The alien files or a files: the missing link.(7H Panel)

Florence Tu, Moderator

This presentation will showcase a new, as yet barely explored "source frontier" in American immigration and ethnic and family historical research: the huge U.S. government investigative case file group known as Alien Registration Files or A Files, which encompass the fabric of America with immigrants entering from every country worldwide. In Chinese American Studies, these files contain informational and evidentiary documents that are vital for family historians and essential for understanding such subjects as American immigration policy/practices and the Chinese diaspora, as well as many other social science areas.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE A FILES AND THEIR RECORDS APPRAISAL STATUS

Daniel Nealand

The National Archives and Records Administration conducts "appraisals" of "current use" and longer-lasting historical values for U.S. government records. Enduring public historical research possibilities play a major role in determining which federal records …