The Solano County Genealogical Society will host a virtual Speaker Series presentation on Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. The topic is: "The Joys and Challenges of Asian American Research"
Asian Americans have been in this country for over 175 years, despite discriminatory legislation like the Chinese Exclusion Act, Gentlemen’s Agreement, Immigration Act of 1924, and the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans. In many cases, these laws resulted in extensive files that can help researchers find information about their ancestors. There are fewer resources for research into those whose families have come to the U.S. since the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, but genealogical techniques and discussions with families can still lead to learning about ancestors.
Our speaker Grant Din has conducted genealogical research for over thirty-five years. He currently serves on the board of the California Genealogical Society and consults on genealogical and nonprofit projects. Mr. Din has served on the staff of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation for eight years and was involved with Immigrant Voices website with over 220 stories of West Coast immigrants from throughout the world. He was also co-curator of Taken From Their Families, a permanent exhibit about the wartime internment of Japanese immigrants on the island.
Grant's interest in genealogy started at a wedding reception in his youth, where a relative showed him a page from a family tree showing he is in the 36th generation of the Gong family (he's also a 24th generation Owyang). His research has taken him throughout California, China, and Japan to research his and his family’s journeys.
Grant Din holds a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University, an M.A. in public policy analysis from Claremont Graduate University, and a B.A. in sociology with emphasis on urban studies from Yale University, and has traveled throughout the U.S., China, and Japan for his research. Grant was a part of the research team for The Six, a film about the Chinese who survived the Titanic.
He has close to forty years of experience in the Bay Area non-profit sector and lives with his family in Oakland, CA.
Solano County Genealogical Society members will receive a Zoom invite via email a few days before the event. They can also find the most current Zoom Invitation Link on the website in the Members Only menu section.
Guests are welcome to attend this FREE event. If interested, send an email to the society at scgs@scgsca.org no later than 4:00 p.m. June 6th to request an invitation.
