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...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Indian Resources at the British Library
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers all over the world to access records for our clients. We asked Mike, onsite in England, to share his experience with using the resources at the British Library in London to locate British ancestors in India.In the course of your family history research into your British ancestors you may find that some of them lived and worked in India during the period of British rule.The British were first in India in the early 1600s, when Queen Elizabeth … [Read more...]
A Discovery in India
Completing genealogy research in India leads to surprising discovery for one of our clients. Shared with permission.Though genealogists and those interested in genealogy reside around the globe, much of the genealogical world today is Eurocentric. This means that research, resources, and the collections of major websites are heavily devoted to records of European countries and those settled by Europeans (including large portions of both North and South America). There are several reasons for … [Read more...]
