The Know Your Records program consists of free events with up-to-date information about our holdings. Events offer opportunities for you to learn about the National Archives’ records through ongoing lectures, monthly genealogy programs, and the annual genealogy fair. Additional resources include online reference reports for genealogical research, and the newsletter Researcher News . www.archives.gov/calendar/know-your-records
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the nation's record keeper. Of all the documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States Federal government, only 1%–3% are determined permanently valuable. Those valuable records are preserved and are available to you, whether you want to see if they contain clues about your family’s history, need to prove a veteran’s military service, or are researching an historical topic that interests you. www.archives.gov/calendar/know-your-records
May 10, 2017 Although the search for a Chinese Exclusion Act case file may be difficult and challenging, the rewards can be great for the family and social historian. Presented by the National Archives at Seattle Director Susan Karren in recognition of the Chinese Exclusion Act’s 135th anniversary. www.archives.gov/calendar/know-your-records
Susan Karren is the Director of the National Archives at Seattle. She has been with the National Archives for 30 years, 27 of them in Seattle. She has also worked in Washington, DC and in Chicago. Susan Karren Sue received her M.A. in history Director from Brigham Young University. National Archives at Seattle, WA www.archives.gov/calendar/know-your-records
zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA OH, THE STORIES THEY TELL: Chinese Exclusion Acts Case Files at the National Archives & Records Administration
Who? Where? When? • Any person of Chinese ancestry, whether U.S. citizen or alien, entering or re- entering the U.S. • Ports from San Francisco to New York • 1884–1943 6
What? How many? • Photos, interrogations, forms • Almost half million individual case files 7
Where do I look for these? • Exclusion files were kept by the district that created the first file even if later travel occurred through different districts • Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) records are held by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) facility that serves the state in which the port, district or city is located 8
zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA Everyone of Chinese descent. . . S oong Ching Ling 1907 Madame Sun Yet Sen Soong May Ling 1907 Dr. Sun Yet Sen Madame Chiang 1910 Kei-shek 9
Even the most American of professions. . . Actress Anna May Wong 10
Photos included in files can also show : zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA Changes in fashion over time Americanization of the person Family portrait styles Interiors and exteriors of Chinese businesses 11
zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA Watch your ancestor grow up 1899 (7 years 1906 (14 years old with sister) old with father) 1893 (1 year old) 1914 (22 years old) 12
Chinese-American Families zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA 13 San Francisco, February 1914
Chinese-American Families zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA 14 San Francisco, May 1914
Chinese-American Families 15 1922
Interrogations 16
Forms also give personal glimpses into family life 17
. . . and show that INS didn’t even always understand the laws 18
How do you prove you are who you say you are? • Interrogations often focused on identification of family members in photos and descriptions of places the person was supposed to know. zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA • Hand drawn maps by parent and child used for comparison • Fill-in-the-blank maps for persons who were returning to a city in which they claimed to have formerly lived 19
Interrogations • Information varied depending on a person’s situation but usually included • name(s), age, place of birth, marital status, place of marriage, occupation • May include • names of parents and siblings and where they live • number and names of children • travel history • descriptions of cities, towns and villages 20
