Voices of Las Vegas Oral History Project Excerpts from an interview with Vicente Escobedo Interviewer: Brisa Escobedo

B:

hen was the first time yo! visited Las Vegas"

V: It was back in 1994, I came from Tucson, Arizona to visit my wife s fami!y"

B:

hat did yo! thin# of the city when yo! first saw it"

V: #$, I be!ieved it was %reat" I was im&ressed to see 'as Ve%as, because it was a bi% different between Tucson and 'as Ve%as" ($en I t$e first time I saw t$e city, it was im&ressive" I said )#$ t$is is anot$er wor!d*+

B: $o yo! moved to Las Vegas in %&&% from 'ri(ona with yo!r family" How was it different and how was it similar" V: T$e difference was t$e &eo&!e and t$e stri& and it was simi!ar because t$e weat$er is basica!!y t$e same as Tucson s,

B:

hy did yo! decide to move to Las Vegas and not any other state"

V: I decided to move because I $ad a -ob offer and t$ey were te!!in% me t$at I wou!d find a !ot of o&&ortunities down $ere in 'as Ve%as"And t$at is w$at $a&&ened" .ince I was workin% in a construction com&any, I found t$e o&&ortunity I was !ookin% for because 'as Ve%as was under construction"

B: How was the constr!ction ind!stry when yo! moved here compared to )!cson"

V: It was too bi%" T$at was t$e main and bi% difference" 'as Ve%as was %rowin%" And it was %rowin% too fast"

B: $o as yo! said* Las Vegas was expanding very rapidly* did yo! thin# it was a good thing or a bad thing" V: (e!!" To be $onest" I t$ink it was a bad t$in%" T$ere were too many -obs but not enou%$ &eo&!e to fi!! t$e &ositions and t$ose &ro-ects $ad to be done because 'as Ve%as was over &o&u!atin%" /urin% t$at time t$e &ay was very %ood so no one wanted to !eave t$e -ob t$at t$ey were current!y in"

B: $o when yo! moved here with yo!r family* what were the prices ranges of the ho!ses" V: T$ey were ine0&ensive, be!ieve it or not" (it$ t$e money you earned from your -ob, it was enou%$ to &ay off your $ouse, your bi!!s, and you wou!d sti!! $ave some e0tra money to %o s$o&&in%, to %o on vacation, or -ust w$atever you wanted to do in %enera! wit$ t$at e0tra money"

B: +n ,ecember %&&-* the .ational /ecession started* how did this affect Las Vegas and the constr!ction ind!stry economically" V: (ow" It was a bi% im&act on a!! t$e &eo&!e t$at used to work in construction" 1any of bi% &ro-ects sto&&ed because t$ere wasn t enou%$ money to &ay a!! t$e construction em&!oyees" A!! t$e &eo&!e, inc!udin% me, $ad to recruit to unem&!oyment because com&ared to w$at we were doin% before, t$is made our -obs %o down $i!!" It was rea! bad" It affected everybody es&ecia!!y in t$e economy as&ect" 1any &eo&!e !ost t$eir

$omes, cars, etc" It affected everyt$in%, es&ecia!!y our !ives"

B: $o since the recession bac# in %&&-* do yo! thin# Las Vegas has improved* gotten worse or has it stayed abo!t the same" V: I be!ieve it is sti!! t$e same" but don t %et me wron%, t$ere $as been some im&rovement" (e $aven t been ab!e to %et back t$e -obs we used to $ave" But t$at s main!y w$y I be!ieve it s sti!! t$e same" 2enera!!y s&eakin%, we $ave been ab!e to work t$rou%$ t$e recession" (e $ave been ab!e to earn a !itt!e bit more t$an w$at we earned in t$e recession" 1any &eo&!e w$o !ost t$eir $omes were eit$er to %et t$em back or buy a new one" 3ea$ t$e economic status of many fami!ies $asn t been ab!e to %et to w$ere it used to be but it $as been to ab!e to im&rove to t$e &oint w$ere it is easier to sustain t$e fami!y"

B:

here do yo! thin# the city will go 0& years from now* economically" +s the

constr!ction ind!stry going to be part of the economic progress" V: Economica!!y" (e!! if t$e economy is not im&roved it s %oin% to be terrib!e in 14 years from now" But, I do t$ink it s %oin% to im&rove, abso!ute!y" T$ere are for sure %oin% to be new im&rovements in tec$no!o%y w$ic$ wi!! $e!&s us renovate t$e city" (e!! of course t$e construction industry is %oin% to be a bi% &art" In t$e future, t$e ne0t 14 years, it wi!! $e!& make t$e city bi% by makin% from $ouses, new casinos and attractions down in t$e stri&" And t$is way it wi!! attract more tourist and it wi!! $e!& our economy $ere in 'as Ve%as" B: ,o yo! thin# families will have to leave" ,o yo! thin# people will stop coming in"

V: 5m" I t$ink &eo&!e wi!! sto& comin% in and &eo&!e are %oin% to $ave to find a better &!ace to !ive if t$e city s economy doesn t %et better" But !ike I said before, t$e construction industry wi!! $e!& make 'as Ve%as better" .o tec$nica!!y, we mi%$t attract mi%$t &eo&!e but we mi%$t a!so !ose some"

B:

hat do yo! love the most abo!t the city* despite all it1s economic problems

and !nemployment" V: ($at I !ove t$e ty&e of !ife we $ave" 6ere a !on%7term -ob can $e!& you &ay t$e bi!!s, &ay off your $ouse, and %ive your fami!y w$at t$ey need" I do be!ieve so t$at t$is city is a nice &!ace to !ive"

B: How has the Las Vegas strip changed" How was the constr!ction ind!stry part of this big change" V: It s been c$an%ed a !ot t$rou%$out t$e years" #nce tec$no!o%y $as increased in use t$ere a !ot of new s$ows and !i%$ts etc" T$ere are casinos and $ote!s under construction and t$e construction industry $as been a ma-or factor in t$at case" A!so, t$e construction industry $as &!ayed a ma-or ro!e w$en it comes to renovatin% t$e stri& because many $ote!s and casinos were s$ut down to be remode!ed" And t$ats $ow I t$ink t$e construction industry $as $e!&ed t$e 'as Ve%as stri& c$an%e"

B: How has the city changed o!tside of the strip" Let1s say* in 2entennial* $!mmerlin* or in Henderson" V: (e!!, it s not on!y 6enderson, .ummer!in but a!! of 8!ark 8ounty" In fact, t$e construction industry $as been doin% under%round sewers" ($en I came $ere in 9449,

it wou!d rain and it wou!d f!ood t$e streets" But com&ared to back t$en, now I be!ieve t$e under%round sewers $ave been %reat $e!&" A!t$ou%$, t$ere $ave been a !ot of $omes bein% bui!t" :ew s$o&&in% centers, etc"

B: How abo!t the streets* and the freeways" V: T$ey $ave been e0&anded, obvious!y by t$e construction industry" T$ey o&ened many !anes on t$e freeway" Before it was on!y one or two !anes" :ow it s four to five !anes" It $as been an ease for many &eo&!e because it $e!&s t$em %et to work faster"