Preserving
Latino History And Culture
In Nevada
The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) maintains Nevada’s roads and highways, but this NDOT project is a promise to protect something even bigger as we grow and progress.
The NDOT Latino History Outreach Project documents the role of Latinos in shaping our state by collecting and preserving their stories and identifying the places that have shaped and defined our communities.
Boats carried thousands of Cubans to the United States during the Mariel Boatlift.
Credit: Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
THE PROJECT
Latinos have always been a part of Nevada’s story.
Their roles include early explorers, traders, miners, railroad workers, business owners, educators, and community leaders. Yet much of this history has gone undocumented or overlooked. NDOT’s Cultural Resources team works to balance the transportation needs of Nevada’s growing communities with the protection and preservation of the state’s rich cultural heritage. This project helps to identify significant cultural resources that may be impacted by transportation projects.
The Latino History Outreach Project was created to:
Identify places that are significant to Nevada’s Latino community
Preserve their cultural relevance through written and oral storytelling and physical locations
Celebrate the Latino people, places, and traditions that shape and enrich Nevada
Migrant workers from Mexico working in an onion field in Moapa Valley, NV, 1955.
Credit: Las Vegas Review-Journal, Inc.
The NDOT Latino History Outreach Project ensures key aspects of our state's story are documented.
By honoring the individuals who built their lives here, the places they hold dear, and the cultural organizations that serve them, this project helps ensure that the contributions and sacrifices of Nevada Latinos are preserved and recognized as an essential part of Nevada’s identity.
Why It Matters
Mariposa Language and Learning Academy hosts cultural events that celebrate Latino heritage and history.
Credit: Mariposa Language and Learning Academy
The Latino History Outreach Project video series highlights real people and places with deep cultural and historical significance to the Nevada Latino community.
spotlight stories
It tells the stories of Doña Maria Tamales, a family-owned restaurant in Las Vegas; Mariposa Academy, the first dual-language school in Washoe County; and Moapa Valley, where migrant families put down roots during the 1940s and helped shape the community for generations.
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Doña Maria Tamales
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Mariposa Academy
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Moapa Valley
The Mexican Mine in Virginia City, 1866.
Credit: Lawrence & Houseworth
The Latino History Outreach Project combines extensive historical research with focus groups and video storytelling to create a full, accurate picture of Latino culture and contributions in Nevada.