Search Help

How does this work?
There are many ways to search the collections of the Freedom Archives. Below is a brief guide that will help you conduct effective searches. Note, anytime you search for anything in the Freedom Archives, the first results that appear will be our digitized items. Information for items that have yet to be scanned or yet to be digitized can still be viewed, but only by clicking on the show link that will display the hidden (non-digitized) items. If you are interested in accessing these non-digitized materials, please email info@freedomarchives.org.
Exploring the Collections without the Search Bar
Under the heading Browse By Collection, you’ll notice most of the Freedom Archives’ major collections. These collections have an image as well as a short description of what you’ll find in that collection. Click on that image to instantly explore that specific collection.
Basic Searching
You can always type what you’re looking for into the search bar. Certain searches may generate hundreds of results, so sometimes it will help to use quotation marks to help narrow down your results. For instance, searching for the phrase Black Liberation will generate all of our holdings that contain the words Black and Liberation, while searching for “Black Liberation” (in quotation marks) will only generate our records that have those two words next to each other.
Advanced Searching
The Freedom Archives search site also understands Boolean search logic. Click on this link for a brief tutorial on how to use Boolean search logic. Our search function also understands “fuzzy searches.” Fuzzy searches utilize the (*) and will find matches even when users misspell words or enter in only partial words for the search. For example, searching for liber* will produce results for liberation/liberate/liberates/etc.
Keyword Searches
You’ll notice that under the heading KEYWORDS, there are a number of words, phrases or names that describe content. Sometimes these are also called “tags.” Clicking on these words is essentially the same as conducting a basic search.

Search Results

United Framer Workers: Boycott Against Safeway - 2 United Framer Workers: Boycott Against Safeway - 2
Date: 8/25/1989Call Number: CV 248AFormat: Cass AProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Cesar Chavez, along with other organizers and community leaders rally and demand that Safeway stop selling grapes grown with pesticides. Chavez explains that the pesticides are contributing to cancer among farm workers.
United Farm Workers - SF Protest United Farm Workers - SF Protest
Date: 11/13/1992Call Number: CV 259AFormat: Cass AProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Interviews with UFW demonstrators who are protesting pesticide use on grapes. Grape growers are selling their produce overseas since sales are down in the US. Cesar Chavez discuss his efforts to raise awareness about pesticides and their health effects among Hong Kong consumers. He also talks about how NAFTA may influence union organizing.
Oscar Mondragon - Frank Curil Interview Oscar Mondragon - Frank Curil Interview
Date: 4/6/1988Call Number: CV 263Format: Cass A & BProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Oscar Mondragon and Frank Curil discuss the UFW's third major grape boycott. Curil explains the union's stance on workers' rights, the new method of boycotting and the health risk of pesticides.
Mismanagement in the Richmond Unified School District Mismanagement in the Richmond Unified School District
Date: 1/1/1992Call Number: CV 290BFormat: Cass BProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Environmental Conservation and its effects on different indigenous populations. Discussion of the mismanagement of funds in the Richmond Unified School District, as well as racism in high schools by faculty members and the school board.
Cesar Chavez Interview Cesar Chavez Interview
Date: 6/28/1992Call Number: CV 297Format: CassetteCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Cesar Chavez explains how police prevented him and his followers from organizing people to boycott grapes because of their contamination by extremely dangerous pesticides. He also describes arrests of protesters including Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962.
Gustavo Gutierrez Gustavo Gutierrez
Call Number: CV 302Format: Cass A & BCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Gustavo Gutierrez on his work as an organizer for farm workers' rights, his support of Cesar Chavez and the UFW, as well as his antiwar work.
The immigration wars (Prop 187) The immigration wars (Prop 187)
Date: 1/1/1994Call Number: CV 306Format: Cass A & BCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Introduction to the debate about Proposition 187, also known by the political right as the “Save our State” initiative, which mainly prohibits “illegal immigrants” from using health care, public education, and social services in California. Interview of the music band “Puro Bandido” from the Mission District, SF, whose inspiration comes from Carlos Santana. Interviews about Cesar Chavez and the UFW to commemorate his birthday.
Pajaro Latino Pajaro Latino
Date: 10/23/1997Call Number: JH 542AFormat: Cass AProducers: Jorge HerreraCollection: “Pajaro Latino” Programs produced by Jorge Herrera
Luis Ernesto Carrillo-SAFER, San Francisco Advocates for Environmental Rights
Cesar Chavez speech Cesar Chavez speech
Call Number: KP 041Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Emiliano EcheverriaProgram: KPFA general/La RazaCollection: Latin@
Speech by Cesar Chavez in Richmond, California in support of grape farm workers and the Gallo boycott. Note: Excerpt used on Roots of Resistance, volume 1.
Brief speech of Cesar Chavez on march Brief speech of Cesar Chavez on march
Date: 7/3/1973Call Number: KP 042Producers: Emiliano EcheverriaProgram: KPFA general/La RazaCollection: Latin@
March with music and intro. Cesar Chavez speaks in both Spanish and English on United Farm Workers (UFW) campaign.