S.F. Earthquake & Fire of 1906

[chumley]

I didn't want to hijack Sierratrout's thread, but I also suspect my late maternal great-grandfather had also claimed he was born in San Francisco after the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906.

Until now, forum members only knew about my research on my paternal roots. My research on my maternal roots will require a cross country trip to San Francisco and San Bruno.

My maternal great-grandfather came from a large family of all sons. Many had immigrated to the U.S. around the 1870s. I can't prove it, but I think my maternal great-grandfather immigrated to the U.S. as a young boy with his older brothers and cousins. They resided in San Francisco's Chinatown for decades before some of the clan relocated elsewhere.

My mother and her brothers never met their paternal grandfather. He had returned to the U.S. long before they were born and never returned to China again.

On my maternal great-grandfather's death certificate, it indicated he was born in Canton, China on Oct. 6, 1866 and died on Mar. 10, 1944. I know for a fact my maternal great-grandfather was born in Hoiping, China. The dates of birth and death matches his grave marker.

The person who provided the info for the death certificate was my late grandfather's younger brother. It also mentioned he was a U.S. citizen!

The Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed on Dec. 17, 1943 and my maternal great-grandfather died on Mar. 10, 1944. In those days, naturalization for U.S. citizenship was a multi-step application process that required two witnesses who are U.S. citizens. Eventually, a circuit court judge would analyze the application and accept or deny citizenship.

I highly doubt my maternal great-grandfather's application could've been processed so quickly after the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in the U.S.

[jing]

Hi chumley,
Here's a thought:
Your ggf would have become a naturalized U.S. Citizen if he (and other aliens) served in the military like World War I (1918) and was honorably discharged. Naturalization would have been offered to him when he was discharged at what ever region his unit was discharged.

Contact the NARA.SF (in San Bruno) with his name. They have WWI Draft records on microfilm or you may do a free search via the Ancestry database located at the regional archives.

Jing

[chumley]

Thanks Jing for your suggestion. The Selective Service Act of May 18, 1917 (enacted due to the U.S. entering World War I) enabled the government to draft men for military service. There were also promises of citizenship to races who were ineligible (foreign born Chinese & Asians and Native American Indians).

My late maternal great-grandfather was 51 years old in 1917. He would've been too old to be drafted. I think the draft ages were from 18-30.

The University of California-Berkeley Haas School of Business's Institute of Business and Economic Research has an online database of the early Chinese and Asian immigrants who came through the Honolulu and San Francisco ports from 1882-1955.

casefiles.berkeley.edu/

Their database was gathered from the San Bruno, CA branch of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). It provides some basic info on the immigrant such as their name, exclusion case ID number, date of arrival and whether a U.S. citizen. Having the case ID number will help when one arrives at the NARA San Bruno branch.

My late maternal great-grandfather's name is on the UC-Berkeley database. The basic online info says he arrived (returned) to the U.S. on Jan. 1, 1909 and was born in the U.S.A. (it just said U.S.A., no specific location was noted; it would be in the case files).

I just need to find time in the future to go to San Francisco and San Bruno to discover a goldmine of info waiting for me. I'm the only one among my paternal & maternal family interested in genealogy research. My family have said I'm crazy as well as eccentric.

[jing]

Hi Again,
Here's a better reference to naturalization for Aliens who served in the military :

p.89 Carmack, Sharon DeBartolo "Discovering Your Immigrant & Ethnic Ancestors." Cincinnati: Betterway Books, c2000.

It states that Aliens who were honorablly discharged after serving the military were offered naturalization as citizens first July 17, 1862, then again after the following military services: Civil War, Spanish American War 1898, Phillipine insurrection of 1900-1900-01, WWI, WWII.

Jing

[laohuaqiao]

chumley,
To summarize what you wrote:
Your maternal great grandfather was born in Hoiping in 1866. You believe he first came to the US, perhaps in the 1870s. Definitely by 1909, he was declared a US born citizen, not naturalized, and that declaration was accepted by the US immigration permitting his entry that year.

