https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/selecteditems daily 0.75 2026-08-09 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/selecteditems/juewingchung monthly 0.5 2026-08-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/081a2281-adbf-407e-b642-6a8dd4287fbf/RG+85+JUE+Wing+Chung+Form+430.png Selected Items from the National Archives at San Francisco - Form 430 for Jue Wing Chung - Application of Alleged American Citizen of the Chinese Race for Preinvestigation of Status, 1921 - Make it stand out Form 430 for JUE Wing Chung - Application of Alleged American Citizen of the Chinese Race for Preinvestigation of Status, 1921. From case file 34163/4-2 for JUE Wing Chung. Immigration Arrival Investigation Case Files, 1884–1944. Records of the San Francisco District Office of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Record Group 85. National Archives at San Francisco. URL: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28880553 (not digitized on NARA catalog, image provided by Chris Chow) Please read a reflection on this document by Chris Chow, an Emmy award winning journalist and filmmaker who helped save the Angel Island U.S. Immigration Station from demolition in the 1970s and transform it into a National Historic Landmark and Visitor Center. Chow also helped save the National Archives at San Francisco/San Bruno when it was threatened with closure in 1998, as a member of Save OUR National Archives. Now, 28 years later, SONA is working again to stop the closure of the National Archives at San Francisco, this time a secretive move under President Trump. The earliest picture we have of my father James Wing Chow are at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at San Francisco inside the Leo J. Ryan Memorial Federal Building in San Bruno, CA. No one in our family had ever seen or known of this until 1998 when my sister Stephanie King found it in his immigration file there. He was not an immigrant but a U.S.-born citizen, treated as an immigrant because of the Chinese Exclusion Act. The picture was of him as a baby, a few months after he was born in San Jose, California, May 12,1921. His name then was Jue Wing Chung. It’s a photo taken for his Form 430, a document needed in the process to prove his status as a native-born U.S. citizen upon his later return to his homeland. The form was known as the “Application of Alleged American-Born Chinese for Pre-Investigation of Status.” My father’s file in the National Archives at San Bruno is part of the historical record of America, his homeland and my country too. Today, it and many other historical records of individuals, families, and institutions in the Western part of the United States are still available and accessible to the public there. But the Trump Administration has moved to close off such public access to history. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) through its Acting Archivist of the United States, Mr. Edward Forst, an appointee of President Trump, has ordered the closure of the Chicago and San Francisco (San Bruno) National Archives regional centers, with removal of holdings beginning as soon as this month. This was disclosed not in a public announcement nor with any public discussion but in a June memo to all employees of NARA by the chief of operations, Jay Trainer, that was anonymously leaked. The impending loss of physical access to my father’s and other family members’ files at NARA San Francisco/San Bruno is a great blow to us. And here’s why: The Form 430 document and photo on it were entered into the record of a Board of Special Inquiry convened at the Angel Island Immigration Station in July, 1934. When my father came back to the United States at the age of 13, he needed to prove his right of entry as a birthright citizen. Also entered into the record was the above sworn deposition by his father Jue Shin with photos of them both. His case was considered at Angel Island by a Board of Special Inquiry comprised of three commissioners who were to weigh documentary evidence and interrogate the applicant and vouching witnesses and compare photographs of the applicant with the in-person appearance of the subject applicant in reaching a verdict. In my father’s case he was unanimously admitted, though with caveats regarding photo identification, as evidenced by the Board of Special Inquiry’s hearing transcript and a summary by Chairman F. Arnold. One discerning comment of the board was that “he seemed to testify frankly and with the desire to give complete information.” I think this points to one of his character traits because one of Dad’s favorite proverbs was “honesty is the best policy.” It was a constant admonition to us children. To the extent that he lived, James Wing Chow experienced the good and the bad, the ugly and the beautiful, the exclusions and opportunities, of the American Dream. Were my sister not able to retrieve these records of our father and hold them in her hands and share them with me, our families