This partnership file most notably includes Dr. Sun Yat-sen (the father of modern China and its first provisional president) as one of the listed owners.
Chinese Partnership case files were originated during investigations to certify the status of many Chinese immigrants as "Merchants," an "Exempt Class" not subject to exclusion under the Chinese exclusion laws, along with students, teachers, government officials, and the families of those so exempted. To be classified by INS as a merchant, the applicant had to be certified after investigation as an owner or official partner with at least $1000 interest in a recognized mercantile firm, where he performed no "manual labor." The files include descriptions and interpretations of business activities, maps of some Chinatowns in California, lists of business partners, and photographs. They are a valuable source for social, ethnic, family, local, and business history, and often contain links to the larger series of archival immigration investigation case files.
While the partnership list is generally partially focused on the book and stationary department of the The Young China, individuals within the file are also associated with The Young China newspaper (also know as the Young China Morning Post), which was started by the Tongmenghui movement and later associated with the Kuomintang after the overthrow of the Manchu dynasty. Individuals specifically associated with the newspaper are also listed in select cases on the partnership lists.
