What's New: May 2024

As of May 2024, we have published ⭐️ 2.2 million records ⭐️ of Chinese ancestors in historical collections from the United States and Canada. The newest additions to the My China Roots Database include:

• 📜 The little-known Special Chinese Census of 1905
• 🚪 A treasure trove of Chinese Exclusion case files and registers
• ⚓️ Passenger and crew lists for U.S. arrivals between 1865-1962
• 💒 Marriage and death records across New York, Hawaii, and San Francisco

Search the collections below to discover a new puzzle piece of your family history!

Census Records 📜

🔍 Search Census Records

Recorded every ten years, censuses offer a wealth of information that can help you imagine the lives of your ancestors, including their names, date and place of birth, residence address, family situation, occupation, education level and more.

Now Available

• U.S. Censuses: 1880, 1990, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940 (614,348 records)
• Canada Censuses: 1911, 1921 (64,451 records)
• Special Chinese Census of 1905: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia (2861 records)
• Special Chinese Census of 1905: Montana and Idaho (2288 records)

🔦 Collection Spotlight: Special Chinese Census of 1905

The Special Chinese Census of 1905 is a little-known, untapped record from the Chinese Exclusion case files at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Its purpose was to monitor all Chinese people residing in the U.S. and deport them back to China if they failed to provide proof of residency.

⚠️ Indexing Notes

Although census data can be insightful, it’s important to be aware of its susceptibility to racial bias. Historically, it was not uncommon for census enumerators to incorrectly profile Chinese individuals, or even exclude mixed-race individuals. To the best of our ability, we have extracted the census data of all individuals racially recorded as Chinese. However, the possibility that some ancestors were misrepresented or omitted in the original sources remains a challenging reality.

Chinese Exclusion Case Files and Registers 🚪

🔍 Search Chinese Exclusion Records

In the 19th and 20th century, countries including the United States, Canada and Australia passed laws prohibiting the immigration of Chinese individuals. All Chinese entering or re-entering the country had to prove their identity and eligibility, or risk being denied entry.

Now Available

• Immigration Case Files: All supporting documents for Chinese individuals applying to enter the United States under the Chinese Exclusion Act.
• Passenger Arrivals and Disposition Books: Registers of Chinese ancestors granted entry during Exclusion era, including special exceptions made for Chinese already in the U.S. before the law took effect, as well as teachers, students, merchants, and travelers certified by the Chinese government.

Passenger and Crew Lists ⚓️

🔍 Search Immigration & Travel Records

Ship manifests, passenger lists, and crew lists contain the arrival records of ancestors who traveled to the United States. This includes ancestors who traveled between Hawaii and the continental U.S., or periodically made trips back and forth between the U.S. and China.

Now Available

• Border Crossings from Canada to U.S., 1895-1960 (77,141 records)
• Canada: Incoming Passenger Lists, 1865-1935 (247,992 records)
• California: Chinese Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at San Diego, 1905-1923 (1,452 records)
• Honolulu: Arriving and Departing Passenger and Crew Lists, 1900-1959 (365,983 records)
• Massachusetts: Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1883-1962 (71,280 records)
• New Orleans, Louisiana: Passenger Lists, 1867-1948 (45,714 records)
• San Francisco: Lists of Chinese Passenger Arrivals, 1882-1914 (219,189 records)
• Select Crew Lists and Manifests, 1903-1962 (23,881 records)
• Vancouver: Manifests of Chinese Arrivals, 1906-1941 (33,846 records)