would not know nor understand the scope of his journey nor the depth of his courage in grasping the American Dream. He achieved much of it. And may we build upon it and upon his shoulders. We can do so by keeping these records here at NARA San Francisco/San Bruno, accessible to members of the public and other heirs of history . https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/selecteditems/1942memo monthly 0.5 2026-08-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/3bd53466-60a5-4229-8cc9-a61d3295014e/RG+181+-+NAID+552680312+-+German+alien+report.jpg Selected Items from the National Archives at San Francisco - Excerpt from June 14, 1942 memo - Make it stand out Excerpt from June 14, 1942 memo. File unit “FBI List of Pro-Axis Sympathizers Recommended For Internment”. Correspondence and Reports Relating to Investigations of Italians and Italian Americans, 1940–1943.” Records of the Department of the Navy, Twelfth Naval District, Office of the District Intelligence Officer. Record Group 181. National Archives at San Francisco. URL: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5635672 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/selecteditems/wongkimark monthly 0.5 2026-07-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/38bd1edc-8b52-429c-85ab-edbc5846c1a7/WKA+296477-12017-42223_Page_29.jpg Selected Items from the National Archives at San Francisco - In the Matter of the Identification of Wong Kim Ark, 1904 - Make it stand out “In the Matter of the Identification of Wong Kim Ark”, May 14, 1904. Return Certificate Application Case File of Wong Kim Ark, 12017/42223. Records of the San Francisco District Office of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Record Group 85. National Archives at San Francisco. URL: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/296478 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/selecteditems/collinsreport monthly 0.5 2026-07-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/25b025e9-9875-4ceb-a7df-f3360e19e128/RG+96+Collins+report+p3.gif Selected Items from the National Archives at San Francisco - Excerpt from Arvin Camp Manager Tom Collins’ Report, 1936 - Make it stand out Excerpt from Report for Week Ending July 25, 1936 and Report for Week Ending August 1, 1936. From file “July-August 1936 Arvin [Weekly reports, Thomas Collins, camp manager] RF-CF-16 918-01”. Coded Administrative Camp Files, 1933–1945. Records of the Farm Security Administration. Region 9. Record Group 96. National Archives at San Francisco. URL: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/296506 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/selecteditems/josephine monthly 0.5 2026-07-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/b0419d30-9c06-4b2a-91c2-9e1ac89f682e/RG+75+Josephine+Crispain+and+John+Marcus.png Selected Items from the National Archives at San Francisco - Photograph of Josephine Crispain and John Marcus - Make it stand out Photograph of Josephine Crispain and John Marcus. From file “720 Old Age Security Survey--By MRs. Richard Codman 1937.” Coded Subject Records of Programs and Administration, 1950–1971. Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Sacramento Area Office. Record Group 75. National Archives at San Francisco. URL: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/296275 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/selecteditems/yatabe monthly 0.5 2026-07-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/e24b39d3-196e-4773-81ad-da641b2779d3/RG+85+12741_21-20_Yatabe_Tsuchiyo_Page_13_Image_0001.jpg Selected Items from the National Archives at San Francisco - Photographs of Tsuchiyo Yatabe and Sadakichi Yatabe - Make it stand out Photographs of Tsuchiyo Yatabe and Sadakichi Yatabe. From file 12741/021-20. Immigration Arrival Investigation Case Files, 1884–1944. Records of the San Francisco District Office of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Record Group 85. National Archives at San Francisco. URL: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28817480 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/selecteditems/stroud monthly 0.5 2026-07-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/c4ebf338-9df0-4525-b46d-60f2fd368c36/RG+129+Stroud.jpg Selected Items from the National Archives at San Francisco - Warden’s Notebook Page for Robert Stroud, 594-AZ - Make it stand out Warden’s Notebook Page for Robert Stroud, 594-AZ. Warden's Notebook Pages, 1934–1963. Records of the Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island, California. Record Group 129. National Archives at San Francisco. URL: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/296722 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/selecteditems/uss-arizona monthly 0.5 2026-07-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/0847a7e3-312c-41fc-a249-e520e9160568/RG+181+USS+Arizona.gif Selected Items from the National Archives at San Francisco - Photograph of the USS Arizona - Make it