Merchant? Laborer? • Files contain documentation to help support and reject a person’s status zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA • Photos provide an interesting glimpse of 20 th century business life in the U.S. • Can be used to show the development of business districts 21
Olympia, WA - 5th and Columbia ca.1903 22
Tuck Tung Co., Seattle, WA ca.1905 gambling establishment? 23
zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA Austin, Texas restaurant 513 Congress Ave. Austin, Texas ca. 1904 24
Chinese businesses Lee Bing business Mt. Holyoke, MA ca.1904 25
Chinese businesses Lace House Dry Goods Company 1517 Market St. 26 St. Louis, MO (ca. 1909)
U.S. Cities - Seattle Seattle, 1890 27
A view of post-fire Seattle, 1903 28
Tw o maps, one village - father’s, w ith annotations Village map 29
zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA How do I locate a file? A case file number is gold! • do you have any documents the person left behind – you may already have what you need • Have you located a file for another family member – check for a cross-reference sheet 30
Certificates of Identity May still be w ith ow ner and can lead to case file 31
_.,.,., ~'l\) ~., ~ ~ li/ /~ ~w·d ri Certificate of Residence .. •->--· ,- ....,;\',.. - • '·•·> IGINAL. In Chine81! -··-····-· ... ---- , 1d~1 /he P11J1•is11;111 of lhe Act of !tlay 5. 1892, as u111wdcd by file Act approwcl November 3, J'i93. o <[ ((/ti s i(' f . a Chtocse l'H \T .,. 10 111< (• t .1 Ccr11fiu111 ol !.(, Mtd< ll• t'. t nrlcr the prov1<ieon" of the .\cl of l'nns:-r""" li.1s 111 ulc •'l'l'li' 1ti 111 Xu.\ \ S~ 1•mb< r J•\ •i 1. an4,. l t'1rt1 •11111\ 11! \rnr 5. 18y2, a' a111c1ult I b\ the .h·t RJ>prn,·c<'I ;\o\ it appear>< from the 1 1~:hat \.fl· \I\ \)'\U,... uffid:nll 11i \\ilncu suhmittcd wt 1 rm! 111•plll'.8l1(ln 1h111 li:wl t"rl ~tntcs 111 the tm •' of the pa•RRI!"<' of " td ,\ct, and .. -as then H'~Hhng nt , •lH'1 l1 1t he\\ 1R at that tsn1-. • V l:t: Co1.01t or CH.s: _ T'ui 1cAt MAll.K<> oa l'£CtJUAR1T1rs ro11. 32
v~:·~ ' ~9J596 $~!1'1tC . ~.J. Qf:.U'.{:'f;_$~-·-·-; Jl~nit J~ ICIT " INDEf°.t'INGER:- ·- J~ .:;,- · ~81~ .J,~4 · - ·- -~- lmi,t•I~ 2 , ~!Ji~ton, ~na .£~ ! -Q !. s ~ . _ ~ .-: J!1_l_l,_J_~4.~ ·~ Permits to Re-enter to !\tenter tbc Wniteb &tatcs t:f'URscurtfi"ro ptMiaion• ol-t~ JO o/ '"" A··t ol 111' thi• peurut I .;i..sf" " • • • • • mh :B lll'G CEJt • • • • • ; • • • 't J1:y_,ed to bearer , ____ ·- --- .. .. •n •li en pret110tJ-1f l.a•fully •do·utt«I to tM UnU«I St•tM, to t'Mnt•r thfJ UnJtecl St•t.a, if olhe.,_;,. admi-..bl•, •• • nonouot.tt immilr•nt , and "• r•lidifT ahaJ1 . ,, I f'~tl . ' UNITED STATES OF AMERICA r-ittlo. ___ ; -· , >•,• DEPAFlTMll!:'N"r QI' L.APO'R Ai>Jlllt»ioa No. .:.C.:'.-.'.iSQJ lt"¥•G•'\'I lQll A•O N~TURAUTION p it _y . ~ .. . • • • • • • 1'Q_JY.g_! .. luut><J at w .. hJnlfton, D. C., thl• J9.~·- · dq of ptrRSUANr &fJCtion 10 of th• ImmJpation Act of Jo provi.UonfJ of 192'. thitt petmit -·-• A. D, .J.9) ) , - - - - WOO YE E ~ - - - - - - is Usued to bearer.......... .... ............. ... . ................... - .................... _ ... _________ _ 41111/Mn predouoiy /aw/ul/J' adwtted to the United St•t•a, to 1'Nnter tlw United a nonquota immi"nnt , tvtd it• validity mall Statet, if ot./uu"tVU. admissible , •~ . •• J..9-29.!... MARCH . ·······-···-· A.D .,.,pin the .~'.f.lL tJ;zy of _______ - - • - .., T. ":\ A The pen;oruo/ doKTiption of the tJ.au.r i•: ~·• ... yura; .heitht, -~-fet ... and J.Qj-irrc.1-; wei'gJrt, 9Q. pound•; oomplnion , ....... ., 'BLACK BROWN . . . - MOLE LEFT SIDE NOSE, SCAR BASE .., "'"'· -R ;·'1IIN01r .. lllUGilTEff OF m:RC~w;- S. -eRlQR3-Q __ .. - _ ADMI Tl'ED . TO U • . -g-··---------·-·-- rJ ~ Iuued •!. Appz re.I· !!..-.: ' ~ _ D .C .• tlu's .... dq Ql 1 ~ St>rrrlJt#tt)' of l'...&b.v. /qner,. Mid b.lien is r'eturnlnc t' ' This per'mlt llha.ll have no effect uhdcr tbc unm.ig;ratiQn laws except to show thQt ahaU it be con•trued to b<l the ~halve of ntllb lishl:ng that thc alien is t<l rctt1tnin¥. r NOTE.-Aoy crHlsW'c or alterati.oct shall render' thia pi:r;rni~ n{l!l a11d v 33
An unusual cross-reference sheet Charley Toy 7030/115 34
Indexes zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA • Not all are easily accessed but we have our ways • INS created indexes (a few) • NARA created indexes (not all electronic) • some on-line 35
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