Asian Genealogy Research: The Challenges and The Rewards

There can be many challenges as you make the journey through your Asian genealogy research to find your ancestors and learn more about your family history over the generations. We’re here to help you know how to get started with your family history in countries like China, Japan, Korea, and throughout Asia. 

This article was written from a live interview with Asian genealogy expert Ryan Rockwood, which you can view on our YouTube channel here. 

MAIN OBSTACLES WITH ASIAN GENEALOGY RESEARCH

ASIAN LANGUAGE BARRIERS

One of the most obvious and difficult challenges for most people who begin their Asian genealogy research journey is understanding the languages. Asian language groups are entirely different from what many of us are used to as we navigate Romantic or Germanic languages that have a similar alphabet to English. Research in Asian countries requires either learning to read and understand a completely different language or hiring someone who can help you read basic documents, letters, and other records. 

DIFFERENT GENEALOGICAL RECORD-KEEPING METHODS IN ASIA THAN IN WESTERN COUNTRIES

The way many Asian countries have kept genealogical records over the years is vastly different from the way western countries keep records. In western countries, records are kept for an individual, such as their birth and marriage records. Records can be traced back to an individual through life events that are documented and archived. 

On the other hand, Asian countries tend to keep genealogy records as a family set. Individual events are added to the family records. These family record sets can be quite difficult to find, but once you’re able to find them, you inherit an incredible amount of information about your family and extended family history. These records also tend to be more robust and credible as they provide a full family picture rather than an isolated individual’s life record. 

SURPRISING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WESTERN EUROPEAN AND ASIAN GENEALOGY RESEARCH

Beyond the language and record-keeping differences, there are other genealogical roadblocks you might experience as you search for your Asian ancestors. In western countries, there are far more open-access records (with some nuance) that make it much easier to get access to census and vital records. However, in Asian countries, privacy laws are very strict, and they often require local citizens to request access to the documents you’re seeking. Working with professionals who have connections to onsite researchers is a game-changer. 

ONSITE GENEALOGY RESEARCH IN ASIA 

Is it required for you to be onsite for any Asian genealogy research you’re pursuing? Not necessarily–as always, it depends on which country and which record set you’re dealing with. There are many Chinese records that have been digitized and are available on FamilySearch as well as My China Roots. 

However, it’s difficult to access records in Japan unless you have connections to an onsite researcher who can request the records on your behalf. Though it may seem like a challenge to deal with an onsite researcher, again, once you find your family’s record set, you’ve found a treasure trove of information far beyond your immediate ancestors. 

WHAT KIND OF FAMILY HISTORY RECORD TYPES DO THEY KEEP IN ASIA?

In many Asian countries, large record sets were kept by clans. When you set out to find your ancestors in Asia, you’ll want to link into their clan genealogy. If you can locate your family’s clan genealogy, then you’ve linked in with thousands of people. It can be quite difficult to discover your family’s clan genealogy, but when you do find it, all the work pays off in spades.

In Japan, the record set you’ll be looking at is a family set called koseki. During the Meiji era (1868-1912), surnames were only used by people in positions of power, nobility, or great artistic ability. Kosekis came into use in the 1850s for more prominent samurais, and in 1872 they became more available for almost everyone. These record sets contain information about birth, marriage, death, adoption, and divorce of the people in the same household. Family members were stricken from the record in case of death, marriage, divorce, adoption, forfeiture of citizenship, or leaving home by another means to establish an independent household. 

THE KOSEKI PROJECT

During the 1950s-1970s, real privacy concerns emerged in Japan that made koseki records no longer publicly available. The path to prove descendancy can be incredibly laborious. You would have to request access to the records in person or with a hand-signed letter. The barrier to entry was, of course, so much harder for non-Japanese speaking people in search of their ancestors. Legacy Tree Genealogists has a team of onsite researchers that we work with to get our clients access to their family records. A client grants power of attorney to request records, and the success rate is surprising. It’s a great resource for people who can’t do it on their own. 

CHINESE GENEALOGY RESEARCH

To find your Chinese ancestors, you’ll look for your family jiapu–the Chinese genealogy holy grail. Chinese clans were responsible for the compilation of a jiapu 家谱 or zupu 族谱 (pronounced ‘chia-poo’ and ‘dzoo-poo’), also known as a Chinese genealogy book or family history book. This is the ultimate prize for any Chinese genealogist. If you can’t get the records you want online, nor can you travel yet to China for yourself, you can do quite a bit of Chinese genealogy research at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. 

KOREAN GENEALOGY RESEARCH

For those with Korean ancestry, you’ll want to find your family’s jokbo. Jokbo is a clan’s family history that shows mutual bloodlines, the relationship between different members, and an individual’s personal information. Jokbo records were published to maintain hierarchical order in the community and maintain the social class system. The first jokbo was published in the 15th century.

WHERE TO BEGIN YOUR ASIAN FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH [h2]

The best place to start your Asian genealogy research is the same as researching any other ancestral history throughout the world: talk to your family! For many people, talking with family isn’t as easy as it sounds. Family members who are part of the Asian diaspora, who came to the United States, often wanted to be accepted as Americans. In order to be accepted, they often discouraged the younger generation from speaking their birth language, and made a conscious effort to remove any evidence of a previous culture. The knowledge of their homeland was quickly lost. For this reason, many older members in your family might hesitate to dig up anything they left behind when they immigrated to a new country. 

There also might be very real reasons your grandparents or aunts and uncles aren’t keen to open up immediately. For example, the history between Japan and America hasn’t always been friendly. There was a great influx of Japanese immigrants right before World War II, and the relationship became fraught during the war with Japanese internment camps–despite Japanese-American loyalties, they were treated quite poorly. So it’s wise to approach such topics with care and empathy.

It's usually the fourth generation that begins to wonder about where their family came from. And that could very likely be you! You might find it difficult to start conversations with extended family members, but it’s absolutely worth it! When family members begin to open up, you begin your journey to discovering the records you’re looking for. 

If you’d like help obtaining access to records in any Asian country, we’d be more than happy to help you find the family history records you’re looking for. Contact us today to see if we’re a good fit for your Asian genealogy research project.