Oral history interview with Emma Stampley conducted by Claytee D. White on October 22, 2007 for the UNLV University Libraries Oral History Collection. In this interview, Stampley discusses her early life in Fayette, Mississippi and growing up in a family of farmers. She remembers segregated schools, the living conditions during that time, and moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1968. Stampley talks about participating in the civil and welfare rights movements, and the foundation of Operation Life. Lastly, Stampley recalls traveling to civil and welfare rights movement marches, police harassment, and the African American experience in Las Vegas during that time.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Kaku Makino and Masako "Julie" Ishitsuka conducted by Kristel Peralta, Vanessa Concepcion, Ayrton Yamaguchi, and Stefani Evans on March 22, 2021 for the Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Makino discusses his early life in Tokyo, Japan and becoming a chef. He recalls arriving to the United States in 1989, establishing the Todai (now Makino Sushi & Seafood Buffet) restaurant chain, and opening nineteen locations in California, Florida, and in Hawaii. Kano talks about her upbringing in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan and describes Japan during the Meiji era. She remembers arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2000 and the cultural change she experienced. Lastly, Makino and Kano discuss the restaurant industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Oral history interview with Rick Arpin conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on May 22, 2024 for the Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports project. In this interview, Las Vegas native Rick Arpin reflects on his East Las Vegas childhood, his career in accounting and finance, and his role with MGM Resorts in conceiving, building, and operating the T-Mobile Arena, home of the Vegas Golden Knights. Arpin mostly focuses on the idea of what would become T-Mobile arena, possible sites and designs for the arena, and putting everything on hold through the financial crisis (2008-2009) and the building of City Center (2008-2010). He talks about MGM Resorts realizing they had to manage all sports and entertainment venues across the company, including security, vendors, booking, and all operations. Arpin recalls the multiple people, institutions, and determination that helped chip away the "stigma" that professional and collegiate sports felt clouded Las Vegas as a location for professional or collegiate sports. Digital audio available.
Archival Component
Documenting the African American Experience in Las Vegas, Nevada Web Archive is comprised of archived websites captured primarily in 2017 that are related to UNLV University Libraries community documentation project, "Documenting the African American Experience in Las Vegas." Archived websites represent religious institutions, civic and service organizations, and local businesses in the Las Vegas Valley. The collection includes archived websites of organizations like the local NAACP branch, the Urban Chamber of Commerce, Westside School Alumni Foundation, 100 Black Men of Las Vegas, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Psi Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Dorothy Frassmann conducted by Dennis McBride on September 21, 1997 for the Las Vegas Gay Archives Oral History Project. Frassmann discusses her upbringing from New York, Canada, and Las Vegas, Nevada, notably as a lesbian.
Archival Collection
Archival Component
Oral history interview with Hamed Ahmady conducted by Stefani Evans on March 22, 2023 for the Reflections: the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Interviewed by Stefani Evans. Culinary Union Local 226 organizer Hamed Ahmady recalls his childhood as the oldest of six children in Mazar-e Sharif in northern Afghanistan. As an child, he remembers hearing about the September 11, 2001 attack in New York while living in a Taliban-controlled city on a television connected to a concealed antenna that received signals from Uzbekistan. He recalls how, one month after he graduated high school, he became an translator for the U.S. Army, which he did for more than four years. He talks about securing his Special Immigrant Visa (SIV); landing in Los Angeles, California in 2013 and moving his family to the United States; and supporting his siblings and parents in Afghanistan. He also discusses relocating his family from California to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2018, finding a mosque community, and working with Culinary Union Local 226.
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Oral history interviews with Virginia James conducted by Claytee D. White on various dates in October and November 2004, and March and July 2005 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In the interview, James describes her experiences as a dancer with the Texas Copa Girls at the Sands Hotel and Casino, and with the
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with David Torres conducted by David Schwartz on May 21, 2015 for the Table Games Management Oral History Project. In this interview, Torres talks about his career card dealing in Las Vegas, Nevada at the El Cortez, Barbary Coast, Stardust, Rio, Palms, M, and Cosmopolitan casinos.
Archival Collection
The library at the Chabad of Las Vegas at 1261 Arville Street.
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