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United States

U.S. Emigration and Immigration

California

Emigration and Immigration

United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records

Online Resources

• California, Pioneer and Immigrant Files, 1790-1950, index, images($).
• California, passenger and crew lists at various ports, 1907-1956 — index and images
• California, Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at San Francisco from Insular Possessions, 1907-1911 — index and images
• California, San Francisco, Immigration Office Special Inquiry Records, 1910-1941 — index and images
• California, San Pedro, Immigration Office Special Inquiry Records, 1930-1936 — index and images
• California Immigration Registers of Japanese, Filipinos, and Hawaiians at San Francisco, 1928-1942 — index and images
• One Step Webpages by Stephen Morse Links to free and $ online passenger lists
• California Bound Passenger list of those bound from NY to CA for the Gold Rush.
• Native Daughters of the Golden West, Index to the Roster of California Pioneers
• San Francisco Ship Passenger Lists Vol. I (1850-1864), Vol. II (1850-1851), Vol. III (November 7, 1851 to June 17, 1852) ($)
• California, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882-1959 Index and images ($)
• California San Francisco Register of Chinese Immigrant Court Cases and Foreign Seamen Tax Cards 1883-1924
• California, Los Angeles, San Pedro, and Wilmington Passenger Lists, 1900-1948, ($). Index.
• California, customs passenger lists of vessels arriving at San Francisco, 1903-1918, index.
• California, San Francisco Passenger Lists, 1893-1953 Images
• California, index to San Francisco passenger lists, 1893-1934, index
• California, index to San Francisco passenger lists, 1893-1934 — index and images
• California, San Francisco Crew Manifests, 1896-1921 — index and images
• Border Crossings:From Mexico to U.S., 1895-1964 Index and images ($)
• California, Los Angeles Passenger Lists, 1907-1948 Images
• California, passenger and crew lists at various ports, 1907-1956, index.
• California, passenger and crew lists at various ports, 1907-1956, index.
• California, Chinese Partnerships and Departures from San Francisco, 1912-1943
• United States, California, Certificates Surrendered at San Francisco from Aliens Previously at Honolulu, Hawaii, 1912-1946 — index and images
• California Immigration Registers of Japanese, Filipinos, and Hawaiians at San Francisco, 1928-1942
• California, San Diego Passenger Lists, 1904-1952 — index and images
• California, San Diego, Airplane Passenger and Crew Lists, 1929-1954
• California, San Diego Chinese Passenger and Crew Lists 1905-1923 — index and images
• California, Pioneer Migration Index, Compiled 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — index
• United States, California, Certificates Surrendered at San Francisco from Aliens Previously at Honolulu, Hawaii, 1912-1946, index.
• United States, California, List of United States Citizens Arriving at San Francisco, 1930-1949 — index and images
• California, San Francisco Airplane Arrival Card Index, 1936-1949
• California, San Francisco Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving, 1954-1957
• San Francisco Chinese Exclusion List ($)
• San Diego, California, Airplane Passenger and Crew List Arrivals, 1929-1954 Index and images ($)
• California, Airplane Passenger Lists from Honolulu, Hawaii, 1947-1948 at FamilySearch — index and images
• United States, California, San Francisco, Records of Chinese Laborers Returning to the US, 1882-1888 — index
  
  

People

In the colonial era Spaniards established most of the early settlements, although England and Russia also made expeditions to California. During the 80 years of Spanish and Mexican dominion in California (1769-1848), few immigrants came from Spain and Mexico, and even fewer came from other countries.

In 1841, overland travelers from the United States began to come to California. In 1846, war broke out between the U.S. and Mexico when American settlers in California protested Mexican rule and set up a republic. By 1848, when the U.S. acquired the area, fewer than 15,000 settlers lived there. Over half were Spanish or Mexican. The rest were of various nationalities, including English, Scottish, Irish, German, French, and Italian.

The discovery of gold in California in 1848 triggered a major exodus from the eastern states. Chinese also began to arrive in California. By 1850, Anglo-Americans (U.S. citizens of English descent or birth) made up the majority of the population. Individuals from New York, Pennsylvania, and the New England states predominated in migration during the gold rush years.

From 1850 to 1860, many immigrants came from the countries of northern Europe (especially Ireland) and from China. In the 1860s many came from western border states. The Chinese continued to immigrate to work on the Pacific railroad, which was completed in 1869. Until 1870, most of the Chinese came from the maritime provinces of China, especially Canton. In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act suspended the immigration of Chinese laborers to the U.S. Other nationalities who arrived in this period were the Germans, Italians, French, and Portuguese.

In the 1880s a southern California real estate boom brought the first large migrations from the Midwest and the number of English and German immigrants increased. Other major increases were among the Italians, Portuguese, and Japanese. Japanese laborers could not legally leave Japan until 1885, but after that date, many came to California. The number of Mexicans dropped, and the Irish increased only slightly.

After 1890 the Italians, Mexicans, and Japanese became the major immigrant groups. Other countries that have contributed substantial numbers to California's population are Russia, Canada, the Philippines, and Poland.

