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Chinese Canadian Genealogy

The Chinese community in Canada has a long history dating back to the 19th century. The first Canadian-born baby of Chinese origin, Won Alexander Cumyow, was born in Port Douglas, B.C., in 1861. There are many resources available to Canadians of Chinese origin who would like to explore their personal connection to Chinese Canadian history. The purpose of this research guide is to provide tools and information to support such research.

The initial phase of this project emphasized Chinese pioneers and records in B.C. For decades B.C. was the province of residence for a majority of Chinese immigrants, and many of the records created as Chinese settlement expanded to other parts of the country during later decades are still subject to privacy regulations. However, additional funding from Library and Archives Canada has made it possible to extend the scope of the research guide to include more information relating to other provinces.

Some Chinese did not come to Canada directly from China but came by way of other countries. For information on Chinese communities outside China and Canada, see Chinese Diaspora. Because there was a considerable amount of Chinese transmigration between the U.S. and Canada, some researchers may be especially interested in exploring Chinese American connections and roots. This topic is explored separately on our Chinese American Genealogy section.

The language of the guide is English, but references to Chinese-language documents, records and websites are included. For more information see Chinese-Language Resources. Unless otherwise indicated, romanizations of Chinese characters throughout this guide are based on the Pinyin system.

Overview

The guide is divided into 7 major sections:

Basics

Presents principles and strategies commonly used by genealogists, and explains how to use standard genealogy charts. Printable charts are included.

History and Pioneers

Reviews milestones in Chinese Canadian history and briefly looks at Migration and Settlement. Also links to stories of Chinese Canadian pioneers and provides information on current heritage projects.

Chinese Names

Introduces a challenging, complex subject that may have a significant impact on your research prospects.

Family Sources

Discusses interview strategies and suggests possible questions. Looks at family heirlooms and clan and district associations.

Immigration Records

Introduces a variety of sources that may include records of immigrants to Canada from China.

Other Records

Introduces other sources in which information about individuals and families may be found, including civil registration, newspaper announcements, directories, military records, cemetery records, and other sources. Examples are provided, together with information on how to access the actual records themselves.

Back to China

Explores research possibilities in China itself.

eNewsletter

Stay up-to-date with new developments in the rapidly changing world of genealogy with the help of our semi-annual Genealogical Resources eNewsletter.

Acknowledgments

The Vancouver Public Library acknowledges the participation of the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of B.C. and members of Vancouver's Chinese Canadian community. Many individuals have contributed time, knowledge and ideas. We particularly thank Loretta Chow, Ray Chow, Gordon Mark, Trev Sue-A-Quan, Ed Wickberg, Larry Wong, May Yan-Mountain, Gail Yip, and Eleanor Yuen for their enthusiasm and support.

The Vancouver Public Library Trust was generous in providing the financial support necessary to develop and launch the initial phase of this research guide.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of Library and Archives Canada, whose contribution has allowed us to expand and develop the content of the Chinese Canadian Genealogy research guide.
 

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Program Spotlight

Learn how to trace your ancestry using the library’s digital and print collections. Our genealogy classes help bring family history to life!

The library also offers Connection to Kith and Kin, a family search program specifically for Indigenous people.

Digital Library Resources

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A popular database for genealogical research. Includes census, baptism, marriage and military records.

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British Columbia city directories from 1860 to 1955. Directories include detailed historical information about British Columbian communities.

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Digitized newspaper archives covering The Province (1898 - present), The Vancouver Sun (1912 - present) and The Times Colonist (1884 - present).

Issues from most recent 3 months not available in this collection. See Canadian Newsstream for current issues.

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Search and view community newspapers from around BC published between 1865 and 1994. This collection makes many of BC's earliest newspapers freely available in digital format

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Finding tool for historical information about BC in books, magazines and newspapers in the Vancouver Public Library collection.

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Selected papers tabled in the Legislative Council of British Columbia (2nd to 8th Sessions, 1865-1871) and the Legislative Assembly (1st to 32nd Parliaments, 1872-1982). Contains materials documenting the political, historical, economic, and cultural history of the province. Includes reports, orders of the day, records of land sales, maps, voters lists by district, and more.

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Explore Canada’s history through the lens of historical newspapers. Fully digitized issues of many major Canadian newspapers back to their first issues. For more recent issues of these newspapers, please see Canadian Newsstream.

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Full-text access to over 500 BC and major Canadian daily newspapers. Some titles go back as far as the 1970s.

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Brings together historical holdings from the Canadian Knowledge Research Network, Canadiana.org and The Canadiana Héritage Project.

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Brief biographies of notable Canadians from the years 1000 to 1930.

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Access the full image of the Globe and Mail newspaper from 1844 to 2018.

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A selection of historical images of Vancouver and British Columbia from the 1880s to the 1980s.

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Full text access to over 1300 international newspapers, wire feeds, and more.

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Discover signature collections such as the Historical Photographs collection featuring more than 40,000 digitized images, the Vancouver Building Register, and the British Columbia Index. 

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Searchable primary source material dating from as early as the 16th century to modern times. Excellent for historical research. *Also suitable for research at the elementary, high school and post-secondary levels.

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Delivers full-page images of 5,000 newspapers and magazines from 100 countries before they appear on the newsstands. Includes titles such as The Vancouver Sun, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist.

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