RESOURCES > General Genealogy Resources
General Genealogy Resources
Southern California Genealogy Libraries
Southern California Genealogical Society and Family Research Library http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/
The Southern California Genealogical Society exists to foster interest in family history and genealogy, preserve genealogical materials, and provide instruction in accepted and effective research techniques. The Southern California Genealogical Society is located at 417 Irving Drive, Burbank, California.
Los Angeles FamilySearch Library https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Los_Angeles_Family_History_Library
FamilySearch libraries are located throughout the world and are affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons). The Los Angeles FamilySearch Library is located at 10741 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, California.
Southern California Genealogical Society and Family Research Library http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/
The Southern California Genealogical Society exists to foster interest in family history and genealogy, preserve genealogical materials, and provide instruction in accepted and effective research techniques. The Southern California Genealogical Society is located at 417 Irving Drive, Burbank, California.
Los Angeles FamilySearch Library https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Los_Angeles_Family_History_Library
FamilySearch libraries are located throughout the world and are affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons). The Los Angeles FamilySearch Library is located at 10741 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, California.
Genealogy Software
Ancestry Databases. http://www.ancestry.com/ (Census, Birth, Marriage, Death, Immigration, Military Records): There is FREE Ancestry use at regional branches of the National Archives and Records Administration, various public libraries, SCGS Library. Some free features include census forms, pedigree charts and research logs, etc., in the "Learning Center" area.
FamilySearch https://www.familysearch.org
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints provides free online research for marriage, death, birth, military and census records including the 1940 California Census.
GENI http://www.geni.com A family tree maker that can be shared and collaborated on. This is an online social networking site for families. It maintains web-hosted family trees including photos, audio/video, documents, timelines, and contact information. Participants can link to Facebook profiles, generate potential matches from other member trees, accept and export GEDCOM files, encourage members to invite others and allow multiple tree managers. Accepts Chinese characters for text, can be viewed in multiple languages. Some features require membership fees or free trial. Your information can be viewed by your invitation or can be viewed by the public at your option.
Roots-Magic http://www.rootsmagic.com/
This is software to record, cite, and organize family genealogical facts and findings. Chinese characters and other languages can be entered into the database. Family trees and other layouts may be printed. No Mac version.
Webtrees Online Server Software http://webtrees.net/index.php/en/
Free online, open-sourced collaborative family genealogy software. It works from standard GEDCOM files.
Ancestry Databases. http://www.ancestry.com/ (Census, Birth, Marriage, Death, Immigration, Military Records): There is FREE Ancestry use at regional branches of the National Archives and Records Administration, various public libraries, SCGS Library. Some free features include census forms, pedigree charts and research logs, etc., in the "Learning Center" area.
FamilySearch https://www.familysearch.org
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints provides free online research for marriage, death, birth, military and census records including the 1940 California Census.
GENI http://www.geni.com A family tree maker that can be shared and collaborated on. This is an online social networking site for families. It maintains web-hosted family trees including photos, audio/video, documents, timelines, and contact information. Participants can link to Facebook profiles, generate potential matches from other member trees, accept and export GEDCOM files, encourage members to invite others and allow multiple tree managers. Accepts Chinese characters for text, can be viewed in multiple languages. Some features require membership fees or free trial. Your information can be viewed by your invitation or can be viewed by the public at your option.
Roots-Magic http://www.rootsmagic.com/
This is software to record, cite, and organize family genealogical facts and findings. Chinese characters and other languages can be entered into the database. Family trees and other layouts may be printed. No Mac version.
Webtrees Online Server Software http://webtrees.net/index.php/en/
Free online, open-sourced collaborative family genealogy software. It works from standard GEDCOM files.
Search Engines
Google. Use as a search engine. http://www.google.com
Try various subjects, i.e., Chinese in Mississippi, Chinese in New Guinea, Chinese in the Civil War, Iowa Vital Statistics (birth, death, and marriage records).
Link Sites
Linkpendium.com http://www.linkpendium.com
Linkpendium: The Definitive Directory is being developed by the founders of RootsWeb, a popular genealogy community.