The Irish, French, Italians, and Chinese tended to settle in San Francisco. The Mexicans, Russians, and Japanese settled mostly in the Los Angeles area, as did Anglo-Saxons from the Midwest. Few Blacks settled in California until World War II. Those from the southern states usually went to Los Angeles or Oakland.

Records

The major seaports of California have been Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, and San Diego. There are very few passenger lists for the west coast ports. The Family History Library has ten microfilms of crew lists from the U.S. Customs House for the years 1848 to 1851, 1854 to 1862, 1881, 1886, and 1892.

• 1883 - 1924 - California San Francisco Register of Chinese Immigrant Court Cases and Foreign Seamen Tax Cards 1883-1924 at FamilySearch — images
• 1904 - 1952 - San Diego, index to passenger arrivals 1904-1952 
  
• 1936 - 1949 - California, San Francisco Airplane Arrival Card Index, 1936-1949 at FamilySearch — index
  
• 1907 - 1948 - San Pedro/Wilmington/Los Angeles, index to passenger arrivals 1907-1936
  
• 1907 - 1948 - San Pedro/Wilmington/Los Angeles, arrival lists 1907-1948
• 1918 - California, San Francisco, World War I Enemy Alien Registration Affidavits, 1918 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1928 - 1942 - California Immigration Registers of Japanese, Filipinos, and Hawaiians at San Francisco, 1928-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1929 - 1956 - Ventura, passenger and crew lists 1929-1956
• 1929 - 1954 - California San Diego Airplane Passenger and Crew Lists 1929-1954 at FamilySearch — index
• 1954 - 1957 - California, San Francisco Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving, 1954-1957 at FamilySearch — index
• 1930 - 1936 - California, San Pedro, Immigration Office Special Inquiry Records, 1930-1936 at FamilySearch — index and images

The National Archives has recently discovered passenger lists of vessels arriving at San Francisco for the years 1893 to 1953, with an index for 1893 to 1934. The Family History Library has copies of the lists for the years 1903 to 1918 and the indexes from 1893 to 1934.

A reconstruction of passenger lists is Louis J. Rasmussen, San Francisco Ship Passenger Lists, Four Volumes. (Colma, California: San Francisco Historic Record and Genealogy Bulletin, [1965-]; Family History Library book 979.461/S1 W3r; film 1000139). This covers primarily 1850 to 1852.

An excellent source of about 30,000 names of miners, immigrants, and other pioneers in the gold rush is Charles Warren Haskins, The Argonauts of California (New York, NY: Fords, Howard and Hulbert, 1890; Family History Library film 1033667; fiche 6051188). This is indexed by Libera Martina Spinazze, Index to The Argonauts of California (New Orleans, Louisiana: Polyanthos, 1975; Family History Library book 979.4 H2w index; film 928163 item 2; fiche 6051192).

Passenger Lists for those bound from New York to California for the Gold Rush, published 1851-1860 & 1865-1873 in the New York Daily Times.

Histories and records for ethnic groups such as the Chilean, Chinese, French, German, Irish, Jewish, Yugoslav, and Polish are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under CALIFORNIA - MINORITIES.

Records of American Indians are found in the FamilySearch Catalog under CALIFORNIA - NATIVE RACES. From the National Archives—Pacific Region (San Bruno),the library has acquired copies of agency records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the years 1873 to 1947.

The Oregon-California Trails Association is an educational organization that promotes the story of the westward migration. Their site includes a personal name index to trail diaries, journals, reminiscences, autobiographies, newspaper articles, guidebooks and letters at http://www.paper-trail.org/

Hayward's United States Gazetteer 1853 Routes to California and Oregon provides descriptions of the trails.

California Pioneer Project

The Native Daughters of the Golden West have a free 35,000 name index of California pioneer biographical sketches on the Internet. These pioneers resided or were born in California before December 31, 1869. The biographical sketches are permanently archived in individual volumes of 500 pioneers each in the California Room Library at the Native Daughters of the Golden West Home, San Francisco. New submissions are welcome. For a small fee the biographical sketches can be photocopied.

For a more complete explanation, see their Roster of California Pioneers Internet page.

Tips

• Only the name of the pioneer has been indexed; others recorded in the submission, such as family members, are not included in the index.
• The full record may contain the full name of pioneer, place and date of birth, marriage and death, date of arrival in California, method of travel, name of rail or vessel; states lived in prior to California, place and year of California residence; where educated, profession or occupation, public offices held; names of children; parents' names; name, address, relationship of informant (if any); date of registration and other comments.

Mexican Border Crossing Records

Numerous Mexicans came to California in the late 19th and early 20th century. Records of 20th century Mexican border crossings are available at the National Archives and Family History Library. These include:

• Andrade and Campo (Tecate), alien arrivals 1910-1952
• San Ysidro (Tia Juana) alien arrivals 1908-1952
  

Wiki articles describing online collections are found at: 

• California, Los Angeles Passenger - FamilySearch Historical Records
• California, San Francisco Passenger Lists, 1893-1953 - FamilySearch Historical Records

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