Oral history interview with Astrid Silva conducted by Monserrath Hernández and Barbara Tabach on April 22, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Astrid Silva was born in Gomez Palacio, Durango in 1988. She immigrated with her mother to the United States in 1992, where they were met by her father before flying to Los Angeles. She recounts her first impression of the United States and her families eventual move to Las Vegas, where she describes her time living in Las Vegas' west side and struggles she faced being an undocumented student living in Las Vegas. She describes her first meeting with Senator Harry Reid and the friendship that developed afterwards. She has spoken at the Democratic National Convention and has been vocal about her status as a Dreamer. She is currently the Executive Director for DREAM Big Nevada which was established in 2017 in order to provide aid to Nevada's immigrant families. She writes about her hopes for Dreamers and her continued work in expanding the ways that immigrant families can be helped in an always changing political climate. Subjects discussed include: DACA, Dreamers, Immigrant Rights, and Higher Education.
Oral history interview with Pom Fritz conducted by Kristel Peralta and Stefani Evans on June 8, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Pom talks about her family and upbringing in Udon Thani, Thailand and her immigration to the United States with her second husband, an American citizen, in 1972. She discusses living on Air Force bases in North Carolina and California before moving to Las Vegas and finding work at different hotels. Pom shares her experiences as a member, steward, and executive board representative of the Culinary Workers Union and what she recalls from the Frontier Strike. She also talks about her children and grandchildren, some of whom still live in Thailand.
On March 19, 1978, Marcela Yepes interviewed Richard Erbe (born 1922 in El Monte, California) about his experiences in Las Vegas, Nevada and specifically about his career in education. Erbe first talks about his family background and German ancestry before describing how he ended up moving to Nevada. He then describes his wife’s father’s background in the gaming industry and some of the early illicit casinos that existed in California. The interview shifts to Erbe’s educational background, his first teaching position as a fifth grade teacher, his experience in the military, and his reasoning for not seeking employment in the gaming industry. The two also discuss church activity, politics, and social activities in Las Vegas. The latter part of the interview includes Erbe’s viewpoints on the issues in the educational system, his experiences as a principal at multiple Clark County schools, and some of the challenges he encountered in the administrative side in the field of education.