Treasure Hunt: Digging for Family Stories at Home | My China Roots

Treasure Hunt: Digging for Family Stories at Home | My China Roots

Chinese American family historians Felicia Lowe and Grant Din share (1) historical context for intergenerational silence and secrecy and (2) practical ways to talk with relatives about the past – the first step to find missing pieces of your family history. #AAPIHeritageMonth #ChineseExclusionAct

Speakers: Felicia Lowe (filmmaker) and Grant Din (genealogist)
Moderator: Chrislyn Choo
Date: Friday, May 13, 2022

0:00 Secret histories of Felicia & Grant’s “paper families”
6:54 Finding immigration files using Certificates of Identity (CIs) and ship manifests
9:59 Breaking the silence of Felicia’s mother with her daughter’s help
17:02 Shadowy legacies of the Chinese Exclusion Act
24:51 Uncovering the larger story despite family resistance and missing pieces
28:45 Practical tips for interviewing family members
34:16 Understanding your relatives through the lens of historical exclusion
38:00 Speaking up as the US’ history of exclusion repeats today
41:37 Free MCR resource to assess your family history clues
42:43 Q&A: Hiding and reclaiming names as a paper family
46:42 Q&A: Reactions of family members to research findings
51:50 Q&A: Resistance to asking questions and recording interviews
56:32 Encouragements: Be patient, persistent, and find your allies!

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