California, San Francisco Chinese Passenger Arrivals - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection will include records from 1882-1914.

This collection contains passenger lists of vessels arriving at San Francisco, California, August 1882-December 1914. These records correspond with NARA publication M1414 and were filmed at the NARA facility in College Park, Maryland.

Record Content
Information found in this collection may include:


 * Name
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Marital status
 * Occupation
 * Citizenship
 * Race
 * Last permanent residence
 * Birthplace
 * Final destination

How to Use the Record
As you are searching, it is helpful to know such information as


 * The name of your ancestor
 * Some other identifying information such as age and date of arrival.

Search the Collection
To search the collection: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the 'NARA Roll Number' category which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details and lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example, you can use these lists to:


 * Learn an immigrant’s place of origin
 * Confirm their date of arrival
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
 * Find records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests.
 * Find federal immigration records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Download a copy of the record or transcribe the details.
 * If your ancestor had a common name, be sure to look at all the entries for a name before you decide which is correct.
 * Continue to search the lists to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have immigrated at the same time.
 * If your ancestor has an uncommon surname, you may want to obtain the passenger list of every person who shares your ancestor’s surname. You may not know how or if they are related, but the information could lead you to more information about your own ancestors.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the name. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Search the indexes and records of other port cities.

Related Websites

 * US GenWeb Project

Related Wiki Articles

 * California, Chinese Partnerships and Departures from San Francisco (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * California Emigration and Immigration

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Image Citation:

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