CISPES records

Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES), Chicago chapter records, 1976-1995

Descriptive Inventory for the Collection at Chicago History Museum, Research Center

By Brandon Wuske; ed. by Sarah Dorpinghaus, 2010

Please address questions to:

Chicago History Museum, Research Center

1601 North Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60614-6038

Telephone: 312-642-4600

Web-site: http://www.chicagohistory.org/research

Processed with funding provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

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Title: Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES), Chicago chapter records, 1976-1995

Main entry: Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (Chicago, Ill.)

Inclusive dates: 1976-1995

Size:

18.25 linear ft. (34 boxes)

Restriction: Research use of this collection is governed by the standard rules and regulations of the Chicago History Museum Research Center.

Accession number: 1989.0463

Provenance statement: Gift of Chicago CISPES (1989.0463).

Terms governing use: Copyright may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendents, as stipulated by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.

Please cite this collection as: Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES), Chicago chapter records (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date, and box/folder number of a specific item.

This descriptive inventory contains the following sections:

Biographical/historical note,

Summary description of the collection,

Description of some material related to the collection,

List of online catalog headings about the collection,

Arrangement of the collection,

Detailed description of archival series in the collection,

List of contents of the collection.

Biographical/historical note:

The Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) was established in 1980 to educate and rally the public against U.S. intervention in El Salvador and Central America, to support the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (Front for National Liberation; FMLN), and to support the people of El Salvador through humanitarian aid. Chicago became the base of one of several U.S. regional CISPES chapters.

Summary description of the collection:

Research files, newsletters, press releases, flyers, newspaper and magazine clippings, correspondence, pamphlets, banners, meeting minutes, photographs, and other records of the Chicago chapter of The Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES). Most of the collection consists of flyers and newsletters printed by other Latin American aid groups, as well as published literature on the political and military situations in El Salvador in the 1980s and 1990s. The collection also contains materials regarding CISPES's activities, including protests of U.S. Reagan Administration policies and protests concerning conditions in El Salvador; fundraisers; letter-writing campaigns; and the CISPES newsletter: El Salvador Alert, or The Alert. Administrative materials pertaining to CISPES's budget, policies, and human resources are also present. Some materials are in Spanish.

Description of some material related to the collection:

Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include annual reports by CISPES and the "El Salvador Alert" (newsletter) published by Chicago CISPES and cataloged separately.

List of online catalog headings about the collection:

The following index headings for this collection were entered in the online catalog.

Subjects:

Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (Chicago, Ill.)--Archives.

Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (U.S.)

Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional.

Duarte, José Napoleón.

El Salvador alert (Chicago, Ill.)

Catholics--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Protest movements--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Radicalism--United States--20th century.

Central America--Politics and government--20th century.

El Salvador--Foreign relations--United States.

El Salvador--Politics and government--1979-1992.

El Salvador--Social conditions--20th century.

United States--Foreign relations--El Salvador.

United States--Foreign relations--Latin America--20th century.

United States--Politics and government--1981-1989

Form/genre:

Announcements.

Banners.

Correspondence.

Minutes.

Newsletters.

Newspaper clippings.

Pamphlets.

Photoprints.

Press releases.

Added entries:

Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (U.S.)

El Salvador alert (Chicago, Ill.)

United States--Illinois--Cook County--Chicago.

Arrangement of the collection:

The collection is arranged in seven series:

Series 1. Activities files, 1980-1994 (box 1-5)

Series 2. Administrative files, ca. 1980-1995 (box 5-9)

Series 3. Clippings, ca. 1980-1992 (box 9-12)

Series 4. Correspondence, ca. 1980-1992 (box 12-15)

Series 5. Related organization files, ca. 1976-1994 (box 15-21)

Series 6. Research material on El Salvador, ca. 1979-1994 (box 21-29)

Series 7. Banners, ca. 1976-1995 (box 30-34)

Detailed description of archival series in the collection:

Series 1. Activities files, 1980-1994 (box 1-5)

Series 1 consists of national mailings, flyers, reports, clippings, layouts, handwritten notes, petitions, and schedules related to activities in which CISPES sponsored or participated. Activities include the "Caravan" program to deliver material aid to El Salvador, the delegation to help monitor elections in El Salvador in the early 1990s, the 9th Congressional District Campaign to End the War in Central America, protest marches on Washington, D.C., and various protests and fundraisers in the Chicago area.

Series 2. Administrative files, ca. 1980-1995 (box 5-9)

Series 2 contains mailings, reports, proposals, agendas, training materials, meeting minutes, evaluations, handwritten notes, budgets, resumes, and clippings related to the administration of CISPES, particularly of the Chicago chapter. Most mailings are from the CISPES main office and communicate CISPES policies and agendas to its various chapters. Also present are training materials which instruct CISPES workers on canvassing, fundraising, and public relations.

Series 3. Clippings, ca. 1980-1992 (box 9-12)

Series 3 contains newspaper and magazine clippings, newsletter layouts, handwritten notes, and published reports. The materials are largely newspaper and magazine clippings regarding political, military, and humanitarian conditions in El Salvador and Central America. Articles also pertain to protest activity in Chicago and the United States, including the activities of CISPES. Also included are articles on Chicago and United States politicians and their positions on events in Central America. Some materials are in Spanish.

Series 4. Correspondence, ca. 1980-1992 (box 12-15)

Series 4 contains CISPES correspondence including press releases on El Salvador, human rights reports, and the CISPES newsletter The Alert. In addition is correspondence between politicians, government officials, and activists concerning El Salvador and Central America. Correspondence between Chicago residents and Illinois politicians, such as Senator Paul Simon and Representative Dan Rostenkowski, is also present.

Series 5. Related organization files, ca. 1976-1994 (box 15-21)

Series 5 contains newsletters, press releases, flyers, brochures, pamphlets, correspondence, and reports from related organizations, including activist groups, political lobbies, and religious organizations. Included are materials regarding the Latin American Social Network, the Anti-Draft Movement, the Latin American Solidarity Network, and Casa El Salvador. Some materials are in Spanish.

Series 6. Research material on El Salvador, ca. 1979-1994 (box 21-29)

Series 6 contains published reports, booklets, press releases, news updates, fact sheets, dossiers, correspondence, and flyers regarding the conflict in El Salvador and Central America. Included are government reports on U.S. involvement in El Salvador and Central America, published by such entities as the CIA, the Arms Control and Foreign Policy Caucus, and the State Department. This series also contains reports and press releases from non-governmental agencies, including Amnesty International, El Salvador Online, and the Washington Office on Latin America. Press releases from organizations within El Salvador, such as the FMLN, are also present as well as several testimonies from political prisoners and alleged victims of war crimes. Dossiers pertain to individual members of congress and their stances on various Central American conflicts. Some materials are in Spanish.

Series 7. Banners, ca. 1976-1995 (box 30-34)

Series 7 contains CISPES banners used for various protests and demonstrations in the Chicago area.

List of contents of the collection:

Box 1-5 Activities files, 1980-1994

Box 5-9 Administrative files, ca. 1980-1995

Box 9-12 Clippings, ca. 1980-1992

Box 12-15 Correspondence, ca.1980-1992

Box 15-21 Related organization files, ca. 1976-1994

Box 21-29 Research material on El Salvador, ca.1979-1994

Box 30-34 Banners, ca. 1976-1995