Certificates of residence for Chinese laborers, 1894-1897

Details

Title: Certificates of residence for Chinese laborers, 1894-1897
Creator: United States. Internal Revenue Service. First District of California.
Date: 1894-1897
Identifier or Call Number: MS 3642
Scope and contents: Collection consists of 17 certificates of residence for Chinese laborers in California, dated from 1894 to 1897. Each certificate includes the laborer's name, local residence, and occupation; information about his height, eye color, complexion, and physical marks or peculiarities; and a photographic print. Certificates are signed and stamped by O. M. Welburn, Internal Revenue Collector, First District of California.
Biographical or Historical Information: Under the provisions of the 1892 Geary Act, which amended the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, all Chinese in the United States were required to apply for, obtain, and carry a government-issued certificate of residence proving their legal presence in the United States. Chinese and Chinese Americans discovered without such identification could be arrested and deported.
Finding Aid: http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt858038qp/