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Records, 1983-1986

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Seattle (Wash.). Citizens' Commission on Central America
Title
Records
Dates
1983-1986 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.6 cubic feet, (4 boxes)
Collection Number
4102-01
Summary
Records of the Citizens' Commission on Central America (1983-1986), including meeting minutes, correspondence, and draft legislation.
Repository
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov
Access Restrictions

Records are open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

At the November 8, 1983 election, Seattle voters passed Initiative 28, titled "For Peace in Central America." This initiative outlined the opposition of Seattle's citizens to United States support of the governments of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, supporting a peaceful resolution to the the conflicts and human rights violations in those countries. The initiative further asked that "...federal funds now being used to promote destruction in Central America be redirected to promotion of services vital to the welfare of the City of Seattle" and other American cities.

Initiative 28 also required the City Council to create the Citizens' Commission on Central America. Members would "monitor events in the region and propose further actions" that would further the end of United States support to Central American governments and encourage redirection of the funds to meet the needs of American cities. The twenty members included representatives from El Centro de la Raza, the University of Washington, the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, and the Global Reach Consortium, among other organizations.

The Citizens' Commission on Central America initiated and supported a wide variety of activities; its committees included the Delegation to Central America, Central America Documentation Center, Education, Media Relations, and Interdepartmental Liaison Committees. Projects and activities included meeting with various international visitors, endorsing the Managua-Seattle Sister City relationship, sponsoring a Citizens' Commission representative on a fact-finding visit to El Salvador, and organizing and sponsoring public hearings and an in-depth study on the issue of becoming a "sanctuary city" for refugees from Central America.

In January 1986, a resolution declaring Seattle a "city of refuge" was passed by the City Council, stating that the city "reaffirms the American tradition of providing refuge to law abiding persons who have fled...for fear of losing their lives." The resolution pertained particularly to Guatemalan and Salvadoran refugees, few of whom had been granted "temporary safe haven" or political asylum by the United States government. The resolution also urged other cities to voice support for the application of the Refugee Act of 1980 for Guatemalan and Salvadoran refugees.

In November 1986, Seattle voters passed Initiative 30, which rescinded the City of Refuge resolution and dissolved the Citizens' Commission on Central America. The Initiative stated that Seattle's citizens supported the immigration laws of the federal government and that the City should focus on its own problems rather than spending its resources on involving itself with foreign policy. In part, Initiative 30 states that "it appears the Citizens' Commission on Central America has become or been used as a platform for political activities sympathetic to anti-democratic governments and political movements seeking to discredit or obstruct American policies and laws."

The Citizens' Commission on Central America was dissolved in December 1986.

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Content Description

The files contain correspondence, memoranda, press clippings, and draft legislation; minutes of monthly meetings between March 1984 and November 1986 are also included. Subjects covered include the "City of Refuge" or sanctuary city resolution, the Seattle/Managua Sister City Program, Contra aid, immigration reform, and Initiatives 28 and 30. Photocopies of newspaper clippings are included in many files. These clippings often provide background information on the issues as well as articles relating specifically to the Commission's activities and interests.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Citizens' Commission on Central America Records, Record Series 4102-01. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Records are arranged in four subseries:

I: Citizens' Commission on Central America Administrative Records

II: Meeting Minutes

III: Resolutions and Initiatives

IV: Reference Materials

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Refugees--El Salvador
  • Refugees--Guatemala
  • Refugees--Services for--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Refugees--Washington (State)--Seattle

Corporate Names

  • Seattle (Wash.). Citizens' Commission on Central America

Geographical Names

  • El Salvador--Politics and government
  • Guatemala--Politics and government
  • Nicaragua--Politics and government
  • Seattle (Wash.)--Politics and government

Form or Genre Terms

  • Correspondence
  • Minutes

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Brenneke, Andrea (creator)
    • Royer, Charles, 1939- (creator)

    Corporate Names

    • Seattle (Wash.). Mayor (creator)

Finding aid prepared by Shannon B. Lynch
2004

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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