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

International Hotel KPFA Broadcast (EH) International Hotel KPFA Broadcast (EH)
Call Number: IH 001Format: CassetteProducers: Norman Jayo with Third World News ProductionCollection: The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
April 1977 pre-eviction broadcast of the International Hotel struggle (KPFA). Program contains narration, music, interviews and recorded speeches with detailed chronological account of the events leading to the eviction. Discusses the involvement of the Milton Meyer Company, Walter Shorenstein, Sheriff Richard Hongisto, Mayor George Moscone, The Four Seas Investment Corporation, and Judge Ira Brown. Audio documentation of tenants Emil de Guzman, Nita Rader, Wahat Tampao, Felix Ayson, and city officials Moscone and Hongisto. Topics of the affordable housing struggle are explained, such as the "Buy-Back" plan that was proposed to the tenants, the Power of Eminent Domain to prevent eviction, Hongisto's contempt of court, and the progressive community joining to created a human barricade around the building. Program ends asking listeners to support the struggle of the I-Hotel tenants. Discusses the affordable housing struggle, the "Buy-Back" plan that was proposed to the tenants, how the power of Eminent Domain was used for the first time to try and prevent an eviction, Hongisto's contempt of court, and how the greater progressive community joined by the thousands to support the tenants by creating human chains around the building. Program ends asking listeners to support the struggle of the I-Hotel tenants.
International Hotel KPFA Broadcast International Hotel KPFA Broadcast
Call Number: CD 327Format: CDProducers: Norman Jayo with Third World News ProductionCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
April 1977 pre-eviction broadcast of KPFA audio documentary on the International Hotel struggle. Fully produced and edited program with narration, music, interviews and recorded speeches. Detailed chronological account of the events leading to the eviction which discusses the involvement of Milton Meyer, Walter Shorenstein, Sherrif Richard Hongisto, Mayor George Moscone, The Four Seas Investment Corporation and Judge Ira Brown. Includes interviews and/or audio of tenants Emil de Guzman, Nita Rader, Wahat Tampao and Felix Ayson and city officials Moscone and Hongisto. Discusses the affordable housing struggle, the "Buy-Back" plan that was proposed to the tenants, how the power of Eminent Domain was used for the first time to try and prevent an eviction, Hongisto's contempt of court, and how the greater progressive community joined by the thousands to support the tenants by creating human chains around the building. Program ends asking listeners to support the struggle of the I-Hotel tenants.
International Hotel Actuality (EH) International Hotel Actuality (EH)
Date: 8/3/1977Call Number: IH 002Format: CassetteCollection: The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
On the night of the 1977 International Hotel eviction, a reporter following Sheriff Richard Hongisto made recordings documenting the breaking down of doors. As a sledgehammer is used to break doors down, the reporter comments on the sheriff's refusal to warn tenants to vacate their rooms. Field recording includes verbal exchanges between the sheriff, the reporter, and Estella Habal.
KQED 88.5 Kevin Gillory: IH Interview August 4, 1997 (EH) KQED 88.5 Kevin Gillory: IH Interview August 4, 1997 (EH)
Date: 8/4/1997Call Number: IH 011Format: CassetteProducers: National Public Radio (NPR)Collection: The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
National Public Radio (NPR) Radio News broadcast by Kevin Gillory (KQED). The brief recording includes sound clips of former San Francisco sheriff, Richard Hongisto and Emil De Guzman. Hongisto states that he spent 5 days in the San Mateo jail for delaying the eviction on January 10th 1977. Emil De Guzman comments on the significance of the commemoration. Aired during the 20th commemoration of the International Hotel. Side B contains no recordings.
Jeanette Lazan Interview [part 3] (EH) Jeanette Lazan Interview [part 3] (EH)
Date: 11/13/1990Call Number: IH 024Format: CassetteCollection: The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
Interview between Estella Habal and Jeanette Lazam on social-political forces relating to the I-Hotel. Lazan examines white solidarity with the I-Hotel struggle as well as coalitions with artists, working class folks and farm workers, all of whom united around affordable housing. Within the left, Lazam analyzes the political spectrum which ranged from "radical/ultra-extreme left" to liberal. These groups often clashed and made it difficult to work together. Lack of movement and coalition building experience was a major weakness of activists supporting the I-Hotel struggle. Finally, she looks into the city forces, specifically Sheriff Hongisto.
