Pearl of the Desert | Chinese History of Arizona, USA (41) Chapter 4: Guan Chongqiong Family (3)

Arizona Historical Association: Zhang Zhaohong The "Return Permit" a hundred years ago Guan Chongqiong came to the United States from China all the way, this courageous young man because of his ambition...

>Arizona Historical Society: Zhang Zhaohong

A hundred years ago "Reentry Permit"

Guan Chongqiong came to the United States all the way from China. This courageous young man quickly adapted to his new life in the United States because of his ambition and expectations.

In 1900, Phoenix's Chinatown was in a stage of renaissance. The exclusion of Chinese in other American cities did not have much impact on the remote Phoenix. Although Arizona was part of the United States at this time, it was not yet a state. Not long after the railroad from California was built, many Chinese workers who built the railroad stayed, and Chinese from other cities also moved in, promoting the development of local Chinatowns.

At that time, the three largest restaurants in central Phoenix were all run by Chinese. The most famous one was the American Kitchen run by Sing Yee, Sr. The restaurant was located on the bustling Central Street in the city and was one of the few Chinese restaurants at the time. The proprietor, Yu Kang Middle School, is well versed in both Chinese and English, is well-run, and has a good relationship with the government. Many Chinese who have just arrived in the city have been taken in to work or receive help.

After Guan Chongqiong came to the United States, he worked at Citi Restaurant. He started as a dishwasher and paid 5 cents per day for labor. Due to hard work and thrift, his position slowly rose and he established a firm foothold in the United States.

The Guan family in Kaiping have always been thinking about their son across the ocean. Because it was time to start a family, her parents decided to help Guan Chongqiong propose a marriage. What he is interested in is a girl from the Li family, a famous girl. The bride's family also agreed to marry their daughter to Guan Chongqiong, so the Guan family began to prepare for the wedding and notified Guan Chongqiong to go home and get married. At that time, no one knew the outcome of this marriage or how long they would be separated in the future.

In 1912, Guan Chongqiong was 19 years old. He learned from the letter that his hometown had arranged a marriage for him. After being away from home for more than three years, he decided to return to China to visit his parents and get married and start a family. In order to return to the United States after marriage and continue to realize his dream, he applied for a piece of paper now known as a "reentry permit" before returning to the country.

At that time, the document applied for and issued by the Customs in San Francisco was "Form No. 430, Submission No. 9". ("Zhen" means a report from a subordinate to a superior). The document is bilingual in Chinese and English. The content in Chinese is as follows:

"This report is specially used to establish a solid certificate for natives who want to leave the United States and return from abroad."

"The entrance committee of the Management Office is aware that I want to temporarily leave the United States and travel to foreign countries. This is the port of entry and exit for Chinese people (San). Francisco), and will return from that port in the future. In accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 39, all the certificates of birth in the United States will be submitted for inspection. Witnesses will also be interviewed in person at the commissioner's office. They will be signed and submitted as usual, and three photos will be attached. "

"Before disembarking, you must go to the public office of the Alien Entrance Committee to exchange for the No. 1 license before disembarking."

The customs document mentioned: Those who go abroad can only be U.S. citizens, and must have a witness statement to confirm and verify, and they must return from that port when they leave the country.

When Guan Chongqiong came to the United States as a "paper son", he also came to the port from San Francisco, and he had the information to verify the "certificate of birth ownership" in the United States. In addition, this document is only the "No. 4 report", and you need to change it to the "No. 1 report" before you can get off the ship.

This "No. 1 report", the author estimates, is the entry document when returning to China and disembarking. When you return to the United States, you must exchange your "No. 1 Certificate" for a "No. 3 Certificate" before you can enter the United States. In this way, we can strictly prevent the identity counterfeiting and exchange of immigrants.

In the era of the China Anti-China Act, the vast majority of Chinese workers could not return to the United States after returning to China. Therefore, this customs document from the Chinese in Alberta returning to the United States a hundred years ago is really valuable for understanding the history of the Chinese at that time.

On June 20, 1912, Guan Chongqiong married Li Nuhao in her hometown in Kaiping. According to the law, if a Chinese born in the United States marries in China, their family members are not eligible to enter the United States. Guan Chongqiong cannot apply for his wife to come to the United States. (to be continued)