WHAT IS A PAPER SON?
Brenda Kellow
September 2, 2012
Restrictions can be a double-edged sword, with loopholes. Such was the case with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. It limited the entry of unskilled Chinese into the United States between 1882 and 1943 when it was repealed. It is the only law restricting entry of a particular nationality into the country. Unfortunately, those living here and abroad found opportunities to beat the system because it could not limit sons entering whose father was already a citizen. The ingenious ways of circumventing the Exclusion Act follow:
- In 2009, the New York National Archives and Records Administration uncovered from their collection a rare study aid to familiarize the immigrant with possible questions asked by immigration authorities before they could enter the country. This ‘cheat sheet’ was necessary if the immigrant was adopting a new identity. One idea conceived after its enactment, was to study and memorize the family history of a person already in the country. Sometimes the prospective immigrant assumed the surname of the family already here. They studied the family on paper and became familiar with the questions asked by the immigration people, thus the term, “paper sons.”
- Occasionally male Chinese American citizens living here would file a “false” birth report so there would be a paper record, referred to as a slot, to be used later by an orphan boy already here or by an immigrant making his way to America.
- Male citizens returning from a visit to China often filed papers notifying authorities of the birth of a son born after a previous visit.
- Many fathers claimed citizenship after the San Francisco fire in 1906 destroyed local public records. Then he would claim citizenship for his sons, either legitimate sons or “paper” sons. Merchant brokers usually handled the ‘sale’ of the “paper son” rights. A few females were sold the “paper son” rights as well.
To search the indexes go to www.archives.gov/research/arc/topics/chinese-immigration.html. You can examine the records, or obtain copies, at the regional archives.
Research in these records requires the name of the immigrant, preferably the Chinese spelling. Because immigration authorities did not understand the arrangement of Chinese names, it is necessary to check under both given name and surname in the surname index. No record is likely for a Chinese American citizen who never left the country or arrived before 1882.
REMEMBER SEPTEMBER 4: On September 4, the Genealogy Library opens and closes using the regular library hours. I hope all of you are as glad about this change as I am. Now, I can drop in anytime to look up a reference or access a site that is free for library card owners, but available as subscriptions at home. The Genealogy Library is on the bottom floor at the W. O. Haggard Library, 2501 Coit Road. The phone number is 972-769-4250. The regular library hours are:
Monday -Thursday 9:00- 9:00
Friday 9 6
Saturday 10-6
Sunday 1-5
September is also National Library Month.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].