Las Vegas is a city that needs no introduction. Known as the “Entertainment Capital of the World”, tens of millions flock to a 4.2 mile long stretch of land in the middle of the Mojave Desert for one purpose and one purpose only. Fun. This stretch of land nicknamed the Strip is crammed with opulent hotels, glamorous casinos, and a vibrant nightlife which rivals that of Miami. Yet still, most would recognize the city for its iconic skyline, notorious adult entertainment industry, and of course, its world-renowned live spectacles. From the Bellagio Fountains to the Blue Man Group and David Copperfield, these illustrious performances have become almost as romanticized as the city itself. Nevertheless, my experiences within the city have been quite the contrary. As beneath the effulgent facade of pleasure and carefree indulgence, modern-day Las Vegas has quietly begun to house a new sin: homelessness.
Source: Wallpaper Access Photography
As a child and an immigrant, I was always enamored with Vegas’s luminous and exotic architecture, wide boulevards, and palm trees punching through the clouds. I still remember my first visit to the Strip and just how starkly it dichotomized with my crowded hometown of Zhengzhou China. Gray skies back home clearly contrasted with baby blue ones here and the gondolas at the Venetian were something I had never seen before. As I got older, my mom no longer wanted to visit the Strip at all, to avoid the tourists and “crazy people” so she said. Though I rolled my eyes and continued to visit with friends (seriously there was nothing to do outside of the Strip), I would soon learn that she was correct. However for the time being, this dazzling image was enough of a smokescreen to hide what myself and so many others could not see just yet.
Thus then, through my 10 years in Las Vegas, I have had my fair share of experiences in downtown and on the Strip. Working as a cashier in one of the busiest retail stores in the world, drunk and drugged up individuals asking for directions or the bathroom were common occurrences. So were acts of public indecency and night club recommendations (16 year old me did not have an answer to that question). Yet the most shocking of these instances were without a doubt my encounter with the “Mole People'' of Las Vegas. I remember that night as I was getting off my 8-hour shift at around 1 in the morning. I walked out of M&M World towards the parking garage, with the Strip as busy as ever. Pausing in the middle of the skybridge to appreciate the glistening lights and glimmering horizon, I noticed a man stumble towards me. I have never seen homeless people on the Strip before but he fit the characterization with a rough beard and unshaven gray hair. He asked me for a couple of dollars as I obliged and we exchanged casual conversation. Here was where I learned the true extent of the city’s homeless difficulties.
Just 5 miles north of the luxurious Strip, is an area concentrated with over 12,000 homeless individuals. It goes without saying that the vast majority of Las Vegas’s economic base comes from its gambling and tourism industry. Given this, large populations of homelessness in the streets would understandably not do well for attractions and businesses. Yet that was not the worst of it. As underneath the radiant neon signs and lavish shops lives countless more destitute people. And I mean this quite literally. Las Vegas, despite being in the desert, is prone to heavy flash flooding. As such, below the city lies over 200 miles of flood control channels and drainage tunnels. This is where thousands more homeless people reside. Precariously at the mercy of nature and losing what's left of their livelihood. These tunnels are rampant with drug abuse, lack of water, and the need for basic necessities like food. There are no services provided, and crime is unrestrained. These “Mole People” have expressed how they feel exiled from society and the municipal government has refused to do anything about it, or even acknowledge their existence publicly.
Credit: Jacob Kepler/Bild am Sonntag
This dark underbelly is a facet of Las Vegas not many are cognizant of. Very few locals are conscious of what lies below their feet, and even fewer tourists. I feel fortunate to have been made informed that night of this situation and have since then tried to raise awareness or volunteer at shelters. But even so, it doesn’t appear anything will be done soon. Disaster has not struck yet, but we are only one massive thunderstorm away from hundreds of lives being in danger. Thus, it would appear that Las Vegas, though actively seeking to dissipate its legacy of sin and immorality, has yet done it again. This time however sinning not for wealth and pleasure, but through creating hardship and pain.