Ancestry makes Chinese Exclusion Era records available

As part of a philanthropic initiative to make culturally significant records available to everyone for free, Ancestry– the global leader in family history – today announced it has digitized and made searchable more than half a million records related to the Chinese Exclusion Era. During this 60-year period in the U.S. and Canada, laws were enacted to restrict immigration and rights of people of Chinese descent. Many of these Exclusion Era records contain photos and rich details about family relationships that can help descendants learn more about their ancestors’ experiences.  

July 1, 2023 marks 100 years since the Chinese Immigration Act, 1923 was enacted in Canada. Ancestry has indexed images of C.I.44 registration forms and index cards of people impacted by the Chinese Immigration Act, 1923. 

To better understand the Chinese experience during this chapter in history, Ancestry turned to historians and academics like Linda Yip, an expert in Chinese genealogy. 

“The Chinese Exclusion Era was fueled by anti-Chinese sentiment that intensified during the economic turbulence of the post-gold rush period,” said Yip. “Labor unions, newspapers, and politicians wove a compelling narrative which fueled laws that restricted immigration from China and limited the rights of existing residents of Chinese descent. Increasing awareness of and access to this history helps strengthen understanding of this complex era in Canada and the United States.” 

Ancestry has sourced records from several repositories in an effort to provide a wider picture of the Chinese Exclusion Era experience, available to everyone for free. Now, people around the world will be able to digitally search more than 500,000 records to learn more about their family history during and after this chapter in history. 

Ancestry President and CEO Deborah Liu’s family was among those restricted from immigrating by the U.S. Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. 

“These records serve as a sobering reminder of the discrimination faced by Chinese people living in, and immigrating to, the U.S. and Canada during this time,” said Liu, whose grandparents were not eligible to immigrate to the U.S. but whose parents immigrated from Hong Kong in the 1960s after the law was repealed. “In digitizing, preserving, and making these records available at no cost, we are honoring the diverse stories and cultures of the people who were impacted and helping ensure future generations have access to first-hand evidence of an important time in history.” 

Everyone can now browse or search the curated collection for free by visiting Ancestry.com/ChineseExclusionEra.

Throughout July, Ancestry will host virtual community education opportunities to help foster a deeper understanding of the significance of the Chinese Exclusion Era: 

In partnership with the Chinese American Museum in Washington, D.C. (CAMDC), Ancestry will host a virtual panel discussion with leading scholars, genealogists, and historians of this chapter in history on Tuesday, July 18, from 6-7 p.m. EDT. The free online event is in anticipation of the museum’s future permanent exhibit on the Chinese Exclusion Act. Event details can be found here: ChineseAmericanMuseum.org/UpcomingEvents  

On July 11 at 3pm EDT, Ancestry will host a Facebook Live session on this topic featuring professional genealogists Crista Cowan and Linda Yip. Watch on the Ancestry Facebook page here: Facebook.com/AncestryUS/