Oral history interviews with Maria Moore and Barbara Laxson by Tom Wilson conducted 05/11/2015, 05/12/2015. The Burley Utopian Community was part of the growing Social Equity Movement of the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th centuries. The origin of the idea of seeding the United States with Socialist Communities came from an organization led by Eugene V Debs. Debs was a veteran of the labor troubles that gripped the nation beginning in the 1880's and culminated with the deaths of thirteen workers during the Pullman Strike. Debs began to believe that the only hope for the workingman was Socialism. With that in mind the national Socialist organization looked for opportunities to spread the Socialism, Washington State was selected as the site of the colony, chosen because of its history of labor activism and a smaller population that would be sympathetic to the cause. Thus was born the town/colony of Brotherhood, a name that was soon surrendered for the commonly used, Burley. Plagued with troubles from the onset, the colony lasted only 15 years. This is story of a community that has survived, not so much physically, but in spirit, a spirit that still holds this small community together today. That spirit can be seen in the words of Barbara Laxson who is a longtime resident who lives in one of the original homes built by the colony where an oral history was recorded. It can also be heard in the words of Maria Moore, an American citizen born in Mexico who lives now in Burley. Mrs. Moore, is a former member of the Burley Community Association the group that is charged with maintaining the community properties, her interview was conducted in the community park. In their words you can begin to understand why it is so important to try to keep and keep the history and the name Burley alive today.

Oral history interviews with Nick and Rose Tarabochia by Penny M. Tennison conducted 05/29/1991. The joint interview with married couple, Nick and Rose Tarabochia, covers their family life and early struggles to earn a living and raise a family during the Depression. Among the topics discussed by Nick Tarabochia are: his childhood in Brookville, Washington, the life of a fisherman in the Pacific Northwest (including a consideration of purse seine fishing versus gill netting), and Native American fishing rights. Subjects covered by Rose Tarabochia include: her upbringing, her self-reliance as a fisherman's wife, and her real estate acumen.

Oral history interviews with Lillian Allen Walker and Carolyn Hershberger by Theresa Harmon conducted 02/1993. Two longtime members of the Kitsap County YWCA share the history of their organization, tracing its evolution from a wartime social club to a community outreach task force. The Lillian Walker interview focuses on the organizations early years, as well as Walkers civil rights activities. The Carolyn Hershberger interview covers the establishment of the ALIVE (Alternatives to Living In a Violent Environment) program and its merger with the Kitsap YWCA in the late 1970s.

Oral history interviews with Shirley J. Winsley and Lorraine Wojahn by Joy Adams conducted October-November 1998. Washington State Senators Shirley Winsley and Lorraine Wojahn discuss their decade-spanning political careers and comment on trends and shifts in American politics.

Oral history interviews with Crystal Inge, Mikyoko Kanda, and Donna Sasaki by Connor Peterson, Yina Finch, and Megan Packer conducted 04/16/2019, 04/28/2019, 04/30/2019. In April of 2019, a Pacific Lutheran University Religion 393 class set out to interview members of the Tacoma Buddhist Temple with the purpose to study the acculturation of religion and the ways that the role of religion in the Tacoma community has changed overtime. The class was broken down into three groups of 3-4 students each in order to interview Miyoko Kanda, Donna Sasaki and Crystal Inge, who are all members of the Tacoma Buddhist Temple. Each person was interviewed in order to glean more information about the time period they were most active in and specific questions regarding temple culture. This project was initiated with the intent to preserve the different perspectives of the members mentioned above through oral history as an ongoing project to collect and archive oral histories of relevant members of Tacoma from its foundation to present day.

Oral history interviews with Aida Mohajer and Ebrahimi by Shadyar Omrani conducted 05/01/2020. Since COVID-19 started to become a global pandemic, it has caused personal and public traumas. Increase in unemployment rate, bankruptcy of small businesses, financial stress to the middle and working-class and the closure of many businesses which relied on peopleΓÇÖs social activities, including the gig industry, tourism industry and restaurants, are additional traumas to the issues of health and life threats people face by the contingency of the virus. By the end of May 2020, more than 2 million Americans were confirmed COVID-19 positive, 113 thousand of whom could not survive. Amongst the most affected populations, the people of color, especially Black Americans and immigrants have been suffering most. This research focuses on immigrant working women from the Middle East, whose life journeys are filled in with several traumas, some intensified during the pandemic. This paper provides two oral history records of two Iranian American working mothers, Aida Mohajer and Mrs. Ebrahimi, who carry historical traumas experienced in two different countries with two different cultures, i.e. Iran, and the USA. The intervieweesΓÇÖ stories show how the experience of trauma is related to the social class and what imposed social factors beyond choice can determine the class and different approaches to traumas.

Oral history interviews with Jean Sonntag, Richard E. Sonntag, Brian Sonntag, Jack W. Sonntag Jr, and George Sheridan by Alison H. Sonntag conducted 02/1994. This collection of interviews explores the personal and political history of the Sonntag family. Jean Sonntag and George Sheridan provide background details about former Pierce County Auditor Jack Sonntag, Sr., while Sonntag's sons (Jack, Richard, and Brian) discuss how their father's legacy has shaped their lives and their own political careers. Area of focus include Jack Sonntag, Sr.'s political philosophy, the evolution of Tacoma's political power structure, and notable accomplishments from each of the Sonntag's public service careers.