Alien Registration Files
May 22, 2009 6:20:34 GMT -5
Post by Henry on May 22, 2009 6:20:34 GMT -5
Dear Friends,
The following was announced by the Chinese Historical Society of America:
Alien Registration Files Ceremony in Washington, DC
In a victorious milestone for Chinese American genealogical and historical research, an "A-Files" (or Alien Registration Files) schedule signing ceremony will take place on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at the National Archives Building in Washington DC.
The event marks the permanent retention, preservation, and public access of the A-files by the National Archives in San Bruno. CHSA, as one of the major supporters of this cause, will be represented at this occasion by Sue Lee, Executive Director.
Under the Alien Registration Act of 1940, all foreigners in the United States were required to register with the Immigration and Naturalization. The A-files are records about these registered individuals, including: photographs, birth certificates, visas, employment records, and other important biographical and historical information.
For more than ten years, the SONA (Save Our National Archives) coalition has lobbied and organized letter-writing campaigns urging that the A-Files be transferred to NARA's (National Archives and Records Administration) San Bruno facility.
"SONA has been instrumental in making sure our history remains accessible," Sue Lee, CHSA Executive Director, said. "Our legacy will remain for future historians, researchers, and descendants to know our stories and past experiences. As important as it is for Asian and Pacific Island immigration records, the A-files is inclusive of a diverse array of nationalities, and this victory is for everyone."
SONA is a broad consortium of non-profit organizations and individuals dedicated to the preservation of public access provided by the regional offices and collections of NARA. Participants include: Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, California State Genealogical Alliance, CHSA, Museum of Chinese in the Americas (NYC), National Japanese American Historical Society, Jewish & Polish Genealogical Society, Chinese Canadian Historical Society, Chinese Historical Society of New England, independent historians, genealogists, researchers, journalists, filmmakers, and many others.
For more information, please click here to see our Spring Bulletin!
Photo above: SunYatSen is an example of one of the most famous A-Files in the collection, source: Sun Yat Sen, 9995; Arrival Investigation Case Files, 1884-1944;
San Francisco District Office; Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Record Group 85; National Archives and Records Administration - Pacific Region.
Chinese Historical Society of America
965 Clay Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
415-391-1188 or info@chsa.org
www.chsa.org
Henry
The following was announced by the Chinese Historical Society of America:
Alien Registration Files Ceremony in Washington, DC
In a victorious milestone for Chinese American genealogical and historical research, an "A-Files" (or Alien Registration Files) schedule signing ceremony will take place on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at the National Archives Building in Washington DC.
The event marks the permanent retention, preservation, and public access of the A-files by the National Archives in San Bruno. CHSA, as one of the major supporters of this cause, will be represented at this occasion by Sue Lee, Executive Director.
Under the Alien Registration Act of 1940, all foreigners in the United States were required to register with the Immigration and Naturalization. The A-files are records about these registered individuals, including: photographs, birth certificates, visas, employment records, and other important biographical and historical information.
For more than ten years, the SONA (Save Our National Archives) coalition has lobbied and organized letter-writing campaigns urging that the A-Files be transferred to NARA's (National Archives and Records Administration) San Bruno facility.
"SONA has been instrumental in making sure our history remains accessible," Sue Lee, CHSA Executive Director, said. "Our legacy will remain for future historians, researchers, and descendants to know our stories and past experiences. As important as it is for Asian and Pacific Island immigration records, the A-files is inclusive of a diverse array of nationalities, and this victory is for everyone."
SONA is a broad consortium of non-profit organizations and individuals dedicated to the preservation of public access provided by the regional offices and collections of NARA. Participants include: Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, California State Genealogical Alliance, CHSA, Museum of Chinese in the Americas (NYC), National Japanese American Historical Society, Jewish & Polish Genealogical Society, Chinese Canadian Historical Society, Chinese Historical Society of New England, independent historians, genealogists, researchers, journalists, filmmakers, and many others.
For more information, please click here to see our Spring Bulletin!
Photo above: SunYatSen is an example of one of the most famous A-Files in the collection, source: Sun Yat Sen, 9995; Arrival Investigation Case Files, 1884-1944;
San Francisco District Office; Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Record Group 85; National Archives and Records Administration - Pacific Region.
Chinese Historical Society of America
965 Clay Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
415-391-1188 or info@chsa.org
www.chsa.org
Henry