Chinese Genealogy Resources
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China, Collection of Genealogies, 1239-2011
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1787988 This collection is not searchable by individual name. Images of titles held by the University of Hong Kong and other repositories are organized first by the family surname, then by the region/country described in the jiapu. NARA www.archives.gov/research/alic/reference/ethnic-heritage.html
This page on ethnic heritage has a lot of good links to Asian genealogy and research sites. Ship Passenger Lists: Early immigrants and people in steerage were often not listed by name, but as “Chinaman” or not listed at all. If listed on passenger lists after the Exclusion Act, the ancestor was not in steerage, but may have been in second or third class. Travel companions may be listed and their relationship. Women were usually listed with their maiden name and氏 “Shee” (indicates married woman). Ship passenger lists for entry into San Francisco were destroyed by fire in 1851 and in 1940.
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Sample Certificate of Residence for Auyong Lin Sang (aka Auyong Wah Chan) 歐陽 華進
Identification Certificates including Section Z-exempt classes (merchants, scholars, and diplomats) from the Chinese Exclusion Act; Return Certificates; and Certificate of Residence: Name, photo, local residence, occupation, complexion, identification marks, and date can be found in these certificates.
U.S. Census Records 1790-1940 can be searched through www.familysearch.com including the 1940 Census. The 1890 Census was destroyed by fire. Census records may show Chinese or American names, age, residence, marital status, language spoken, literacy, occupation, members of the household and neighbors.
Interview with Relatives: Older relatives might be able to tell you the true family surname, birth and generational names, full female names and ancestral village name. (See section on Oral History Interview Techniques)
Old family photographs: Look for age of children, clothing, hairstyle, buildings and cars, signage, handwriting on back or front, and non-family members.
U.S. Census Records 1790-1940 can be searched through www.familysearch.com including the 1940 Census. The 1890 Census was destroyed by fire. Census records may show Chinese or American names, age, residence, marital status, language spoken, literacy, occupation, members of the household and neighbors.
Interview with Relatives: Older relatives might be able to tell you the true family surname, birth and generational names, full female names and ancestral village name. (See section on Oral History Interview Techniques)
Old family photographs: Look for age of children, clothing, hairstyle, buildings and cars, signage, handwriting on back or front, and non-family members.
Letters from China: If old letters can be found, the name and address in Chinese characters can give the true surname and ancestral village or city.
NARA Business Partnership Records: Each Chinese mercantile business from 1882 to the 1958 was required to list all partners by the Department of Labor immigration officials to determine whether merchant classification was warranted. Sometimes photos of the partners, their monetary investment in the business and signature can be found. Businesses were inspected and witnesses interviewed. Business licenses may be found in city records.
Family Associations: If the males in the family belonged to a family association, the name of the family association would give a clue as to the real surname. There may be ancestral tablets at the family association or in the ancestral village as well as records of family lineages. The family association may be able to help you identify and locate the name of your family village.
Chinese Cemeteries: Chinese cemeteries in the United States are often managed by associations that are made up of members that came from the same part or district in China. Contacting the association may reveal more information. It is advised that you take someone along with you who speaks Cantonese when contacting the association.
Gravestones: Chinese characters for the name of the deceased may differ from the English name they lived under. Also, the province, district and ancestral village of birthplace may be written in Chinese characters. The family village in Chinese may indicate the name of the clan(s) that resided in that village. Prior to WWII, bones of the deceased were shipped back to China for burial in the ancestral village. Current village names are in Mandarin and may have been simplified.
The date of birth and date of death may be written in Chinese characters using the Chinese calendar.
Other Legal Documents: These may include naturalization papers, lawsuits, marriage certificates, and divorce papers, as well as the following:
City Directories: These may list Chinese businesses and residents. The Glendale Public Library has Los Angeles city directories for many years between 1872-1942. The Los Angeles Central Library downtown has many city directories.
Los Angeles City and Street Directories http://rescarta.lapl.org/ResCarta-Web/jsp/RcWebBrowse.jsp contains digitized portions of selected Los Angles city directories and street address directories. Search by year (1909-1987) online.
Local Newspapers and Chinese Language Newspapers: These may contain ads for Chinese owned businesses and obituary notices.
Chinese Church Records: Chinese churches in the Los Angeles area may have kept early records on baptisms, marriages, funerals and burials.
NARA Business Partnership Records: Each Chinese mercantile business from 1882 to the 1958 was required to list all partners by the Department of Labor immigration officials to determine whether merchant classification was warranted. Sometimes photos of the partners, their monetary investment in the business and signature can be found. Businesses were inspected and witnesses interviewed. Business licenses may be found in city records.
Family Associations: If the males in the family belonged to a family association, the name of the family association would give a clue as to the real surname. There may be ancestral tablets at the family association or in the ancestral village as well as records of family lineages. The family association may be able to help you identify and locate the name of your family village.
Chinese Cemeteries: Chinese cemeteries in the United States are often managed by associations that are made up of members that came from the same part or district in China. Contacting the association may reveal more information. It is advised that you take someone along with you who speaks Cantonese when contacting the association.
Gravestones: Chinese characters for the name of the deceased may differ from the English name they lived under. Also, the province, district and ancestral village of birthplace may be written in Chinese characters. The family village in Chinese may indicate the name of the clan(s) that resided in that village. Prior to WWII, bones of the deceased were shipped back to China for burial in the ancestral village. Current village names are in Mandarin and may have been simplified.
The date of birth and date of death may be written in Chinese characters using the Chinese calendar.
Other Legal Documents: These may include naturalization papers, lawsuits, marriage certificates, and divorce papers, as well as the following:
- Birth Certificates of relatives born in the United States may found in county records, and may list the parents’ names and birthplace. The birth certificate of the oldest child may contain the birth name of the father.
- Death Certificates may include the true full name (either birth name or married name) of the deceased and not the paper name, date, time, place, and cause of death.
- Adoption papers may list names of biological parents, birthplace and date.
- Property Records or Title in county records after the Chinese were allowed to own property in 1943. Property titles were sometimes put in the names of American-born children prior to 1943.
- Military Records: Chinese and Chinese Americans have served in the military from the Civil War to the present. However, 82% of Army records from 1912 to 1959 were severely damaged by fire. Although difficult, direct descendants with permission from a living relative may access these records.
City Directories: These may list Chinese businesses and residents. The Glendale Public Library has Los Angeles city directories for many years between 1872-1942. The Los Angeles Central Library downtown has many city directories.
Los Angeles City and Street Directories http://rescarta.lapl.org/ResCarta-Web/jsp/RcWebBrowse.jsp contains digitized portions of selected Los Angles city directories and street address directories. Search by year (1909-1987) online.
Local Newspapers and Chinese Language Newspapers: These may contain ads for Chinese owned businesses and obituary notices.
Chinese Church Records: Chinese churches in the Los Angeles area may have kept early records on baptisms, marriages, funerals and burials.