Legacy Tree Genealogists' Jessica Howe specializes in finding unknown ancestors. In this article, we discover some tips for identifying women in historical records by learning how cultural differences worldwide affect names and naming practices.Suppose you have searched for female relatives in online databases. In that case, there is a good chance you've come across an alternate spelling of their name or found that they went by a completely different name throughout different records. Here … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Hiroshima, Hometown of Japanese Emigrants
Legacy Tree Genealogists work with researchers from across the globe to access records for our clients. We asked one of our onsite researchers located in Japan to give some insight into researching Japanese emigration in the city of Hiroshima.Another Face of HiroshimaWhen you hear the name "Hiroshima," what image comes to mind? The Atomic-bomb Dome, the Peace Ceremony on August 6, or maybe the legend of the thousand paper cranes? The building called the Hiroshima Prefectural … [Read more...]
Digging Into Your Chinese Ancestry: Chinese Repatriation of Bones
Learn about the Chinese repatriation of bones and how you can uncover records related to your Chinese ancestors.The Chinese people were one of many cultures who immigrated from their homeland seeking better opportunities. Beginning in the mid-19th century, Chinese immigrants sought their fortunes in the Gold Rushes of the United States, Canada, and Australia. They significantly contributed to the labor forces by building railroads, working in mining and agriculture, and establishing … [Read more...]
Stories Worth Telling: The Saibara Story in Texas
What untold immigration stories are waiting to be discovered in your family history? We share the story of Japanese immigrant, Seito Saibara.The history of America is an interlacing web of immigration stories from all over the world, many still untold. Every pioneer, either celebrated in life or silent to the grave, has a story worth telling—you just need to know how to go about telling it!Such is the case with Japanese immigrant, Seito Saibara, a name largely unknown outside of the … [Read more...]
“Children of the Dust”: How Genetic Genealogy Helped an Amerasian Woman Locate Her G.I. Father
With client permission, we share one woman's experience of growing up "Amerasian" and the important role genetic genealogy played in helping her locate her G.I. father.Growing Up AmerasianWhen Anni was little, she would often ask about her father, but her mother always gave her the same vague reply, “I met him Taichung, then I had you.” Anni was born in the 1960s - the daughter of a Taiwanese mother and an unknown U.S. serviceman fighting in Vietnam. Anni said she always felt different, … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Chinese Genealogy Research at the Family History Library
The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah is a great place to start when conducting Chinese genealogy research!The Chinese genealogical records found at the Family History Library (located in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA), feature treasures for all people who are interested in researching Chinese ancestry. With millions of microfilmed records from various areas and time periods in China, one single Chinese name can open up a world of rich content. Stories of ancestors may lead to books, … [Read more...]
Kosekis from Gotō: Japanese Genealogy Explained
*This article is shared with client permission. Names have been changed to protect client privacy.Requests for Japanese genealogy research are less frequent than other areas of the world, so we were excited to have the opportunity to study the ancestry of Fumiko Matsu, who was born in the early 1930s in Kishiku, Japan and later immigrated to the United States.Surnames in Japanese GenealogyThe most important thing to understand about Japanese genealogy is that until the Meiji era … [Read more...]
Angel Island and Chinese Immigration to the United States
Archaeological evidence indicates that more than a thousand years ago American Indians known as the Coast Miwok used Angel Island as a hunting and fishing site. Europeans first encountered the island in August 1775 when Juan Manuel de Ayala (1745–1797), a Spanish naval officer, was appointed commander of the packet boat San Carlos and ordered to explore what came to be called San Francisco Bay. After cautiously sailing through the strait between the Marin and San Francisco Peninsulas (the Golden … [Read more...]
How to Find the Holy Grail of Chinese Genealogy
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers all across the world to access records for our clients. We asked Clotilde, a partnering professional researcher onsite in China, to share insights into Chinese genealogy research.Unlike Western countries, where church and census records are a reliable and essential source of information, no such records exist in China beyond the twentieth century.Instead, local Chinese clans (somewhat equivalent to extended families) have been the main … [Read more...]
What’s in a Name? 3 Tips to Kick Off Your Chinese Genealogy Research
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers all across the world to access records for our clients. We asked Clotilde, a partnering professional researcher in Beijing to give us insight into completing Chinese genealogy research. Check it out!As genealogists, we often receive requests from the descendants of Chinese immigrants who no longer speak Chinese, and only remember vague details about their ancestor: that his surname was Fung, that he arrived on a boat from South China, and that … [Read more...]