What Her Records Don’t Say: Rebuilding the Stories of Three Chinese Women

This presentation explores three of the Chinese women in Carly Lane Morgan’s family tree. All lived in California but had remarkably different stories, which called for a diverse toolkit of research strategies. Their lives unfolded during a period of intense racial discrimination and legal restriction. Through careful analysis of scarce and fragmented records, the presentation explores how immigration policy, cultural practices, and gender bias shaped the historical visibility of Chinese American women. Attendees will gain insight into research strategies for reconstructing marginalized lives and addressing record gaps to discover the life stories of minority women traditionally overlooked by history.

Carly Lane Morgan is a Chinese-American genealogist and educator, and she founded Family Tree Notebooks, a digital system for organizing and presenting family history. Her work centers on recovering the stories of families often overlooked in historical records. She regularly lectures at conferences and leads workshops, sharing insights on digital organization, social media for genealogists, and diverse family histories. She volunteers with several genealogy organizations to advocate for inclusivity and innovation in family history.

A Zoom link will be sent to members and mailing list subscribers the morning of the meeting.