Many involved in Chinese genealogy research are familiar with the Chinese jiapu/zupu and perhaps local gazetteers. Tony King addressed both of these critical tools and also provided an introduction into the rich world of documents and resource materials that originated in China. These include marriage agreements, property records, residential registrations, census records, examination rosters, and…

Qīngmíng (also known as “Tomb-sweeping Day”) 2021 occurred on April 4th; it’s a “festival” when many ethnic Hàn Chinese families return to the gravesites of their ancestors to pay their respects. Patrick Chew delved into the history and background of the festival, examined the potential treasure trove of family history information to be found at…

In collaboration with Chinese American Museum Los Angeles, moderator Michael Ho interviewed panelists Marisa Louie Lee, Bo-Gay Tong Salvador, and Brian Yee on their personal experiences in genealogy research. The panelists shared their motivation to uncover pieces of their family history, their most meaningful discoveries, and what inspires them to continue searching for answers. Marisa…

Zachary Wilske discussed the history of US immigration laws and its impact on Chinese American women focusing on marriage and citizenship regarding the derivation of nationality, expatriation, marriage, and repatriation. Marisa Louie Lee shared her great grandmother, Ng Shee’s story who was born in Fresno, California in 1887 and how these laws directly affected her…

Two time James Beard Award winner and globally acclaimed Chef Martin Yan wove personal stories from his childhood roots in Taishan and Hoiping and prepared Chinese New Year dishes using ingredients rich in tradition and symbolism.​ Martin Yan is a television icon and host of over 3,000 cooking shows. He is a prolific cookbook author…

Kevin Kwan shared intimate stories and photos about his family tree ranging back to the year 946. Born in Singapore into a sprawling family tree that would later inspire his “Crazy Rich Asians” trilogy, Kwan found his world upended when his parents moved to Houston, Texas when he was 11. Although he spent his formative…

Filmmakers Katie and Gregg Porter discussed their process of documenting “We Are American Soldiers.” They shared their research and how they gathered information about that seldom written chapter in US history, as well as the challenge of finding photographs and films featuring Chinese American soldiers from that era.  Katie Porter is an actor, filmmaker, engineer,…

Filmmakers Katie and Gregg Porter share their journey in documenting Katie’s maternal grandfather’s life and military service in their film, “We Are American Soldiers.” They described their research and how they gathered information about that seldom written chapter in US history, as well as the challenge of finding photographs and films featuring Chinese American soldiers…

Linguist Patrick Chew provided a basic introduction on Chinese dialects, focusing primarily on the Pearl River Delta of Guǎngdōng/Gwong-dung Province and how these dialects affect not only identity, but also inter-communication and the effects on genealogy research. Patrick Chew is a UC Berkeley graduate with degrees in Linguistics, East Asian Languages and Literatures, specifically Chinese…

Michael Ho gave an overview of Chinese naming conventions and practices that family history researchers may encounter in their research. Topics included surnames, differences in pronunciations, name order, married women’s names, and alternate names. He provided a demonstration of conducting searches using Chinese names, along with strategies on how to obtain better results. Michael Ho…