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

La Migra La Migra
Date: 7/25/1986Call Number: CV 187Format: Cass A & BProducers: Chuy VarelaProgram: KPFA radioCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Francisco Garcia Rodriguez, from the Mexican America Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), and Raquel Riviera, from the National Moratorium on Prison Construction, speak about immigration issues. They also discuss the Simpson Rodino Act, temporary workers programs, amnesty.
Migra Interviews Migra Interviews
Call Number: CV 189AFormat: Cass AProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Latino immigrants speak about why they came to the US, what they think of the life here, regrets of having immigrated.
Immigration- Centro Legal and the Immigration Clinic Immigration- Centro Legal and the Immigration Clinic
Date: 1/1/1986Call Number: CV 190AFormat: Cass AProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
The volunteer attorneys at the La Raza Centro Legal and the Immigration Clinic in SF speak after the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) and Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments (IMFA) passed.
Pre-Christmas Show - Lolita Lebron Message Pre-Christmas Show - Lolita Lebron Message
Date: 12/18/1976Call Number: FI 038Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Barbara Lubinski, Heber DreherProgram: Freedom Is A Constant StruggleCollection: Freedom is a Constant Struggle
Lolita Lebron Christmas message from prison. Story on Christmas tree lot owner in Oakland shooting at African-American kids, Ku JKlux Klan activities at Camp Pendleton and Black marine resistance, INS atatcks on undocumented workers and case of Jose Medina. Song by Lucita.
David Ilchert Interview - INS David Ilchert Interview - INS
Date: 9/30/1992Call Number: CV 195AFormat: Cass AProducers: Chuy VarelaProgram: KPFACollection: Chuy Varela Collection
INS director speaks about immigration law, employers duties to verify the employment eligibility of workers The day laborers in San Rafael are also discussed.
San Rafael Day Laborers San Rafael Day Laborers
Date: 8/18/1992Call Number: CV 196AFormat: Cass AProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Latino day laborers in San Rafael speak as they stand on street corners looking for work. About their experiences coming to and working in the US, encounters with the INS. Also interviewed are two shopkeepers in the area.
Canal Community Alliance Canal Community Alliance
Date: 8/18/1992Call Number: CV 196BFormat: Cass BProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Tom Wilson and Melissa Martin from the Canal Community Alliance speak about the San Rafael day laborers and the Canal district of San Rafael. They outline city plans to set up a job center for the day laborers, INS raids, racism in the neighborhood.
Peoples Park Protest / San Rafael Hiring Hall Hearing Peoples Park Protest / San Rafael Hiring Hall Hearing
Call Number: CV 197Format: Cass A & BProducers: Chuy VarelaProgram: KPFACollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Protest at People's Park in Berkeley against the installation of sports courts in the park. A public hearing for/against the construction of a hiring hall for immigrant day laborers in San Rafael.
Immigrant and Refugee Women's Conference Immigrant and Refugee Women's Conference
Date: 10/5/1991Call Number: CV 200Format: Cass A & BCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
A conference on immigrant and refugee women's issues.
Speeches on Race and Immigration (Part 1) Speeches on Race and Immigration (Part 1)
Call Number: CD 605Format: CDCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Speeches by Ignatious Bau, Andres Jiminez, Bill McNeill, Irma Manoz and Angela Chu on race and immigration experiences in the United States copy of SS 034A