Oral history interview with Emmanuel Ortega conducted by Monserrath Hernandez, Maribel Estrada Calderon, Elsa Lopez, Barbara Tabach, and Laurents Bañuelos Benitez on 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Emmanuel Ortega was born in Artesia, California and was raised in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico before moving to El Paso, Texas with his family at the age of thirteen. In 1998 his family relocated once again from El Paso to Las Vegas, Nevada where his father joined the Carpenters Union. They settled in Green Valley and he began attending a hybrid community college and high school program allowing him to obtain college credits. He continued at the College of Southern Nevada for two more years where he was a photography major and later transferred to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) where he studied art history. He moved back to Las Vegas in 2011 where he began teaching at UNLV and received a PhD in Ibero-American colonial art history from the University of New Mexico in 2017. He is the co-host of the podcast "Latinos Who Lunch" where hosts discuss pop culture, art, and issues of race, sex, and gender in the Latinx community.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Fernando Rocha conducted by Nathalie Martinez and Barbara Tabach on November 13, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Fernando Rocha recalls growing up in Santa Ana, California and in Sunrise Manor in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fernando Rocha is a Mexican professional who is committed to giving back to the Latinx youth of Las Vegas. He talks about his responsibility as a translator in his family with his siblings. He credits his academic and professional success to the Clark County School District and programs such as GEAR UP and Upward Bound. After studying at Hofstra University, he came back to Las Vegas to work with Wells Fargo and is an active community member as co-founder of the Nevada Youth Coalition and work through the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) and Nevada Promise Mentor at the College of Southern Nevada (CSN).
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Nancy Brune conducted by Monserrath Hernandez and Rodrigo Vazquez on August 21, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Brune recalls her childhood and her experiences growing up in Austin and San Antonio, Texas to a Mexican-American father and British mother. She often identifies herself as tejana. Brune has lived in Las Vegas, Nevada since 2007 and is the Executive Director of the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. Brune is a graduate of Harvard and has a doctoral degree from Yale University. She and her husband, Richard Boulware, who is a born and raised Las Vegan, have three children.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Harry Helfrich and William Grant conducted by Claytee D. White on April 15, 2019 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Helfrich discusses his early life in Pennsylvania and enlisting to the United States Army Airborne Division. He talks about his experience with firearms, arriving to Boulder City, Nevada in 1987, and becoming a member of the Boulder City Rifle and Pistol Club. Helfrich remembers becoming president of the Club, and Grant talks about his role as the secretary and treasurer for the Club. Lastly, Helfrich and Grant discuss the Club’s youth programs, and the increase of Club members.
Archival Collection
The Tom Hawley Papers (approximately 1955-2019) contain the personal papers of Las Vegas, Nevada based traffic and transportation reporter, Tom Hawley. The collection primarily includes physical and digital materials that represent Hawley's interests in Las Vegas history; transportation issues in the Las Vegas Valley, including the Las Vegas Monorail and Resort Corridor Project; and his work as a traffic and transportation reporter for KSNV Channel 3. Materials from KSNV include video clips and transcripts of
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Linda Faiss, Helen Foley, and Melissa Warren conducted by Claytee D. White on June 28, 2018 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project.
Linda, Helen, and Melissa are founders and managing partners of Faiss Foley and Warren Public Relations and Government Affairs Agency, started in 1998. The women talk about how they met and started their agency, as well as who their first clients were and how they became involved in larger Las Vegas publicity projects. They also discuss their personal lives and their respective interests within their firm.
Subjects discussed include: Summerlin, Las Vegas; Pardee; Symphony Park; Downtown Redevelopment
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Nancy Deaner conducted by Claytee D. White on June 05, 2018 and June 11, 2018 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In the first interview, Deaner talks about her upbringing in Reno, Nevada and in Las Vegas, Nevada. She remembers her father’s career in gaming, and her employment at the Mint Casino and Circus Circus Hotel and Casino. Later, Deaner talks about her involvement with the Shade Tree, her role as the Las Vegas Cultural Affairs Director, and public art in Las Vegas. In the second interview, Deaner discusses working with the Neon Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, and the Arts District.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Janie Greenspun Gale conducted by Claytee D. White on July 17, 2019 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Gale discusses her family background in Las Vegas, Nevada. She talks about her educational experience in Las Vegas, being a Rhythmette, and remembers living in London, England. Lastly, Gale describes her involvement with the Animal Foundation, water conservation, and experiencing the growth of Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with José Luis Gutiérrez conducted by Maribel Estrada Calderón and Barbara Tabach on October 1, 2018 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Also present during this interview is José’s close friend Sergio Salgado, who was interviewed separately for the Latinx Voices project in 2018.
José discusses his early life growing up in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and his migration to Tijuana and then Santa Barbara, California as a teenager. He talks about his restaurant employment history both in California and in Las Vegas, including his time working at the Jolly Parrot, the Dunes Hotel and Casino, and his own eatery: Tortilleria Los Arcos.
Subjects discussed include: Tortilleria Los Arcos; Club Social Mexicano.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mirtha Rojas conducted by Marcela Rodriguez-Campo on December 6, 2018 the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project.
Mirtha talks about her artistic upbringing in Cuba and how she immigrated to the Florida with her brother. She talks about relocating to Las Vegas in 2000, her membership with the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, and her employment as a guest room attendant and shop steward at the Aria Hotel and Casino.
Archival Collection
