Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Preserving Immigration Alien Files at the National Archives

San Bruno, CA - This year we commemorate the 10th anniversary of a historic agreement that eventually transferred up to one million U.S. Alien Files (A-Files) held by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). These remarkable records tell the stories of immigrants from all over the world in the early 20th Century -- e.g., Armenian and Holocaust refugees, "picture brides" from Japan, gypsies from Eastern Europe, those escaping African Apartheid, the poverty of India, or fighting the racist policies of the Chinese Exclusion Act era.

Is it true that history repeats itself, and what lessons can be learned to inform current debates over public policy? Academic researchers, family genealogists, and the public can now judge for themselves. NARA will make available a diverse variety of fascinating photographs, artifacts, and documents from past A-Files at this anniversary event.

The event will be held on Tuesday, September 24, 2019, at 1 P.M.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
1000 Commodore Drive, San Bruno, CA 94066.

The following SONA (Save Our National Archives Coalition) members will be available to respond to questions:

  • Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation
    Buck Gee, President; Russell Nauman, Operations Manager

  • Chinese American Genealogy Group
    Grant Din

  • Chinese Historical Society of America
    Tamiko Wong, Executive Director

  • Japanese American National Library
    Karl Matsushita

  • National Japanese American Historical Society
    Rosalyn Tonai, Executive Director

  • SF Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society
    Jeremy Frankel, President

  • S.F. State University Asian American Studies Dept.
    Jeanee Woo

  • Save Our National Archives Coalition
    Jennie Lew, Co-Chair; Jeanie Low, Co-Chair

  • Tanforan Assembly Center Committee
    Robbin Kawabata

  • Wong Kim Art Case
    Julie Soo

  • National Archives and Records Administration

 
Russell Nauman