RootsWeb http://www.rootsweb.com
Search for Social Security death records, California death records - include mothers' maiden names. RootsWeb is a free website that is part of the Ancestry.com family of websites. RootsWeb has a little known search tool called "Search Thingy", a powerful site-wide search engine which is located at http://searches.rootsweb.ancestry.com/. Hint: Select this link and use keyword search "Chinese". If you know of a location your family lived but can't find them listed, for example cemetery records, often times the burial records don't reflect a name or have a name spelled or indexed correctly. You will find records listed only as "Chinese" or ethnicity listed as Chinese or China. Search Thingy results are based on how the records were indexed. Family trees uploaded by the general public are searchable and downloadable as well.
Google. Use as a search engine. http://www.google.com
Try various subjects, i.e., Chinese in Mississippi, Chinese in New Guinea, Chinese in the Civil War, Iowa Vital Statistics (birth, death, and marriage records).
Link Sites
Linkpendium.com http://www.linkpendium.com
Linkpendium: The Definitive Directory is being developed by the founders of RootsWeb, a popular genealogy community.
RootsWeb http://www.rootsweb.com
Search for Social Security death records, California death records - include mothers' maiden names. RootsWeb is a free website that is part of the Ancestry.com family of websites. RootsWeb has a little known search tool called "Search Thingy", a powerful site-wide search engine which is located at http://searches.rootsweb.ancestry.com/. Hint: Select this link and use keyword search "Chinese". If you know of a location your family lived but can't find them listed, for example cemetery records, often times the burial records don't reflect a name or have a name spelled or indexed correctly. You will find records listed only as "Chinese" or ethnicity listed as Chinese or China. Search Thingy results are based on how the records were indexed. Family trees uploaded by the general public are searchable and downloadable as well.
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Maps
Los Angeles City and Street Directories http://rescarta.lapl.org/ResCarta-Web/jsp/RcWebBrowse.jsp Digitized portions of selected Los Angeles city directories and Los Angeles street address directories. Search by year (1909-1987) online. Immigration & Naturalization
Manifest Markings-A Guide to Interpreting Passenger List Annotations. http://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/Manifests/ By Marian L. Smith, Historian, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. This is a comprehensive reference guide to interpreting the markings, or annotations, found on immigration passenger lists. This is an extremely useful reference when researching manifests and passenger lists. |
Naturalization Records: http://www.sfgenealogy.com/norcal/resourcecenter/natural.htm
This site includes many naturalization holdings for California and Hawaii and how to access the records.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS, formerly U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service/INS). http://www.uscis.gov/genealogy
USCIS maintains Alien Case Files (A-Files) which may be requested through their Genealogy Program (individuals born more than 100 years ago) or through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request (individuals born less than 100 years ago). Visit the Genealogy Program page for more information and to download Form G-639 for FOIA requests. USCIS also offers an Index Name Search Service for a fee. If a researcher has no other leads other than a name/birthdate/country of birth, perform this index name search service to find records among USCIS' historic records series (naturalization records, A-Files, etc.). Visit the Genealogy Program page for more information.
This site includes many naturalization holdings for California and Hawaii and how to access the records.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS, formerly U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service/INS). http://www.uscis.gov/genealogy
USCIS maintains Alien Case Files (A-Files) which may be requested through their Genealogy Program (individuals born more than 100 years ago) or through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request (individuals born less than 100 years ago). Visit the Genealogy Program page for more information and to download Form G-639 for FOIA requests. USCIS also offers an Index Name Search Service for a fee. If a researcher has no other leads other than a name/birthdate/country of birth, perform this index name search service to find records among USCIS' historic records series (naturalization records, A-Files, etc.). Visit the Genealogy Program page for more information.
Ellis Island www.EllisIsland.org
Port of New York passenger records search for passengers arriving 1892-1924. Must include last name or variation of one. Also has free charts to download and forms to use in genealogy research.
Port of New York passenger records search for passengers arriving 1892-1924. Must include last name or variation of one. Also has free charts to download and forms to use in genealogy research.