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 Pablo Macias conducted by Elsa Lopez, Monserrath Hernandez, and Claytee D. White on December 07, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Pablo Macias was rasied in the small town of Carlin outside of Elko, Nevada. His father and mother met in Ogden, Utah where his father was working on railroad in Nevada and Utah. After finishing high school, he got a job at Elko Blacksmith Shop, where he learned to weld. After attending Northern Nevada Community College, he enrolled and graduated from UNR. After graduation, he took a position at Von Tobel Middle School in 1990 teaching Spanish and Physical Education. While working as a Spanish teacher in Rancho High School he enrolled in a Master's program at Nova Southeastern University, completing the program in education administration. He currently serves as the Associate Director of Corporate Work Study Program Operations for Cristo Rey St. Viator College Preparatory High School. Subjects discussed include: Education, Rancho High School, Von Tobel Middle School, Barrick Mining, and Cristo Rey.
On March 11, 1978, Sosuke Miyazawa interviewed Nanyu Tomiyasu (b. May 28, 1918 in Las Vegas, Nevada) about his family’s farm and their legacy as one of the pioneering families of the city. Tomiyasu begins by talking about what brought his family to Las Vegas, the city’s abundant water reservoir and his father’s farm. In particular, Tomiyasu discusses his father’s experiments with farming as one of the city’s early farmers, the transition into nursery farming and Japanese gardens. Moreover, he discusses his siblings, the local schools, their great quality, the successful students the city produced and the growth of school populations. Tomiyasu describes the large Japanese population and the Union Pacific Railroad that many of them worked on. He ends by discussing the change in architecture within the city, such as where old buildings stood and what they are used for now, the first Episcopal Church and the old Mormon Fort.
On March 2, 1980, Barry Sarles interviewed river boatman and dam worker, Horace Emery (born 1911 in California) at his older brother’s farm in Nelson, Nevada. This interview covers the local area around Nelson and the early events that helped shape the area. Also present during the interview, Barry Sarles’s girlfriend, Diane Dobaj and Horace’s older brother, Merl Emery. Mr. Sarles also discusses his work as a river boatman on the Colorado River, working on the Hoover and Davis Dams, and employment as a factory worker in Clark County.
Oral history interview with Stefani Evans conducted by Claytee D. White and Barbara Tabach on November 21, 2017 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Stefani Evans discusses how she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1980 with her husband and her feelings associated with the city, especially after the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting. She describes in detail how she found out about the traumatic event as well as her experience of waiting all day to donate blood on October 2, 2017, the day after the shooting. Mostly, Evans explains with emphasis the good of humanity that she witnessed during the aftermath of that tragedy.