California, San Diego, Chinese Passenger and Crew Lists - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at San Diego, California from foreign ports. The passenger lists cover arrival from October 26, 1905 to July 27, 1923. The crew lists cover January 16,1910 to February 20, 1916 and include name, occupation, age, height and birthplace.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

'''Passenger / Crew list
 * Full name
 * Gender
 * Birthplace
 * Birth date
 * Port and date of entry
 * Physical description and distinguishing marks
 * Reason for leaving US
 * Residence in US

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The birth date or age on the date of arrival or departure

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
If these are indexes, the original records may contain additional information than was not indexed, or the information might have been indexed incorrectly. You may want to search for the original record.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the record to learn the place of origin then search there for vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in census records
 * Use the information found in the record to find in probate records
 * Use the information found in the record to find land records
 * Search for death or burial information in BillionGraves Index
 * If applicable, search for military records as well
 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived. Then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts, then in state, county, or city courts. An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different state if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names
 * Check other possible ports of entry

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of California.
 * Beginning Research in United States Naturalization Records
 * Beginning Research in United States Immigration and Emigration Records
 * California Guided Research
 * California Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1905 | 1905-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

Related Family Search Historical Record Collections

 * California, San Diego, Chinese passenger and crew lists, 1905-1923

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * California, San Diego, Chinese Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1923
 * California, Chinese Partnerships and Departures from San Francisco, 1893-1943
 * Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Case Files of Chinese Immigrants, 1900-1923

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

California, San Diego, listas de tripulantes y pasajeros chinos (Registros históricos de FamilySearch)