Hybrid Chapter
The hybrid chapter typically meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month, though this year that falls on the day before Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. So we will see you in 2025.
February 2025 Meeting - Virtual
Caught in a Web of Laws: Women and Children Immigrating to Hawaii during the Chinese Exclusion Era
Presented by Kathy Bowman on 27 Feb 2025.
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During the Chinese Exclusion Era in the United States(1882–1943), restrictions were placed on Chinese entering the country. The changing and complicated laws made it especially difficult for women and children to immigrate. The Chinese living in Hawaii did not become subject to these Exclusion laws until 1900 after becoming a territory of the United States. Kathy will explore how this might have made their experience different from the Chinese in the mainland United States. Through case studies, she will highlight women and children that were able to immigrate, and how they were navigated the tangled laws.
Kathy Bowman is a genealogist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She started researching her family tree thirty years ago to verify a family rumor that she was a direct descendant of a signer of the Declaration of Independence (hint: she’s not!). She believes that regular people have extraordinary lives, and loves helping individuals connect with their family stories. She completed her MSc from Strathclyde University in 2023, along the way completing extensive research involving Chinese women and children who immigrated to Hawaii.
March 2025 Meeting - In Person
A visit to the FamilySearch Library. Details to follow.