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== Background Information == | == Background Information == | ||
Under the Alien Registration Act of 1940, immigrants in the United States were required to register and be fingerprinted. Beginning 1 April 1944 the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) began creating Alien Files to record the cases of registered aliens as they passed through the United States immigration and inspection process, as well as their subsequent interactions with Federal agencies. There are over 450,000 Alien Files maintained by the National Archives (NARA) belonging to individuals born 1910 and prior. | |||
== Record Content == | == Record Content == | ||
These files can contain a lot of biographical information about an alien. Some of the information you might hope find could include: | Alien Files hold a wealth of data including visas, photographs, applications, affidavits, correspondence, and more. These files can contain a lot of biographical information about an alien. Some of the information you might hope find could include: | ||
*Name | *Name | ||
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*Address | *Address | ||
*Date of Birth | *Date of Birth | ||
*Place of Birth | |||
*Citizenship/Nationality | *Citizenship/Nationality | ||
*Gender | *Gender | ||
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== How to locate Alien Registration Files == | == How to locate Alien Registration Files == | ||
You can request copies of these files through the National Archives (NARA). The records can be found in | You can request copies of these files through the National Archives (NARA). The majority of the records can be found in the Kansas City National Archives location. Some of the files from aliens living in the immigration districts of Guam; Honolulu, Hawaii; Reno, Nevada; and San Francisco, California are housed in the National Archives Regional Office in San Bruno, California. | ||
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An online index that includes both locations is available at the [http://www.archives.gov/research/immigration/aliens/a-files-kansas-city.html NARA website]. | An online index that includes both locations is available at the [http://www.archives.gov/research/immigration/aliens/a-files-kansas-city.html NARA website]. | ||