stand out “USS Arizona (BB39) Foremast structure, conning tower, and top of turret #2.” Salvage Photographs, December 1, 1941 – 1946. Records of the Fourteenth Naval District, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Fleet Salvage Unit. Record Group 181. National Archives at San Francisco. URL: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/296937 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/selecteditems/tatiana-biront monthly 0.5 2026-07-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/f0109d61-3676-4c9e-a923-6fe22ce29883/A007909065-Tatiana-Biront_Page_06_Image_0001.jpg Selected Items from the National Archives at San Francisco - Immigration Visa Application of Tatiana Biront, 1950 - Make it stand out Immigration Visa Application of Tatiana Biront, 1950. From the A-File for Tatiana Biront, A7909065. Alien Case Files, 1944–2026. Records of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, San Francisco (California) Field Office. Record Group 566. National Archives at San Francisco. URL: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40377623 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/updates daily 0.75 2026-08-14 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/updates/caca monthly 0.5 2026-08-14 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/updates/erikalee monthly 0.5 2026-08-14 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/updates/chsa monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/updates/njahs monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/updates/densho monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/updates/saa-statement monthly 0.5 2026-07-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/81329ce6-31af-449f-b143-c915f68033d8/SAA+Logo.png Updates - Archivists Express Alarm Over NARA Closures The Council of State Archivists (CoSA), the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA), and the Society of American Archivists (SAA) have issued a joint statement expressing alarm over the closure of multiple National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) facilities around the country. “These documents cannot be removed to locations distant from where they are used by the communities who need them, thereby adding additional costs in travel and lodging for those seeking to use the archives. The people of the United States must have access to these archives at a level that is equal to or better than what is currently available—whether through physical access in a new facility located in close proximity to the current shared FRC/Regional Archives or through other means that maintain or enhance public accessibility.” Read the full statement here. https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/updates/oah-letter monthly 0.5 2026-07-28 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/updates/sfbos monthly 0.5 2026-07-28 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/home daily 1.0 2026-07-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/1783018962578-8V5LJIQJY4GLEOLIZOQP/RG+129+Stroud.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/1783021502210-ME5NVER6QNRX6MV1KJQ4/RG+96+Collins+report+p3.gif Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/1783018755435-RLGASLLE8KO43BGEU955/RG+181+USS+Arizona.gif Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/514a894c-07d5-445c-bca0-8a517613ce65/A007909065-Tatiana-Biront_Page_06_Image_0001.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/1783020279435-NZX00J2LFWB628O8X3JT/RG+85+12741_21-20_Yatabe_Tsuchiyo_Page_13_Image_0001.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/1783196891480-Y1JSCUIA3HICBW05IX94/RG+181+-+NAID+552680312+-+German+alien+report.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/1783021238137-TKPVK8FFJGQJD3DNNAF2/RG+75+Josephine+Crispain+and+John+Marcus.gif Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/1783021681100-VXV88TDGR98S4PIHD7QH/RG+85+WKA+296477-12017-42223_Page_29.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/1786282923879-OEL852TVTAQDS03Y8XHV/RG+85+JUE+Wing+Chung+Form+430.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/7fb49f82-0ab3-499b-bd04-ccbcbcaf5fbb/Don%E2%80%99t+let+our+community%E2%80%99s+history+disappear+%281%29.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/38bd1edc-8b52-429c-85ab-edbc5846c1a7/WKA+296477-12017-42223_Page_29.jpg https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/about daily 0.75 2026-07-31 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/take-action daily 0.75 2026-07-30 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/mediacoverage daily 0.75 2026-08-01 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/tom-lantos daily 0.75 2026-07-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a45df425fade15fe914051b/984e958c-79fe-4869-a832-729a5e93667c/Tom_Lantos.jpg https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/publications daily 0.75 2026-08-04 https://www.saveournationalarchives.org/stories daily 0.75 2026-08-04