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, specifcally AND/+, NOT/-, and OR operators. 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.
Welcome to the Freedom Archives' Digital Search Engine.The Freedom Archives contains over 12,000 hours of audio and video recordings which date from the late-1960s to the mid-90s and chronicle the progressive history of the Bay Area, the United States, and international movements. We are also in the process of scanning and uploading thousands of historical documents which enrich our media holdings. Our collection includes weekly news, poetry, music programs; in-depth interviews and reports on social and cultural issues; numerous voices from behind prison walls; diverse activists; and pamphlets, journals and other materials from many radical organizations and movements.

Asian American Struggles

The Asian American Struggles collection features a selection of several newspapers and pamphlets produced by Asian-American progressive communities, such as New Dawn, Gidra, and more. 

Subcollections

  • Richard Aoki
    Richard Aoki
    Richard Aoki is best known for being the only Asian-American to hold a formal leadership position in the Black Panther Party and his formative role in the Third World Strike and in the establishment of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley.

Documents

The Life and Times of Richard Aoki: in his own words The Life and Times of Richard Aoki: in his own words
Publisher: Richard Aoki Memorial CommitteeYear: 2009Format: EphemeraCollection: Richard Aoki
The Life and Times of Richard Aoki in his own words. From Richard Aoki's interview with KPFA Apex Reporter, Wayie Ly Taped July 2006
Richard Aoki Interviews with KPFA Reporter Wayie Richard Aoki Interviews with KPFA Reporter Wayie
Volume Number: JulyFormat: TranscriptCollection: Richard Aoki
Interview with Richard Aoki from July 2006. 16 questions; 22 page transcript.
Mitsuye Yamada Reads Neutralize! Mitsuye Yamada Reads Neutralize!
Format: mp3Producers: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Asian American Struggles
Mitsuye Yamada reads her poem in response to the isolation of Susan Rosenberg and Alejandrina Torres at the Control Unit in Lexington Federal Penitentiary, Kentucky. A poet, Mitsuye Yamada is the author of Camp Notes and Other Writings. An educator, Mitsuye teaches Asian American Studies at UC Irvine, and has led the way for Asian American feminists.
Yellow Power Yellow Power
Publisher: Giant RobotYear: 1998Format: ArticleCollection: Asian American Struggles
Article with segments focusing on Yuri Kochiyama, Lee Lew-Lee, Richard Aoki, The Gang of Four, Noboku Miyamoto, Mo Nishida, Art Ishii and Guy Kurose, George Woo, Alex Hing and more.
Fred Ho Remembered [DVD] Fred Ho Remembered [DVD]
Year: 2014Call Number: V 941Format: DVDProducers: Steven De CastroCollection: Asian American Struggles
A series of clips to commemorate Fred Ho who passed away April 12, 2014. Fred was a jazz baritone saxophonist, composer, bandleader, playwright, writer and Marxist social activist. A series of photos / Cancer Revolution / Fred Ho 1987 She-Wolf
Fred Ho Special Fred Ho Special
Date: 4/26/2014Call Number: CD 941Format: MP3 CDProducers: Art SatoCollection: Asian American Struggles
Tribute to Fred Ho on Art Sato's "in Your Ear" on KPFA.
Fred Ho Special Fred Ho Special
Date: 4/26/2014Call Number: CD 942Format: CDProducers: Art SatoCollection: Asian American Struggles
Tribute to Fred Ho on Art Sato's "in Your Ear" on KPFA.
A Historical Survey of Organizations of the Left Among the Chinese in America A Historical Survey of Organizations of the Left Among the Chinese in America
Author: H.M. LaiPublisher: Bulletin of Concerned Asian ScholarsYear: 1972Call Number: Format: ArticleCollection: Asian American Struggles
An overview of Chinese-led leftist political organizations in the U.S., primarily focused on the Bay Area from 1900-1950. Prominent organizations including the Chinese Socialist Club, Chinese Workers Mutual Aid Association (CWMAA), and the Chinese Hand Laundry Alliance (CHLA) are explored. The article also discusses the relationship between Chinese-led socialist organizations and other, predominantly white labor organizations and unions such as the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). Influences such as changing political conditions in China, McCarthy-era oppression, and police brutality against leftist movements are also discussed. Includes an appendix of notable movement organizations, people, and publications.