Most records of immigration investigations files relate to the enforcement of the Chinese Exclusion Acts during the years 1882-1943 and are included in National Archives case records of Immigration and Naturalization Service district offices and US district and circuit courts. Enforcing a policy of discrimination which excluded immigrants on the basis of race/ethnic/national origins and social/economic class or prevented those persons from returning to the US, the original Chinese Exclusion Act was passed as a temporary measure to restrict "Chinese laborers," but was extended and harshened by later legislation. Most case files cover Chinese immigration, but some National Archives and Records Administration regions have smaller amounts of archival files that cover immigrants from countries such as Japan, Korean Filipino and India, as well as a few Russian (often Jewish) immigrants. There are numerous sub-types of case files, among which are Business Partnership case files for Chinese merchants, an exempt class in the exclusion laws along with students, teachers, government officials and their families. Also included in NARA holdings at some Regions are post-World War II Chinese American immigration investigative case files, 1945-1960, related to possible pro-communist activities and known as "Confession Files" or "1300 Series" files. As a whole, the files are sources for documenting the history of Asian immigration to the United States, federal law-related agency policies and activities related to Asian immigration, and Asian American genealogy/family history.
