Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Case Files of Chinese Immigrants - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes case files for Chinese immigrants arriving through Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the years 1900 to 1923. This collection corresponds to NARA publication M1144: Case Files of Chinese Immigrants, 1895-1920, from District No. 4 (Philadelphia) of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

A detailed Romanized surname index is provided in alphabetical order on pages 8-96 (image #13-101) with corresponding case numbers listed. A separate index of ship names is on pages 97-117 (image #102-122). A table of the 51 rolls of microfilm included in this collection is also given with corresponding case numbers contained in each roll listed on pages 118-119 (image #123-124).

The files are part of the records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Record Group (RG) 85, and are housed in the Federal Archives and Records Center, Philadelphia, Pa. These case files were prepared by the staff of the regional office to enforce the various Chinese exclusion acts passed by Congress during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The information was supplied by the immigrant or a traveling companion (usually a family member). Incorrect information was occasionally given, or mistakes may have been made when the clerk guessed at the spelling of foreign names.

What Can these Records Tell Me?
Records usually include the following information:


 * Name
 * Age
 * Occupation
 * Birthplace
 * Name of ship
 * Date of arrival

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. To begin your search it is helpful to know: As you search, 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.
 * The name of your ancestor
 * At least one other piece of information

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page.
 * 1) Select Index Type

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What Do I Do Next?
Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the information to find other records such as emigrations, port records, ship’s manifests, birth, christening, census, and land records.
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
 * Use the information to find additional family members.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can’t Find Who I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Search the indexes and records of Pennsylvania, United States Genealogy.
 * Search in the Pennsylvania Archives and Libraries.
 * Search in the FamilySearch Library Catalog

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

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