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

Dolores Huerta Dolores Huerta
Date: 1/1/1994Call Number: CV 254AFormat: Cass AProducers: David BaconCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Discusses the UFW's progress in organizing farm workers and immigration issues.
Immigration and Crime Immigration and Crime
Date: 10/31/1994Call Number: CV 262AFormat: Cass AProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Protest of Proposition 187. John Marquez (Richmond City Council) speaks on 'operation crackdown' in the city of Richmond. Speakers address the increase in violent crime and the city's new measures to counter it.
Bill Tamayo Asian Law Caucus Bill Tamayo Asian Law Caucus
Date: 1/1/1996Call Number: CV 270AFormat: Cass AProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Discusses Proposition 187, the growing white supremacy in the US, and scapegoating of immigrants. How the downturns in the economy (during the 1980’s) influence anti-immigrant attitudes during the 1990’s, and who really makes up the undocumented population. Most ethnic groups (Asian, African American, and Latino) voted against proposition 187 while the majority of the white California population voted for it.
Riverside Immigration Conference Riverside Immigration Conference
Date: 1/14/1995Call Number: CV 275Format: Cass A & BProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Jose de Pass of the California Immigrant Worker Association discusses the fight against Proposition 187. He puts little faith in Chicano or Chicana politicians. Reies Tijerina, an early leader of the Chicano movement gives a history of the struggle for land grants to the descendants of the original Mexican owners.
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.
Rally Against Proposition 187 (S.O.S Initiative) Rally Against Proposition 187 (S.O.S Initiative)
Date: 11/9/1994Call Number: CV 309Format: CassetteProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
This tape is a recording of a rally in Oakland against Proposition 187. It features interviews with protesters and students. Topics under discussion range from racism, electoral politics, youth mobilization, the necessity of political education in minority communities and the role of the media in the passage of Prop 187.
NACLA Report On The Americas NACLA Report On The Americas
Publisher: The North American Congress On Latin AmericaYear: 1995Volume Number: Vol. 29-3 November-DecemberFormat: PeriodicalCollection: NACLA
Welcome To America: The Immigration Backlash. Plus Suriname: Southeast Asian Loggers Latest Object of Desire; The Disappeared: The Triumph of Memory