in their professions, the Excellence in Advocacy Award by The Colors of Lupus Foundation, and the “Woman in Business” Award by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. In 2011, she was named one of the ten most influential Hispanics in the city by the Las Vegas Business Press. She is also one of the community leaders featured in the Las Vegas Latino Leaders Inaugural Edition Book. Maggie attended Los Angeles Mission College and Central University of Ecuador. She lives in Green Valley with her two sons.