Primary sources are original records created during the time period or subject under review. Examples can include objects, newspaper articles, images, books, government records, laws, treaties, memoirs, oral histories, data, manuscripts, maps, pamphlets, speeches, diaries, letters, film footage, physical objects, and much more.
Primary sources are not located in specific databases. They can be located in many places which makes the search complicated.
→ When searching for primary sources, specific search terms usually yield the best results (i.e. searching for a specific book like My Life in China and America by Yung Wing will be easier than searching generally for Chinese diaspora memoirs/autobiographies).
→ Before searching for primary sources, do background research. Take notes, follow footnotes in secondary sources, and collect details about the titles of documents, names of people, places, events (etc) to use as keywords or date limiters when searching for primary sources.
→ Be mindful of variations in spelling (i.e. Liang Qichao/Liang Chi-Chao/Liang Ch'i-Ch'ao) when searching.
The boxes below offer search tips for locating specific types of primary sources with library databases.
► Some books at Fordham Libraries will offer compilations of information to help locate specific primary sources:
The Chinese in America, 1820-1973 by
► Some books are collections of full or partial primary source documents along with commentary from scholars:
Asian America [electronic resource] : A Primary Source Reader by 
Asian American History by 
Yellow Peril! : An Archive of Anti-Asian Fear by ► Cookbooks and art books feature primary sources inside them such as recipes or photographs of people, places, food, artwork, fashion, and other historical artefacts.
The Nom Wah Cookbook : Recipes and Stories from 100 Years at New York City's Iconic Dim Sum Restaurant by 
Godzilla: Asian American Arts Network by
► Some books are primary sources in and of themselves if they document first-person accounts of events (i.e. memoirs/autobiographies) or serve as artefacts from a specific time, place, and perspective (i.e. directories, history books, etc).
Living for Change : An Autobiography by 
Most databases archiving legislative history work best when searching for a specific law or court case rather than searching generally for cases with descriptive keywords.
→ Before searching for a specific law or court case, do background research to determine jurisdiction, key dates, people involved, and any citation information or numbers [i.e. Wong Wing v. United States, 163 U.S. 228 (1896) or Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, Pub. L. 89–236].
→ Use the Law research guide to find databases for searching law journals, case law, bills, and legislative histories.
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