phillyarchives:**Big Six Collection Spotlight** Today’s post was written by Grace DiAgostino
phillyarchives: **Big Six Collection Spotlight** Today’s post was written by Grace DiAgostino, Student Trainee at the National Archives in Philadelphia. Chinese Identification Papers, 1899 Identification Papers of Chinese Appearing at the National Export Exposition, 1899Record Group: 85 – Immigration and Naturalization ServicesNA Identifier: 567447Arrangement: NoneAvailable Online?: No The National Export Exposition was held in Philadelphia from September 14th to November 30th in 1899. The Exposition convened under the authority of Congress and was endorsed, sanctioned, and supported by federal and state government bureaus, commercial agencies, and private investors. Exports of American manufactured goods doubled in the decade between 1889 and 1899, and the Exposition sought to continue this growth of American trade by encouraging manufacturers of the United States to participate more actively in foreign export commerce. In addition to promoting the American export industry, the Exposition invited merchants and artisans of foreign countries to attend and exhibit native forms of art, crafts, religion and social life. Due to the restrictions of the Chinese Exclusion Act, the federal government closely documented and regulated Chinese men and women attending and presenting at the conference. Some of the Chinese who attended the Exposition were Jinrikisha men, sedan chair bearers, servants, artisans, waiters, painters, acrobats, carpenters, singers, watchmen, actresses, and salesmen. This post features some of the identification papers that documented each Chinese who was sent by their government for the purpose of exhibiting a Chinese Village that illustrated the architecture, dress, industries, amusements, transportation, social life, and religious worship of China, at the National Export Exhibition in Philadelphia. Although small, this collection of identification papers offers a fascinating look at selective Chinese inclusion in America during a time of stringent legal Chinese exclusion. Identification Papers of Chinese Appearing at the National Export Exposition, 1899; Record Group 85: Records of Immigration and Naturalization Services; National Archives at Philadelphia. (Record Entry ID: PH-3610) (NAID: 567447). -- source link