More Peoples of Las Vegas: One City, Many Faces (Wilber S. Shepperson Series in Nevada History)

The remarkable economic growth of Las Vegas between 1980 and 2007 created a population boom and a major increase in the ethnic and religious diversity of the city. Today, over 21 percent of the city's population is foreign born, and over 30 percent speak a language other than English at home. The local court system offers interpreters in 82 languages, and in 2005/2006, for example, more than 11,000 people, originating from 138 countries, were naturalized there as American citizens.More Peoples of Las Vegas extends the survey of this city's cosmopolitan population begun in The Peoples of Las Vegas (University of Nevada Press, 2005). As in the previous book, this volume includes well-established groups like the Irish and Germans, and recently arrived groups like the Ethiopians and Guatemalans. Essays describe the history of each group in Las Vegas and the roles they play in the life and economy of the city. The essays also explore the influence of modern telecommunications and accessible air travel, showing how these factors allow newcomers to create transnational identities and maintain ties with families and culture back home. They also examine the role of local institutions—including clubs, religious organizations, shops, restaurants, and newspapers and other media—in helping immigrants maintain their ethnic and religious identities and in disseminating national and even regional cultures of origin.More Peoples of Las Vegas adds to our awareness of the rich and varied ethnic and religious character of Las Vegans. In a broader context, it offers thoughtful perspectives on the impact of globalization on a major American city and on the realities of immigrant life in the twenty-first century. The remarkable economic growth of Las Vegas between 1980 and 2007 created a population boom and a major increase in the ethnic and religious diversity of the city. Today, over 21 percent of the city's population is foreign born, and over 30 percent speak a language other than English at home. More Peoples of Las Vegas extends the survey of this city's cosmopolitan residents begun in The Peoples of Las Vegas (University of Nevada Press, 2005). As in the previous book, this volume includes both well-established groups like the Irish and Germans, and recently arrived immigrants like the Ethiopians and Guatemalans. Essays describe the history of each group in Las Vegas, the roles they play in the life and economy of the city, and the role of local institutionsincluding clubs, religious organizations, shops, restaurants, and newspapers and other mediain helping them maintain their ethnic and religious identities and disseminate their national and even regional cultures. The essays also discuss the influence of modern telecommunications and accessible air travel in allowing newcomers to create transnational identities and maintain ties with families and culture back home. More Peoples of Las Vegas adds to our awareness of their rich ethnic and religious character of Las Vegas. In a broader context, it offers thoughtful perspectives on the impact of globalization on a major American city and on the realities of immigrant life in the twenty-first century. The Irish / Michael Green -- The Germans / Carole Cosgrove Terry -- The Japanese / Andrew B. Russell And Fumiko Sasaki -- The Cubans / William Clayson -- The Scandinavians / Jonathan R. Strand And Melanie C. Young -- The Muslims / Aslam Abdullah -- The Armenians / Michelle Tusan -- The Argentines / Guillermo Monkman -- The Koreans / Kathleen Ja Sook Bergquist -- The Thais / Jiemin Bao -- The Ethiopians / Michelle Kuenzi -- The Guatemalans / John P. Tuman And Dawn Gearhart -- The Colombians / Timothy Pratt. Edited By Jerry L. Simich And Thomas C. Wright. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Title Page......Page 4 Contents......Page 6 Preface......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 1 Irish......Page 24 2 Germans......Page 52 3 Japanese......Page 75 4 Cubans......Page 99 5 Scandinavians......Page 121 6 Muslims......Page 137 Photo Insert......Page 154 7 Armenians......Page 166 8 Argentines......Page 184 9 Koreans......Page 200 10 Thais......Page 218 11 Ethiopians......Page 233 12 Guatemalans......Page 248 13 Colombians......Page 266 Contributors......Page 276 Index......Page 280 Back Cover ......Page 298 The remarkable economic growth of Las Vegas between 1980 and 2007 created a population boom and a major increase in the ethnic and religious diversity of the city. Presenting the survey of the city's cosmopolitan population, this book describes the history of various groups in Las Vegas and the roles they play in the life and economy of the city.