SAVE OUR NATIONAL ARCHIVES
SONA
P.O. Box 472012
San Francisco, CA 94147

March 27,2007

Emilio T. Gonzalez, Ph.D., Director
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
425 I Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20536

RE: USCIS & NARA AGREEMENT to ACCESSION the ALIEN FILES

Dear Director Gonzalez:

After almost a decade-long struggle, the Save Our National Archives (SONA) coalition is gratified to hear of USCIS' commitment to begin transferring possession and management of the Alien Files (A-Files) to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). USCIS Deputy Director Jonathan "Jock" Scharfen was gracious in publicly expressing your personal interest to seeing this valuable collection accessioned. In turn, John Constance and Tom Mills, representing U.S. Archivist Allen Weinstein, also conveyed NARA's cooperation in expediting this process as well.

SONA wishes to thank Congressman Tom Lantos and his staff for convening the March 8th meeting at NARA's Leo Ryan Bldg. in San Bruno to once again allow SONA to present specific points raised over the years by our member organizations and representatives regarding the accessioning of the A-Files.

Specifically, regarding the PROCESS of accessioning the A-Files, we would like USCIS and NARA to address the following points:
v	SONA has consistently advocated for the initial accessioning of A-Files to include those case files of persons born in 1925 and earlier. Timing is of paramount importance for family members of "Paper Sons/Paper Daughters" from the Chinese Exclusion Act era (spanning over 60 years of immigration) to accurately explore and verify personal genealogy with their living elders. Also, knowing such personal history can unveil critical information for medical genealogy purposes (e.g., identifying blood relations for bone marrow donations).
If USCIS and/or NARA do not agree with this date of initial accessioning, a detailed explanation including citations to specific legal authority and other reasoning for declining SONA's request should be specified.

v	Given the fact that accurate and vital personal histories perish and literally "die" with every passing relative, subsequent accessioning of the A-Files should be scheduled for every year or two years, in closer intervals rather than spaced apart over time.
v	In the process of "inventorying" (creating finding aids and consolidation) of the A-Files for accessioning, we request that USCIS and NARA consider additional fields of data to feature historically valuable and culturally significant information within the documents. The example given at the March 8th meeting was to incorporate the name of the homeland village or town of immigrants, or to actually scan in the original subject names in their native written language (e.g., Chinese or Japanese characters). Locating the precise ancestral village in China often leads to finding rare lineage documents that record hundreds of generations of family history.
v	In the distribution of Requests for Proposals and procurement of contractual services for tile accessioning process, SONA member organizations offer to assist USCIS and NARA with community efforts to promote diversity, community relations and outreach, as well as compliance with Federal mandated guidelines and policies.
v	Then too, wherever possible and feasible, we encourage USCIS and NARA to explore opportunities for volunteers and/or "partnerships" with NGOs and local educational institutions to not only enhance the process of accessioning but also promote public education regarding archival materials amongst diverse communities.
In closing, attending members of SONA were told the following would occur after our meeting.
1)    Mr. Scharfen stated that USCIS will issue a letter to SONA summarizing what USCIS presented at the March 8, 2007 meeting. Particularly, it was clear that the complete process of inventorying and accessioning would be done at the NARA facilities in San Bruno. The Pacific Region would also be the permanent location for that Region's A-File collection (specifically, the "lone exception" to USCIS' policy of consolidation of all other A-Files at Lee's Summit, Missouri).
2)    USCIS and NARA would work together to present a prospective "schedule" for the accessioning of the A-Files. It should include specific milestones to be accomplished by target dates, so that members of the public can understand the steps involved, anticipated outcomes (e.g. end products like a database of content), and goals for starting/completing various phases (e.g. month/year)
In closing, we look forward to receiving USCIS' follow-up letter to our March 8th meeting. Shortly thereafter, we expect USCIS and NARA will provide specific responses to our points above, many of which were presented to both agencies in numerous correspondence by and meetings with our SONA member organizations and representatives.
SONA looks forward to working with USCIS and NARA as we move forward with this most important and common goal - preserving and making accessible for the public one of THE most important and valued collections of original and rare source material reflective of our nation's vast and diverse immigrant roots, the Alien Files.
Please feel free to contact me at my home phone at 650-343-4768 or via my cell phone at 
415-867-8587, or by mailing to the SONA P.O. Box in San Francisco. SONA members share excellent communications via an Internet network, so we can respond efficiently to any queries or comments you may have.
Sincerely,

Jennie F. Lew,
SONA Representative and on behalf of the Attending Members of the 3.8.07 meeting:
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, Executive Director Daphne Kwok
California Genealogical Alliance, President Lisa B. Lee
Chinese Historical Society of America, Grand Historian Philip Choy & Member Doug Chan, Esq.
Genealogical Society of Utah, Regional Manager Alan M. Health
National Japanese American Historical Society, Executive Director Rozalyn Tonai
San Francisco State University, Asian American Studies Department,
Professor Lorraine Dong
Yvonne Y. Lee, Former U.S. Civil Rights Commissioner

cc:     U.S. Archivist Alien Weinstein
U.S. Congressman Tom Lantos
U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer
U.S. Congressman Michael Honda
U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren
U.S. Congresswoman and Speaker of the House of Rep. Nancy Pelosi
SONA Member Organizations for A-File Accessioning