Hawaii Naturalization and Citizenship

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United States

U.S. Naturalization and Citizenship

Hawaii

Naturalization and Citizenship

United States Naturalization Online Genealogy Records

Online Resources

• 1791-1992 U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes for Hawaii, 1791-1992 at Ancestry Index ($)
• 1838-1991 Hawaii, Naturalization Records, 1838-1991 at FamilySearch; index — How to Use this Collection
• 1846-1849, 1883-1898 Hawaii, Denization Records, 1846-1849, 1883-1898 at Ancestry ($), index.
• 1849-1900 Hawaii, Passport Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• 1874-1898 Hawaii, Passport Records, 1874-1898, at FamilySearch; index — How to Use this Collection
• 1882-1955 Case Files for Early Immigrants to San Francisco and Hawaii, 1882-1955. Index.
• 1895-1898 Hawaii, Certificates of Identification for Chinese Arrivals, 1895-1898 at Ancestry ($), index and images.
• 1944-2003 U.S., Index to Alien Case Files, 1944-2003 at Ancestry — index ($)
• Citizenship - Naturalization, Denization and Passports at Ulukau Hawaiian Electronic Library

History

Citizenship could be granted during the royal era by a Letter of Denization. Two kinds of letters were issued. One gave a person all rights of citizenship except the right to vote. It was mostly issued to representatives of Hawaii in foreign countries, most of whom had never been in Hawaii. The other gave a person all rights of citizenship including the right to vote. It was for persons who were eligible to become naturalized, and was usually issued to new arrivals who planned to reside in the islands. These records are located at the Hawaii State Archives.

Availability

The FamilySearch Library has microfilm copies of Letters of Denization, 1846- 1898, FS Library film 1017113 items 1-4, 6

The supreme court also issued Naturalization Records, 1874-1904. These records are located at the Hawaii State Archives for the years 1874 to 1904 and include petitions for 1900 and 1904 FS Library film 1015654 They are partially indexed. No naturalizations were issued from 1895 to 1900.

Under the Republic of Hawaii, some individuals who were not citizens of Hawaii were granted Special Rights of Citizenship but this did not grant them naturalization. These records are at the Hawaii State Archives. The FamilySearch Library has a List of British Subjects who have received Special Rights of Citizenship [ca. 1892 to 1898] FS Library film 1017113 item 5

Collective Naturalization

All persons who were citizens of the Republic of Hawaii on 12 August 1898 were declared citizens of the United States.

Citizenship and Immigration Services

In 1906 the Immigration and Naturalization Service (now United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) was created, forms were standardized and duplicate records created by the court were sent to the INS. To access these records, use the Genealogy Program

For more information on Citizenship see Hawaii Vital Records- Civil Registration under the section on State Records.

Websites

• Hawaii State Archives
• Ulukau.org - Hawaiian Genealogy Indexes