IH News Fox Ch. 2, KTVU Ch.5 (EH) IH News Fox Ch. 2, KTVU Ch.5 (EH)
Date: 8/3/1997Call Number: IH 027Format: VHSCollection: The International Hotel struggle and the Filipino community
Video recordings of two separate news broadcasts covering the 20th year anniversary of the International Hotel eviction. The first recording is a 3 minute Fox channel 2 broadcast. Field correspondent, John Sasaki covers the story. He names former sheriff Richard Hongisto as one of the prominent protesters. Footage includes appearance and comments by I-Hotel activists Gunvant Shah, Al Robles and Bill Soro. Footage includes old colored film clips of police breaking through barricades and dragging protesters. The second recording is a 2 minute KTVU channel 5 broadcast anchored by Babara Rodgers. Field correspondent, Roz Plater covers the 20th anniversary march of the International Hotel protest. Footage includes an interview with Estella Habal. In her interview, Estella describes some of the tenants who lived in the I-Hotel. Recording includes black and white film clips of the eviction night. Video is recorded on VHS.
International Hotel KPFA Broadcast (EH) International Hotel KPFA Broadcast (EH)
Call Number: CD 441Format: CassetteProducers: Norman Jayo with Third World News ProductionCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
April 1977 pre-eviction broadcast of KPFA audio documentary on the International Hotel struggle. Fully produced and edited program with narration, music, interviews and recorded speeches. Detailed chronological account of the events leading to the eviction which discusses the involvement of Milton Meyer, Walter Shorenstein, Sherrif Richard Hongisto, Mayor George Moscone, The Four Seas Investment Corporation and Judge Ira Brown. Includes interviews and/or audio of tenants Emil de Guzman, Nita Rader, Wahat Tampao and Felix Ayson and city officials Moscone and Hongisto. Discusses the affordable housing struggle, the "Buy-Back" plan that was proposed to the tenants, how the power of Eminent Domain was used for the first time to try and prevent an eviction, Hongisto's contempt of court, and how the greater progressive community joined by the thousands to support the tenants by creating human chains around the building. Program ends asking listeners to support the struggle of the I-Hotel tenants.
International Hotel KPFA Broadcast (EH) International Hotel KPFA Broadcast (EH)
Call Number: CD 495Format: CDCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
April 1977 pre-eviction broadcast of the International Hotel struggle (KPFA). Program contains narration, music, interviews and recorded speeches with detailed chronological account of the events leading to the eviction. Discusses the involvement of the Milton Meyer Company, Walter Shorenstein, Sheriff Richard Hongisto, Mayor George Moscone, The Four Seas Investment Corporation, and Judge Ira Brown. Audio documentation of tenants Emil de Guzman, Nita Rader, Wahat Tampao, Felix Ayson, and city officials Moscone and Hongisto. Topics of the affordable housing struggle are explained, such as the "Buy-Back" plan that was proposed to the tenants, the Power of Eminent Domain to prevent eviction, Hongisto's contempt of court, and the progressive community joining to created a human barricade around the building. Program ends asking listeners to support the struggle of the I-Hotel tenants. Discusses the affordable housing struggle, the "Buy-Back" plan that was proposed to the tenants, how the power of Eminent Domain was used for the first time to try and prevent an eviction, Hongisto's contempt of court, and how the greater progressive community joined by the thousands to support the tenants by creating human chains around the building. Program ends asking listeners to support the struggle of the I-Hotel tenants. On the night of the 1977 International Hotel eviction, a reporter following Sheriff Richard Hongisto made recordings documenting the breaking down of doors. As a sledgehammer is used to break doors down, the reporter comments on the sheriff's refusal to warn tenants to vacate their rooms. Field recording includes verbal exchanges between the sheriff, the reporter, and Estella Habal.