{"id":2493,"date":"2020-08-13T18:08:50","date_gmt":"2020-08-14T02:08:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bacgg.org\/?p=2493"},"modified":"2020-09-25T05:26:07","modified_gmt":"2020-09-25T13:26:07","slug":"resources-to-learn-about-angel-island-immigration-and-its-documents","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bacgg.org\/index.php\/resources-to-learn-about-angel-island-immigration-and-its-documents\/","title":{"rendered":"Resources to Learn about Angel Island Immigration and its Documents"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Content courtesy of Grant Din, grant@tonaidin.net, <\/a>www.tonaidin.net<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Angel Island Immigration Station<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a guide to resources for researching Angel Island immigrants and others from the early-mid 20th century, and many videos that tell stories about Angel Island immigrants. Feel free to contact me if you have any trouble getting these resources.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many resources available for Angel Island immigrant research. Here are a few:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ship Manifests on Ancestry.com or familysearch.org provide information on arrivals to San Francisco and a potential case file number (Ship number which is usually on the upper right of second sheet of manifest, page number also in that location, row number). For example, 18045\/3-5 refers to someone traveling on ship number 18045, page 3, row 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Records of the Board of Special Inquiry. Sometimes immigrants will have both a ship manifest record and a board of special inquiry record. The latter have information such as if people were initially scheduled to be deported, any appeals, hospitalization for treatment of diseases, etc. Most likely if any of these things happened for someone immigrating through San Francisco between 1910 and 1940, the immigrant was detained on Angel Island. These records show up in Ancestry searches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These file numbers can lead to case files at the National Archives in San Bruno. Many case files are listed on Ancestry with links on where to get them and you can also download a 60,000+ record database compiled by volunteers here: https:\/\/www.chinesefamilyhistory.org\/san-<\/u><\/a>bruno.html<\/u>. <\/a>There are people from at least 80 countries listed on the database.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person is not listed there, there are often other locations for their files. To ask questions or to schedule an appointment at the Archives, email sanbruno.archives@nara.gov<\/u>. <\/u><\/a>They are open five days a week when there is no pandemic. Ancestry.com has uploaded these spreadsheets as part of their holdings, and links researchers to how to get the files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the person became a naturalized citizen or participated or was named in the \u201cconfession\u201d program in the late 1950s or 1960s, it is likely that the file became an \u201cA-file\u201d (\u201cA\u201d=\u201dAlien\u201d) and could be in other physical locations. Many of these files are making their way to San Bruno and being released 100 years after people are born, but the process is lagging behind. If they are in San Bruno, you will be able to find them in the National Archives index at https:\/\/catalog.archives.gov\/.<\/u> <\/a>A-file numbers are on naturalization petitions and certificates, among other places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other A-files are available from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the National Archives, depending on the A-file number. Marisa Louie Lee recommends making a Freedom of Information Act request first, which you can do at https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/records\/request-<\/u><\/a>records-through-the-freedom-of-information-act-or-privacy-act<\/u>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A-file numbers under 8 million can also be requested here: https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/history-and-genealogy\/genealogy\/files-numbered-below-8-million<\/u>, <\/a>but USCIS is greatly increasing the fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erika Lee and Judy Yung\u2019s Angel Island: Immigrant Gateway to America<\/em> is the definitive book on Angel Island immigrant history. It has a general overview plus sections on Chinese, Japanese, South Asian, Korean, Russians and Jews, Mexican, and Filipino immigrants. Available at local bookstores and online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Him Mark Lai, Genny Lim, and Judy Yung\u2019s Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on<\/em> Angel Island 1910-1940 <\/em>has most of the Chinese poems on the island in Chinese and English, <\/em>along with oral histories and other immigration sites where poems were found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation\u2019s website is at www.aiisf.org<\/u>. <\/u><\/a>Visit the Immigration Voices website at www.aiisf.org-immigrant-voices<\/u> <\/u><\/a>to browse through the over 220 stories, most of which are about Angel Island immigrants, and are searchable by country of origin, age at immigration, and many other factors. You can also visit AIISF\u2019s Youtube page here: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/AIISFYT<\/u>. <\/a>Here are some of the stories and videos AIISF has made available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A tour of the Angel Island Immigration Station https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZnpgiUY5ip4&t=127s<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eliseo Felipe\u2019s story and video about his immigration from the Philippines: https:\/\/www.immigrant-voices.aiisf.org\/stories-by-author\/angel-island-profile-eliseo-felipe\/<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nick Friesen\u2019s story and video https:\/\/www.immigrant-voices.aiisf.org\/stories-by-author\/364-remembering-nick-friesen-1913-<\/u><\/a>2011-3\/<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rosa Ginsberg\u2019s story and a link to her YouTube trailer https:\/\/www.immigrant-voices.aiisf.org\/stories-by-author\/830-looking-for-loveor-just-a-better-<\/u><\/a>life\/<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

http:\/\/www.heatherklein.net\/shanghai-angel.html<\/u><\/a> https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6RfJvG1UQoE<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kou Kitano\u2019s arrival as a picture bride https:\/\/www.immigrant-voices.aiisf.org\/stories-by-author\/609-kitano-kou\/<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jiro Dick Kobashigawa\u2019s wait on the island as a U.S. citizen https:\/\/www.immigrant-voices.aiisf.org\/stories-by-author\/614-kobashigawa-jiro-dick\/<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrs. Lee Yoke Suey\u2019s 15 month detention on Angel Island. https:\/\/www.immigrant-voices.aiisf.org\/stories-by-author\/967-mrs-lee-yoke-sueys-fifteen-<\/u><\/a>month-detainment-on-angel-island\/<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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