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Government Sources & NARA
NARA Case Files: Interrogation records for immigration and re-entry could have photographs, physical characteristics, a relative’s signature in Chinese characters and interrogation answers with name transcribed in English. If your relative arrived in the United States prior to marriage, his birth name may be different from his married generational name.
Case files during the Exclusion Act years include interrogation records that usually have the names of the family village for male relatives. The names would be written in English from the Cantonese sounds. Questions can include how many houses were in the village; which row and which dwelling was the family house; where the school was located; where the well was located; who were the neighbors, etc. Hand-drawn maps of the layout of the section where the family house was located and descriptions and drawings of the interior floor plan of the family house may sometimes be found.
Females are usually asked about their husband’s village with questions, such as, who was the go-between, how far it was to travel from her village to her husband’s on the wedding day, who traveled with her; where the wedding banquet took place; who attended, which was their house, etc. Sometimes, one may be lucky to find the family name and the name of the family village of the female relative, hand-drawn maps of the where the family house was located, or even red wedding banners in NARA files.
Case files during the Exclusion Act years include interrogation records that usually have the names of the family village for male relatives. The names would be written in English from the Cantonese sounds. Questions can include how many houses were in the village; which row and which dwelling was the family house; where the school was located; where the well was located; who were the neighbors, etc. Hand-drawn maps of the layout of the section where the family house was located and descriptions and drawings of the interior floor plan of the family house may sometimes be found.
Females are usually asked about their husband’s village with questions, such as, who was the go-between, how far it was to travel from her village to her husband’s on the wedding day, who traveled with her; where the wedding banquet took place; who attended, which was their house, etc. Sometimes, one may be lucky to find the family name and the name of the family village of the female relative, hand-drawn maps of the where the family house was located, or even red wedding banners in NARA files.
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1940 Census Records from the NARA: http://www.1940census.archives.gov
In addition to the NARA resources listed above, their page on ethnic heritage has a lot of good links to Asian genealogy and research sites: http://www.archives.gov/research/alic/reference/ethnic-heritage.html This resource includes Chinese Genealogical Resources, Chinese Surnames, Chinese Research, a Library of Congress site on 75 years of the Chinese in California, etc. 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 the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request (individuals born less than 100 years ago). Hawaii State Archives for 1843-1900 Passenger Lists, Arrivals and Departures: Ships Passenger Manifests http://ags.hawaii.gov/archives/about-us/genealogy-research-guide/ships-passenger-manifests/ A Guide for Researching Your Chinese Family History Members of the Chinese Family History Group have published an excellent guide on researching Chinese family history that can be purchased HERE. NARA Chinese Exclusion Act Files These databases include indexes from Berkeley, Boston, New York, Portland, Riverside, San Bruno, Seattle, Vancouver INS San Francisco Index to Certificates of Identity 1909-1938 |
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National Archives and Records Administration at San Francisco (NARA-SF). http://www.archives.gov/pacific/san-francisco/
This NARA regional facility maintains original historic immigration case files created by INS District Offices in San Francisco, Reno, and Honolulu from circa 1884-1955. Among these are Chinese Exclusion Era files of Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans. Research requests should be sent by e-mail to sanbruno.archives@nara.gov or by postal mail to 1000 Commodore Drive, San Bruno, CA 94066. The Archives phone number is (650) 238-3501. Appointments are STRONGLY encouraged.
National Archives / Genealogy-Ethnic Heritage, Asian
http://www.archives.gov/research/chinese-americans/guide.html
Offers an overview of records related to Chinese Americans held in the National Archives.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and 1940 Census Records from the NARA
www.archives.gov/locations/finding-aids/Chinese-immigration.html
www.1940census.archives.gov
Several regional NARA facilities have Chinese Exclusion Era case files. To identify which NARA region has which case files, see the publication “Chinese Immigration and Chinese in the United States” (NARA Reference Information Paper 99)
This NARA regional facility maintains original historic immigration case files created by INS District Offices in San Francisco, Reno, and Honolulu from circa 1884-1955. Among these are Chinese Exclusion Era files of Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans. Research requests should be sent by e-mail to sanbruno.archives@nara.gov or by postal mail to 1000 Commodore Drive, San Bruno, CA 94066. The Archives phone number is (650) 238-3501. Appointments are STRONGLY encouraged.
National Archives / Genealogy-Ethnic Heritage, Asian
http://www.archives.gov/research/chinese-americans/guide.html
Offers an overview of records related to Chinese Americans held in the National Archives.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and 1940 Census Records from the NARA
www.archives.gov/locations/finding-aids/Chinese-immigration.html
www.1940census.archives.gov
Several regional NARA facilities have Chinese Exclusion Era case files. To identify which NARA region has which case files, see the publication “Chinese Immigration and Chinese in the United States” (NARA Reference Information Paper 99)
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) – Alien Files (A-Files) Presentation by Elizabeth Burns, Archivist – National Archives at Kansas City – Virtual Genealogy Fair 2013
http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/know-your-records/genealogy-fair/2013/presentations/Tues12pm-Burnes_Presentation-A-Files.pdf
Does my immigrant ancestor have an A-File? The A-Files do not document every immigrant to the United States. Use this chart to determine who may have.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) – Alien Files (A-Files)
Does my immigrant ancestor have an A-File?
http://aiisf.org/pdf/AFiles_at_NARA.pdf
NARA This page on ethnic heritage has a lot of good links to Asian genealogy and research sites:
http://www.archives.gov/research/alic/reference/ethnic-heritage.html
This site includes Chinese Genealogical Resources, Chinese Surnames, Chinese Research, a Library of Congress site on 75 years of the Chinese in California, etc.
http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/know-your-records/genealogy-fair/2013/presentations/Tues12pm-Burnes_Presentation-A-Files.pdf
Does my immigrant ancestor have an A-File? The A-Files do not document every immigrant to the United States. Use this chart to determine who may have.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) – Alien Files (A-Files)
Does my immigrant ancestor have an A-File?
http://aiisf.org/pdf/AFiles_at_NARA.pdf
NARA This page on ethnic heritage has a lot of good links to Asian genealogy and research sites:
http://www.archives.gov/research/alic/reference/ethnic-heritage.html
This site includes Chinese Genealogical Resources, Chinese Surnames, Chinese Research, a Library of Congress site on 75 years of the Chinese in California, etc.