After the city's records of citizenship were destroyed in the San Francisco fire of 1906, many Chinese residents were able to claim they were citizens.
一直到了一九○六年，舊金山發生大地震，六成以上的建築物不是倒塌，就是燒光，市政府裡的資料也付之一炬。華人逮到機會，紛紛自稱為在當地出生的「土生仔」。「土生仔」為美國公民，可以接父母子女到美團聚。