Oral history interview with Mei Yang conducted by Jourdin Wilson on November 10, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) professor and graduate coordinator Mei Yang talks about her family and childhood in Shanxi Province, southwestern China. She shares her educational background pursuing her bachelor's and master's degrees in China before immigrating to the United States to earn her PhD in Computer Science from the University of Texas, Dallas. Mei Yang talks about her move to Las Vegas, Nevada, her work and professorship at UNLV, and her thoughts on pursuing a STEM (science technology engineering math) career as a woman. She shares how she raises her daughters in the United States away from her husband overseas, the Chinese community within Las Vegas, and traditions she celebrates.
Oral history interview with Yeon-Kyung (Mar) Chung conducted by Emilee Caivin on November 10, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
In this interview, Yeon-Kyung (Mar) Chung talks about her upbringing in Korea and her educational history, studying Spanish abroad in Spain and Italy before earning her graduate degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas, Austin. Mar Chung talks about her move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1999 to enroll at the College of Southern Nevada and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to pursue pharmaceutical studies like her parents. She talks about her experience as a single mother, her path to citizenship in the United States, and the Las Vegas Asian American community. Mar Chung also reflects on differences between how she was raised compared to the upbringing of her two children.
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.
Oral history interview with Frank Schreck conducted by Claytee D. White on April 10, 2007 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Frank Schreck discusses his upbringing in Henderson, Nevada in the 1940s, his education at Yale University and University of California Berkeley School of Law in the 1960s, and his return to Las Vegas, Nevada after graduation. Schreck shares stories of growing up conservative and becoming more liberal after attending college, including attending antiwar demonstrations. He talks about helping locals with welfare rights, standing up to housing discrimination against people of color, and his experiences working pro bono cases within the Las Vegas community. Schreck recalls the influence Mike O'Callaghan had on his life, both as an educator encouraging Schreck to become a lawyer and later as a mentor appointing him to the Nevada Gaming Commission. Finally, Schreck talks about his professional career as a corporate gaming lawyer and activism efforts within Henderson and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Oral history interview with Robert W. Maichle conducted by Jeff van Ee on April 17, 2010 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project.
In this interview, Robert Maichle shares details of his childhood growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada, the openness of the valley before major city development, and the animals and flora that inhabited the region. He talks briefly about his education at Nevada Southern University (now the University of Nevada, Las Vegas) in the early 1960s and his accolades and environmental engagements in Las Vegas serving the Resource Advisory Council to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Southern Nevada Conservation Council, and the Nevada Wildlife Federation, among other organizations. Maichle discusses how he helped draft the first map outlining public lands for sale, his involvement in establishing wilderness protection for Las Vegas lands, and his work to keep the MX Missile System out of the state of Nevada.
Oral history interview with Nittaya Parawong conducted by Cecilia Winchell, Stefani Evans, and Jerwin Tiu on March 17, 2022 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
In this interview, Nittaya Parawong discusses her upbringing in Northeastern Thailand, her parents' restaurant and family recipes, and her business education in Bangkok, Thailand as a teenager. Wanting more than a corporate lifestyle, Parawong decided to immigrate to the United States, briefly living in Orlando, Florida before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada. She recalls bussing tables at a local Thai restaurant and attending English classes at College of Southern Nevada (CSN) before opening her own restaurant, Jasmine Thai Gourmet, at the age of 25. Now, Parawong is the owner of Nittaya's Secret Kitchen, Nittaya's Little Kitchen, and Block9 Thai Street Eats in Las Vegas. She shares memories and traditions of Thai celebrations, her views on Buddhism, personal cooking philosophy, and restaurant offerings.
Oral history interview with Juliana Chen conducted by Cecilia Winchell and Stefani Evans on March 21, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
In this interview, Juliana Chen shares her upbringing in Hunan, China and her experiences as a teenager training to become a professional ballet dancer. She discusses her rigorous training and troupe career that ended when Chen sustained a knee injury. With a desire to try something new while still being able to perform, Chen immigrated to Vancouver, Canada and began practicing magic. Chen shares that although she didn't know anyone or speak English, she practiced her craft and broadened her knowledge by joining professional organizations including the International Brotherhood of Magicians. After winning several magic competitions, Chen performed on the Las Vegas Strip at Caesar's Palace and the Riviera Hotel and Casino. She shares her current professional pursuits, her connection to the Las Vegas magician community, and her thoughts on Chinese culture and cuisine.
Oral history interview with Avril "Juanita" Simmons and Fred "Bubba" Simmons conducted by Claytee D. White on May 21, 1996 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection.
In this interview, husband and wife Bubba and Juanita Simmons talk about their separate moves from Fordyce, Arkansas to Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1940s and their impressions of the city after moving. Bubba shares stories of his employment at the Basic Magnesium, Inc. plant in Henderson and his experiences living in tents on the Westside, traveling to work with the help of Red Mitchell, and sharing living spaces with nine to ten other men. Juanita discusses her work as a family's caregiver and speaks to the kinds of occupations Black women obtained in Las Vegas at that time. The couple share stories of city life and the clubs, eateries, and shops that were present in the area.
Oral history interviews with Fluff LeCoque conducted by Joyce Marshall on May 05, 1992 and May 21, 1992 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection. In these interviews, LeCoque discusses her early life in Montana and her career as a dancer. She talks about moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1947, singing at the Last Frontier Hotel with the Chuck Gould Orchestra, and traveling around the world in a dance troupe. LeCoque remembers performing at the Moulin Rouge in Los Angeles, California and working with Donn Arden. Later, LeCoque recalls dancing in Lido in Paris at the Thunderbird Hotel and becoming a theater company manager for Hallelujah Hollywood! at the MGM Grand Hotel-Casino. Lastly, LeCoque talks about integration of African American dancers in production shows.
Oral history interview with Francis Oh Allen-Palenske conducted by Stefani Evans on June 30, 2022 for Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Francis describes her childhood growing up in Lousiana with a white father and Korean mother. She recalls the family relocating to Reno, Nevada in 1983 where Francis obtained her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1999. She describes serving as a staffer in Washington, D.C. for Representative Jim Gibbons (R-NV) before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada. She discusses her Korean mother, maternal grandmother, and maternal aunts as strong, smart, business-minded women. Throughout the interview, she discusses Korean traditions, celebrations, clothing, and foods, as well as Korean cosmetics and views about skin color.