United States, California, San Francisco, Registers of Chinese Laborers Returning to the U.S. - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains the arrival records of Chinese laborers reentering the U.S. through the San Francisco port during 1882-1888.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:


 * Name
 * Nationality
 * Last place of residence
 * Age
 * Height
 * Eye color


 * Physical marks
 * Previous place of residence
 * Name of vessel departing U.S.
 * Date of departure
 * Name of vessel returning to U.S.
 * Date of original arrival in U.S.
 * Name of company providing transportation

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The age and birth place of your ancestor
 * The date of departure and or destination

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the NARA Roll Number to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Look at the actual image of the record, if you can, to verify the information and to find additional information.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the record to learn the place of origin and find vital records such as birth, baptism, and marriage
 * Use the information found in the record to find land and probate records
 * Use the record to see if other family members who may have immigrated
 * Search census records for the family
 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived. Then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts, then in state, county, or city courts. An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different state if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names
 * Check other possible ports of entry

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of California.
 * Beginning Research in United States Immigration and Emigration Records
 * Beginning Research in United States Naturalization Records
 * California Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1905 | 1905-Present

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.