Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Records, 1983-1986
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Seattle (Wash.). Citizens' Commission on Central America
- Title
- Records
- Dates
- 1983-1986 (inclusive)19831986
- 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.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
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.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
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.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
[Item and date], Citizens' Commission on Central America Records, Record Series 4102-01. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
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
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Citizen's Commission on Central America Records, 1983-1986Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
COCA Subject
Files |
1984-1986 | |
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | COCA Board/Commission
Report |
1986 |
1/2 | COCA Bylaws |
1985-1986 |
1/3 | COCA Correspondence
(Incoming) |
1985-1986 |
1/4 | COCA Correspondence
(Responses to information requests) |
1986 |
1/5 | COCA Education
Committee |
1986 |
1/6 | COCA General
Information |
1983-1984 |
1/7 | COCA General
Information |
1983-1984 |
1/8 | COCA Information
Packet |
1986 |
1/9 | COCA Liaison
Committee |
1986 |
1/10 | COCA Library Committee:
Central America Documentation Center |
1986 |
1/11 | COCA Mailing List
(Members and others) |
1984-1986 |
1/12 | COCA Mailing List
(Press) |
1984-1986 |
1/13 | COCA Membership:
Attendance and Resignations |
1984-1986 |
1/14 | COCA Membership: List of
Members, July 1986 |
1986 |
1/15 | COCA Membership: Member
Information and New Recruitment |
1984-1986 |
1/16 | COCA Membership: Original
Recruitment |
1984 |
1/17 | COCA News Conference:
"City Commission Opposes Contra Aid" |
1985 |
1/18 | COCA Progress
Report |
1986 |
1/19 | COCA Project
Proposals |
1986 |
1/20 | COCA Staffing |
1986 |
1/21 | COCA Welcome Packet for
New Commissioners |
1986 |
1/22 | Congressional Delegation:
Correspondence and Information |
1986 |
1/23 | Delegation to El
Salvador |
1986 |
1/24 | Delegation to El
Salvador: Human Rights/Background Information |
1986 |
1/25 | International
Affairs |
1984-1986 |
1/26 | Managua-Seattle Sister
City Relationship |
1984-1986 |
1/27 | Mayor's Letter on Contra
Aid |
1986 |
1/28 | National Conference of
Democratic Mayors: Correspondence and Agenda |
1984 |
1/29 | National League of Cities
Convention: Information and Planning |
1985 |
1/30 | National League of Cities
Convention: Pamphlet and Report |
1985 |
2/1 | Proclamation: Peace in
Central America Week (March 17-24, 1986) |
1986 |
2/2 | Tax Dollars At Work in
Central America |
n.d. |
2/3 | University of Washington:
Reception and Class |
1985 |
2/4 | Veterans Fast For
Life/Seattle Citizens' Fast |
1986 |
2/5 | Veterans Fast For
Life/Seattle Citizens' Fast - News Conference |
1986 |
2/6 | Visitors |
1984-1986 |
COCA Meeting
Minutes |
1984-1986 | |
Box/Folder | ||
2/7 | COCA Meeting -
3/22/84 |
1984 |
2/8 | COCA Meeting -
4/12/84 |
1984 |
2/9 | COCA Meeting -
5/3/84 |
1984 |
2/10 | COCA Meeting -
7/10/84 |
1984 |
2/11 | COCA Meeting -
8/8/84 |
1984 |
2/12 | COCA Meeting -
11/8/84 |
1984 |
2/13 | COCA Meeting -
1/10/85 |
1985 |
2/14 | COCA Meeting -
2/14/85 |
1985 |
2/15 | COCA Meeting -
3/14/85 |
1985 |
2/16 | COCA Meeting -
4/11/85 |
1985 |
2/17 | COCA Meeting -
5/9/185 |
1985 |
2/18 | COCA Meeting -
6/13/85 |
1985 |
2/19 | COCA Meeting -
7/11/85 |
1985 |
2/20 | COCA Meeting -
8/19/85 |
1985 |
2/21 | COCA Meeting -
9/5/85 |
1985 |
2/22 | COCA Meeting -
10/10/85 |
1985 |
2/23 | COCA Meeting -
11/14/85 |
1985 |
2/24 | COCA Meeting -
12/12/85 |
1985 |
2/25 | COCA Meeting -
1/16/86 |
1986 |
2/26 | COCA Meeting -
2/17/86 |
1986 |
2/27 | COCA Meeting -
3/13/86 |
1986 |
2/28 | COCA Meeting -
4/10/86 |
1986 |
