National Archives at San Francisco Opens Immigration Files and Dedicates Tom Lantos Research Center

From National Archives Press Release:

San Bruno, CA… The National Archives at San Francisco has officially opened to the public over 40,000 case files on immigrants to the United States, and dedicated its research room to the late U.S. Representative Tom Lantos who was a leading force in having these files re-designated as records of permanent historical value.

These immigration files, known as “Alien Files” (commonly referred to as “A-Files”), were transferred from U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  They are among the first of millions of case files that will eventually be opened to the public.

In 1940 the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the predecessor of USCIS, started issuing Alien Registration Numbers to resident aliens in the United States.  On April 1, 1944, INS began to assign these numbers to a new series of immigration case files called A-Files. A-Files are a genealogical wealth of information, containing documents such as photographs, personal correspondence, vital records, interview transcripts, and visa applications.

 “The A-Files are a unique resource for family historians, especially the descendants of 20^th century immigrants,” said Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero. “These records are rich with personal information that will illuminate the journeys of our ancestors – including my own family – and their paths to citizenship.”

A-Files are eligible for transfer to the National Archives 100 years after the birth of the subject of a file. These transfers to the National Archives ensure that these records will be saved in perpetuity and made available to the public for research.

The holdings of the National Archives at San Francisco will include many case files created at USCIS District Offices in San Francisco, California; Honolulu, Hawaii; Reno, Nevada; and Agana, Guam, American Samoa and the American Territories.  The National Archives at Kansas City will maintain A-Files for all other INS District Offices nationwide.

A-Files may be viewed in person by appointment or copies may be ordered for a fee.  Researchers may contact National Archives staff at AFiles.SanBruno@nara.gov to search A-Files holdings for a particular file.  Beginning Tuesday, May 29, an online database will be available through the National Archives at San Francisco website at http://www.archives.gov/pacific/san-francisco.

The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent Federal agency that preserves and shares with the public records that trace the story of our nation, government, and the American people. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The National Archives is a public trust upon which our democracy depends, ensuring access to essential evidence that protects the rights of American citizens, documents the actions of the government, and reveals the evolving national experience. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries, and on the Internet at http://www.archives.gov.

The National Archives at San Francisco is one of 22 facilities nationwide where the public can access Federal archival records in person.  Its holdings total over 60,000 cubic feet of historical records dating from the 1850s to the 1990s, created by more than 100 Federal agencies and courts in northern and central California, Nevada (except for Clark County), Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the American Territories. The facility is located at 1000 Commodore Drive, San Bruno, CA 94066.  The National Archives at San Francisco is open Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (until 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.)  Appointments are strongly encouraged.

Angela Lansbury, Tony LaRussa and Richard Meier Honored at 2012 Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards

Actress Angela Lansbury, center right, architect Richard Meier, left, and baseball manager Tony La Russa, right, joined by event host Meredith Vieira, second left, pose together at the 11th annual Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards where they were honored for their contributions to the American experience, Thursday, April 19, 2012, in New York. (Photo by Diane Bondareff for The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation)

From Ellis Island Press Release:

April 19, 2012 (Ellis Island, NY) – Today in the historic Great Hall on Ellis Island three esteemed individuals were honored by The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. for the contributions they have made to this “Nation of Immigrants.”

Celebrating the 120^th year of Ellis Island, the 11^th Annual Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards were hosted by NBC’s Meredith Vieira in an 11:00 a.m. ceremony. This year’s event featured an opening tribute to R.M.S. Titanic, marking the centennial of the maritime tragedy.

The 2012 Ellis Island Family Heritage Award recipients are:

TONY LA RUSSA — Sports

Born in Tampa, Florida, where his paternal grandparents had settled after arriving from Sicily through Ellis Island in 1906, Tony La Russa spent 32 years at the helm of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals, winning six league championships and three World Series titles. A staunch advocate for animal rescue, he and his family founded ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation) in 1991, which aids abandoned animals and uses them to rescue people in need.

RICHARD MEIER — The Arts/Architecture

This Pritzker Prize-winning architect, born in Newark, New Jersey, landed "the commission of the century" designing the Getty Center in Los Angeles. His distinct style of uncompromising minimalism enhances the cityscape from Atlanta to Barcelona to Rome. His maternal grandfather Joseph Kaltenbacher, cofounder of Seton Leather in Newark, came from Germany through Ellis Island in 1896.

ANGELA LANSBURY — B.C. Forbes Peopling of America® Award – Entertainment

This beloved London-born actress, currently on Broadway in Gore Vidal's “The Best Man,” fled Britain with her family in 1940, just days before the London blitz. A star of film, stage and television for seven decades, Ms. Lansbury has received five Tonys, six Golden Globes, three Oscar nominations, and over 15 Emmy nominations. The “Murder She Wrote” star became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1951.

Each honoree received a framed copy of the original ship’s passenger manifest documenting the arrival of their family through Ellis Island or another port of entry. The Foundation’s database of ship’s passenger records available online at www.ellisisland.org and in the American Family Immigration History Center® at Ellis Island documents the arrival of the more than 17 million immigrants, as well as travelers and crew members, who came through Ellis Island and the Port of New York between 1892-1924.

The Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards are given annually to a select number of immigrants or their descendants to celebrate the Golden Door to America for the 17 million immigrants who came through the Port of New York and Ellis Island. The B.C. Forbes Peopling of America® Award, sponsored by the Forbes Family, honors immigrants who arrived at another time or through another port of entry.

About The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.

The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in 1982 to raise funds for and oversee the historic restorations of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, working in partnership with the National Park Service/U.S. Department of the Interior. Its endowment has funded over 200 projects at the islands.

Ellis Island Just Expanded It's Family History Reach

For many Americans, Ellis Island is synonymous with the immigration experience. And yet it didn't open until 1892 which means that if your ancestors arrived earlier, you may have felt like a visit to Ellis Island wouldn't apply to your family history research. All that is changing with the opening of the first phase of the Peopling of America Center.  Here's the scoop:

New York, NY (October 28, 2011) – Today, The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation and the National Park Service opened the first phase of the Peopling of America® Center, a major expansion of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, which will explore arrivals before the Ellis Island Era. This 10,000 square foot experience focuses on the history of immigration from the Colonial Era  to the opening of Ellis Island in 1892. Interpretative graphics and poignant audio stories tell first-hand accounts of the immigrant’s journey—from making the trip and arriving in the United States to their struggle and survival after they arrived and efforts to build communities and ultimately a nation.

“Until now, our exhibits have centered on the years when Ellis Island was open,” said Stephen A. Briganti, the Foundation’s President and CEO. “Of course the history of migration to America goes back to our nation’s beginnings right up to today, so there were many people whose stories weren’t told. The Peopling of America® Center will fill an enormous gap in America’s understanding of its past, present, and future.”

Also unveiled today was the American Flag of Faces™, a large interactive video installation filled with a montage of images submitted by individuals of their families, their ancestors, or even themselves which illustrates the ever-changing American mosaic.  A living exhibit, Flag of Faces accepts photo submissions and can also be viewed at www.FlagofFaces.org.

The Center’s second phase, which will open in Spring 2013, will present a series of interactive multi-media exhibits that focus on the immigration experience from the closing of Ellis Island in 1954 to the present day, including a dynamic radiant globe that illustrates migration patterns throughout human history.  The Peopling of America® Center was designed by ESI Design and fabricated by Hadley Exhibits, Inc. For more information, visit www.flagoffaces.org.

Here's an amateur video from YouTube providing a glimpse of the new exhibit...