Using artificial intelligence, I have created a work I never would have been able to do on my own. I have struggled to understand laws separately, such as the Chinese Immigration Act, 1885, the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1906, and the Chinese Immigration Act, 1923. My analytical framework is a synthesis of dozens of laws, from the British North America Act, 1867 to the repeal of Chinese exclusion in 1947. It’s not perfect, as a historically accurate work never can be, but it’s a foundation. It’s a process, a developing method, and a tool. Soon I might be able to use it to analyze cases.
Tag: methodology
WWII: what is a genealogy pack?
In Canada, most Second World War military files are only available on request. In this blog, I'll explore the difference between ordering a complete file and a genealogy pack by looking at two requests for the same records for the same person. If you're new to Canadian military files, see my posts Exploring First World… Continue reading WWII: what is a genealogy pack?
The search for my mystery ancestor – a guest post by Jennifer Jang
In Chinese Canadian genealogy, we are both constrained and bolstered by the laws of the day. In the case of Jennifer's ancestor known only as a title - Dai Gung - she was able to piece together a family tree, family story, a photo, plus records to not only put a name to the face, but also fill in the unknown story of his life. The Chinese Immigration Act (1885-1947) laws which created such strife for so many is today an invaluable set of records for Chinese Canadian genealogy.
How to navigate Order-in-Council records part 3: online at Ancestry
As Joanna said, Ancestry's "Canada, Immigrants Approved in Orders in Council, 1929-1960" collection contains the names of twenty thousand sponsors and sixty thousand immigrants 1930-1960. It's a rich source of genealogical information for this period, and unusual for Canada, relatively recent information. If your family sponsored a family to come to Canada, you too might find their records here.
How to navigate Order-in-Council records part 2: online at LAC
It's surprising to see how much hand's on work the Privy Council did with regards the lives of ordinary Canadians. Exploring OIC records has given me insights into the thinking of the men at the centre of power: how laws are formulated and how they are managed. It's the paperwork that creates unintended genealogical records. I have a passion for exploring Chinese Canadian history but OIC records included a wide swath of the population, from Armenians to Yugoslavians.
How to navigate Order-in-Council records, part 1: real life at LAC
In the next posts I will explain Order-in-Council records: what they are and how to find them. This post explains researching at the national archives in Ottawa, Ontario. If you'd like to start with the first one, see "Rev. Chan (陳) Sing Kai’s entry to Canada - a rare head tax refund tale using OIC… Continue reading How to navigate Order-in-Council records, part 1: real life at LAC
The startling details of a Chinese Case File, pt. 4 – How to get your ancestor’s file
This is the follow up post to "Chinese Immigration Act Case Files: Finding aids at LAC," written exactly three years ago. In that post, I'd hoped to one day acquire a Canadian Chinese Case file. Now I have seen four and they are everything I'd hoped - and feared - they would be. For my community, simultaneously ignored by some systems while being overdocumented in others, it feels right that we reacquire the information collected about us.
The startling details of a Chinese Case File, pt. 3 – stories & tools for analysis
In this series, I have focused on one Chinese Case file as the source material and applied an intensive analysis to the correspondence. My advice to all those who have acquired one or more Case Files: Go slowly. Take your time processing. Write a story.
The startling details of a Chinese Case File – the story of Quon Hing, aka George Sing, pt. 1
I received my first Canadian Chinese Case file this summer. And it's everything I hoped (and feared) it would be. For some time my research into the records of the sixty years of the Chinese Immigration Act (1885-1947) has been hinting at something bigger. And that the currently available bits and pieces refer to an even bigger genealogical treasure in Chinese Case files.
[updated] My Chinese family in Vancouver was [not] overlooked by the 1931 Census of Canada -a guest post by Carol F. Lee
In this update to a Jul 2023 post, Carol finally finds her family on the 1931 census. This two-part post shows how truly difficult it can be to find your family, even when you are a careful, skilled, and thorough researcher.