Letter from an Immigrant Inspector to the Commissioner of Immigration in San Francisco Regarding Inspection of Vacancies in Chinatown
10/29/1925
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In this letter, the immigration inspector describes the Chinese-American business districts in San Francisco, that he inspected. The inspector reports to the Commissioner of Immigration in San Francisco that the supposed vacancy of some buildings is doubtable. It comes from a series of Chinese business case files documenting federal immigration investigations related to the enforcement of the Chinese Exclusion Acts during the years 1882-1943. Enforcing a policy of discrimination which excluded immigrants on the basis of race/ethnic/national origins and social/economic class or prevented those persons from returning to the U.S., the original Chinese Exclusion Act was passed as a temporary measure to restrict "Chinese laborers," but was extended and harshened by later legislation. Immigration officials conducted investigations to certify the status of many Chinese immigrants as "Merchants," an "Exempt Class" not subject to exclusion under the Chinese exclusion laws, along with students, teachers, government officials, and the families of those so exempted. To be classified as a merchant, an applicant had to be certified through investigation as an owner or official partner with at least $1000 interest in a recognized mercantile firm, where he performed no "manual labor." Investigation files include descriptions and interpretations of business activities, maps of some Chinatowns in California, lists of business partners, and photos.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
National Archives Identifier: 18556283
Full Citation: Letter from an Immigrant Inspector to the Commissioner of Immigration in San Francisco Regarding Inspection of Vacancies in Chinatown; 10/29/1925; Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Record Group 85. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/letter-from-an-immigrant-inspector-to-the-commissioner-of-immigration-in-san-francisco-regarding-inspection-of-vacancies-in-chinatown, April 23, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.