2/29 | COCA Meeting - 5/8/86;
Executive Committee Meetings - 5/15/86 |
1986 |
2/30 | COCA Meeting -
6/12/86 |
1986 |
2/31 | COCA Meeting -
7/10/86 |
1986 |
2/32 | COCA Meeting -
8/14/86 |
1986 |
2/33 | COCA Meeting -
9/11/86 |
1986 |
2/34 | COCA Meeting -
10/21/86 |
1986 |
2/35 | COCA Meeting -
11/18/86 |
1986 |
2/36 | Media Project
Minutes |
1985-1986 |
Resolutions and
Initiatives |
1983-1986 | |
Box/Folder | ||
3/1 | Initiative 28 "For Peace
In Central America" / Resolution 27035 |
1983-1986 |
3/2 | Initiative 30 "For
Responsible Immigration": Correspondence and Information |
1986 |
3/3 | Initiative 30 "For
Responsible Immigration": Election Information |
1986 |
3/4 | Initiative 30 "For
Responsible Immigration": Proposed Initiative |
1986 |
3/5 | Initiative 30 "For
Responsible Immigration": Yes and No Committees |
1986 |
3/6 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Articles |
1985-1986 |
3/7 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Background Information |
1985 |
3/8 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Correspondence |
1984-1986 |
3/9 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Correspondence, Drafts, Information |
1985-1986 |
3/10 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Correspondence and Memoranda |
1984-1986 |
3/11 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Drafts |
1985-1986 |
3/12 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Findings and Recommendations |
1984-1986 |
3/13 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Funding Correspondence |
1985-1986 |
3/14 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: King County |
1986 |
3/15 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Organization Input and Correspondence |
1985-1986 |
3/16 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Other Cities' Resolutions |
1984-1985 |
3/17 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Press Conference |
1985 |
3/18 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Public Hearings |
1985 |
3/19 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Public Hearings - Expert Testimony |
1985 |
3/20 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Questions and Answers |
1985 |
3/21 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Report on Sanctuary Issues (Bibliography) |
1985 |
3/22 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Report on Sanctuary City Issues (Draft) |
1985 |
4/1 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Report on Sanctuary City Issues (Draft) |
1985 |
4/2 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Report on Sanctuary City Issues (Final Draft) |
1985 |
4/3 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Report on Sanctuary City Issues (Footnotes) |
1985 |
4/4 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Research Memo |
1985 |
4/5 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Resolution 27402 As Passed |
1986 |
4/6 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Sanctuary Church Break-Ins (articles) |
1985-1986 |
4/7 | Sanctuary City
Resolution: Washington State Legislature re: Sanctuary |
1985 |
Reference
Materials |
1984-1986 | |
Box/Folder | ||
4/8 | Asylum: Adjudications
(INS) |
1982 |
4/9 | Asylum: Articles and
Statistics |
1986 |
4/10 | Asylum: Grants and
Denials |
1985 |
4/11 | Asylum: Grants and
Denials |
1986 |
4/12 | Baptist Churches v. Meese
(includes Status of Refugees information) |
1986 |
4/13 | General Accounting Office
Report on Illegal Aliens |
1986 |
4/14 | Immigration Reform and
Control Act of 1986 |
1986 |
4/15 | Medical Reports: El
Salvador |
1980-1985 |
4/16 | Out of Balance: Central
America News Coverage in the Seattle Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and the
New York Times |
1985-1986 |
4/17 | World Affairs Council
Newsletter |
1986 |
4/18 | World Without War
Council: Panel on Kissinger Report |
1984 |
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)