At some point before your mother and her brothers were born he returned to the US for the last time, they never met him, implying your mother and uncles were born in China and possibly your maternal grandfather too.

[laohuaqiao]

In 1920s, a decision of Federal Court of NY in a immigration deportation hearing declared my great grandfather to be a US citizen born in San Francisco in 18xx. I don't know if he had ever set foot in the Bay area. So this process did not even have to occur in San Francisco. His case files were at the National Archives at one point; a separate immigration case involving my father made reference to my great grandfather, the federal court pulled the files from the Archives and they still remained in the court. Otherwise, I would have liked to know what evidences my ggf provided to prove he was "born in the USA".

[jing]

Hi Chumley,

I forgot to mention that another way to acquire US citizenship for a person born in another country if his father was a US citizen ... Your maternal ggf would have had to entered the US before his 18th birthday to gain his derivative US citizenship.

Jing

[chak]

Chumley,

My g-aunt was the first Chinese woman to get citizenship in DC. Granted, it was almost 8 months after the Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed - but there were 60 others who got it the same day. Maybe your g-grandfather got his petition in first and it was processed before the onslaught of requests began pouring in? Maybe they got it done within three months because of location? Or connections?

I'm guessing you're right in thinking your g-grandpop didn't get his citizenship, but you never know!

Carol

PS Just trying out Doug's suggestion for posting links. This is in response to siyigenealogy.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=names&action=display&thread=1259#7638

Attachments:

[chumley]

I really appreciate everyone's input.

Laohuaqiao: Yes, my mother, her brothers, her father, and her father's brothers were all born in China.

Jing: Yes, I'm aware that a foreign born Chinese with an American born father was entitled to U.S. immigration and citizenship in the exclusion era. My maternal roots in the U.S. began with my great-grandfather and his brothers.

Chak: My maternal great-grandfather was accepted for entry into the port of San Francisco on Jan. 1, 1909 as a U.S. born Chinese. Everyone in my maternal family knows he was born in Hoiping, China (townships weren't created until the Republic of China era).

[chumley]

Chak,

Thanks for the newspaper clipping. I've never seen the Moie spelling for Moy. Until recently, I've only seen Moy, Mui, May and Mei. The Chicago branch of the NARA has compiled an online list of names from their Chinese Exclusion Act case files. While searching for my paternal grandfather's name, I saw a spelling for Moi.

[chak]

Chumley,

I did notice there is a variation of the Moy name spelled as "Moi" but in this case, I think it is reporter's error. James and Thelma were Moys.

Looking through the Chinese Exclusion Act case index for Chicago, I noticed there are two MOY Ones (344 and 536) (Still trying to find a Chicago connection!).

The next time you visit your local NARA branch, could you check them out for me? Immigration records refer to my g-grandpop as Moy One but his names, in the history my new-found relative gave me, are:

Moy Cheung Wun, 梅長穩 or (married name) Moy Nai Dau, 梅廼炓

Thanks!
Carol

[chumley]

Chak,

I will gladly assist a fellow Moy and forum member. However, I can't tell you when my next visit to the Chicago branch will occur. I've accomplished everything I wanted to know about my paternal grandfather (he died before I was born). My research solved all of the unanswered questions.

My visits to the Chicago branch this year were primarily to see the U.S. Census records. I found my late maternal great-grandfather's name on the 1920 and 1930 U.S. Censuses.

The 1940 U.S. Census records on individuals will be available to the public in 2012 (there is a 72 year wait due to privacy restrictions). On the most recent visit, I also checked out a name for fellow forum member Ah Gin.

[chak]

Thank you, Chumley. I have no time constraints - next month, next year, or whenever...it doesn't matter. I appreciate your willingness to help me out! Thanks again! Carol

PS So glad to hear you were able to solve all your unanswered questions on your father's side! I, on the other hand, with all the new information I'm getting, have even more questions to research!