Oral history interview with Eric Mendoza conducted by Holly O'Donnell on November 29, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
In this interview, Eric Mendoza shares his family's chain migration history from Manila, Philippines to the United States and his difficult immigration and naturalization process once arriving in America in 1996. He talks about what brought him to live in Las Vegas, Nevada, his education and professional pursuits, what his life is like in the United States compared to that of the Philippines, and the lives of his eight siblings. Eric Mendoza discusses the historical past of the Philippines, the infrastructure in place there, and government corruption. He also speaks to Filipino traditions and festivals, food and customs, his cultural identity, and assimilating to American culture.
The Albert S. Henderson Photograph Collection (1860s-1959) primarily contains black-and-white photographic prints of Albert S. Henderson and his family. Also included in the collection are photographic prints of Henderson during his tenure as a Nevada legislator and district judge. Other materials include postcards, negatives, and a tintype.
Oral history interview with Dana Su Lee conducted by Stefani Evans, Vanessa Concepcion, and Cecilia Winchell on February 10, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
Dana talks about her childhood growing up in California and her parents who were both born in China. She discusses her educational background and her move to Las Vegas with her husband in 1997. Dana also shares her various community and philanthropic pursuits related to education and the arts.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Department of Athletic Records consist of UNLV sports memorabilia, programs, magazines, media guides, and newsletters from the athletics department. The collection has materials documenting both women and men's teams including basketball, swimming and diving, and golf. Other teams include track and field, cheer and dance, and softball. There are also materials that document Jerry Tarkanian's role coaching the men's basketball team.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Phi Kappa Phi Records (approximately 1960-2019) consist of meeting minutes, correspondence, financial documents, member lists, programs, newspaper clippings, and photographic prints pertaining to the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Chapter 100 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The collection also includes memorabilia from the organization's fiftieth induction ceremony, as well as a framed copy of its charter.
Oral history interview with Dr. Javier A. Rodríguez conducted by Elsa Lopez and Barbara Tabach on December 19, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project.
Dr. Javier Rodríguez, Biology Professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, talks of his personal and educational history that led him to UNLV. He discusses his migration from Puerto Rico to California where he received his PhD from the University of California Berkley and became a biological museum curator for various animal specimens. He later moved to Las Vegas to teach at UNLV where he has now been for nearly two decades; Dr. Rodríguez shares how UNLV has changed since he first started working here, including the university's increased interest in faculty research to become a Top Tier institution. Subjects discussed include: Puerto Rico; University of California Berkley; University funding; Tier 1 research institutions.
Oral history interview with Ashley “Ms. Aye Vee” Vargas conducted by Laurents Bañuelos-Benitez on October 30, 2018 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Vargas discusses her experiences growing up on the east side of Las Vegas, Nevada. She describes experiences with racial boundaries, the issue of colorism in the Latinx community, and dealing with Puerto Rican stereotypes. Vargas then talks about her involvement with Student Organization of Latinos (SOL), the Puerto Rican community in Las Vegas, and elaborates on how Puerto Rican culture has been influenced by American culture. Lastly, Vargas discusses the meaning behind her poems, raising awareness about certain issues in the Latinx community, and how Las Vegas is going through an artistic renaissance.
Oral history interview with Francisco Rufino-Parra conducted by Barbara Tabach on December 06, 2018 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Parra discusses his family background and immigrating to the United States from Mexico in 1989. He recalls moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1994 and describes his first impressions of the city. Parra then talks about his employment at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino as a dishwasher, being promoted, and becoming a member of Culinary Workers Union Local 226. He explains his role as shop steward for the Culinary Workers Union and describes the union strikes in 2018. Later, Parra discusses raising his three children in Las Vegas, living in a bilingual household, and how he has learned many languages from working in the hospitality industry. Lastly, Parra recalls visiting his birthplace and becoming a United States citizen.
Oral history interview with Janet Savalli conducted by Irene Rostine on September 21, 1996 for the Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN) Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. Savalli begins her interview by discussing her move to Las Vegas, Nevada as a child in 1945. Savalli then goes on to discuss her 46 year long career at the Southern Nevada Telephone Company. She describes rising through the company starting as an operator and ending as a community relations coordinator. Savalli discusses the company's merger with Sprint and the changes this brought about including the creation of a union and wage and benefits changes. Savalli ends her interview by talking about atomic testing, and how the testing grew to be a part of Las Vegas culture at the time.
The "Las Vegas: Snapshots of History" Photograph Collection is comprised of photographic prints and slides as well as digital surrogates of photographic prints and ephemera representing architecture and events in Las Vegas, Nevada from approximately 1960 to 2017. Materials were donated by members of the Las Vegas community as part of a community scanning day sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities' Common Heritage grant. The majority of the collection documents landmarks in Las Vegas including the Stardust Resort and Casino, The Mint Las Vegas, Fremont Street, and the Desert Inn.