Almost there
As we were leaving the Statute of Liberty, the question became whether we wanted to take in Ellis Island, too. There was plenty left of this hot day, and so we thought, sure, why not?
The boats that take you from Jersey City and Manhattan to Liberty Island also loop through Ellis Island, and so it was an easy connection. And it's a good thing we took advantage of it, because in some ways Ellis is even more of a trip than the statue.
Through these portals passed 12 million people moving to the United States from Europe between 1892 and 1924. Some never made it through. For one reason or another -- sickness, lack of money, a criminal past, perceived mental deficiency -- they were sent back to their countries of origin. A cruel fate, considering how nasty, unhealthy, and otherwise hazardous a trans-Atlantic sail was in those days. Still others eventually made their way into America, but only after being detained on the island for extended periods of time. Although the exhibits we saw didn't discuss it, I'm sure that many a would-be immigrant died there.
When I walked the same steps that the immigrants did, I felt a glow that I experience only once in a great while. A little shining. It was a bit like the first trip we took to Edgefield, years ago when it first opened as a hotel. The ghosts were definitely watching.
They may not have included my kin. All eight of my great-grandparents came from Europe to New York, but it's not clear to me that they all came through Ellis Island. That facility opened in 1892, and my grandparents were all born shortly after that. Their parents, the immigrants, may have come through an earlier station on the Battery in Manhattan, but conditions there were probably similar in some respects.
Only part of Ellis Island has been restored, and it's a real shame that the rest of it hasn't been, but you get a fairly clear picture of what life was like there from the exhibits, which are quite good. Throughout the place are listening stations, where you pick up a replica of an old-fashioned telephone receiver and hear the voices of Ellis immigrants telling their stories many years later. Boffo stuff, even if you're not the biggest fan of history.
The buildings are truly impressive. You can imagine what an "immigrant processing station" would look like if the federal government built one today -- probably a compound of glorified double-wide trailers with a barbed-wire fence around it. But for Ellis, the architects and construction folks pulled out all the stops. It's a grand old set of buildings -- one that sent all sorts of strong messages to the immigrants, to our own citizens, and to the rest of the world.
Seeing what the less fortunate of the newcomers were subjected to was fascinating, and it prompted some serious reflections about immigration -- what it was then, what it is now, and what it should be now. There are no easy answers, but an hour or two on Ellis Island will have you asking yourself many of the right questions, at least.
God rest our immigrant ancestors. And God bless our children, who took in the sights on the island with us; when it's time for them to figure out what kind of country they want to present to people who want to move here from other parts of the world, may their memories of this place help guide them.
Posted at 11:48 PM
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Comments (5)
When I went to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, we were treated by an unusual circumstance: Lech Walesa was visiting at the same time. So they postponed additional tours for security reason, and consequently there were very few people there at the time we were there. Which on an otherwise sunny summer day was pretty phenomenal if one of the reasons you avoid tourist sites is because you loathe hordes of people (especially in the heat).
I found Ellis Island, the museum, displays, and the grounds fascinating and thrilling. My maternal and paternal ancestors passed through there and were processed, and went on to settle in Brooklyn and other parts of New York. It was really cool to take a trip through time and imagine them there, full of hope and probably fear.
And, Lech Walesa waved at us!
Thanks for the memories!
Posted by Sarah Bott | August 27, 2008 8:20 AM
I as a child immigrated to this great country from Germany in 1952. We came through Ellis Island. I remember seeing the Statue of Liberty in the Harbor poking through the fog on a cold November day.
It took my parents two years to get a visa to be allowed to immigrate. One of the prerequisites to immigrating was a full medical check up and vaccination for smallpox and TB. As immigrants form a former enemy country we weren’t exactly welcomed with open arms, but were not treated badly either. Going through Ellis Island was a one day event mostly waiting in lines for immigration and customs officials to check your paperwork and luggage.
Looking at it with my perspective I feel this nation which was founded by immigrants and enriched by them throughout history should always have a welcoming policy. Economic opportunity is the reason my parents and most immigrants that came here or want to come here.
That being said, however, I believe we need a sound and orderly immigration policy. During the 1950’s the government knew who was immigrating and insured that criminals and people with communicable diseases were excluded. Going through the process also gave the immigrants protection, the privilege to obtain employment and freedom to go anywhere they wanted. There was also a stipulation that immigrants had to have a sponsor who would be financially responsible for their welfare.
Posted by John Benton | August 27, 2008 9:15 AM
I visited Ellis Island for the first time last year. I was taken with what it must have been like to endure the boat trip across the Atlantic, to be so close to NYC and New Jersey, only to be turned back for one of the reasons you mentioned. I hope you had time to catch to movie that is shown regularly.
I plan to return and spend the entire day.
P.S. And you didn't stop by for a chocolate vodka....?
Posted by Cousin Jim | August 27, 2008 5:56 PM
Regretfully not. We were pretty pressed for time during the Jersey segment of the trip. The girls did get in a goodly amount of time with Granny, however, and that was Priority 1.
Posted by Jack Bog | August 27, 2008 6:23 PM
How fortunate for Ellis Island that you decided to use the remaining part of your day to visit and that your overall experience was so positive. Save Ellis Island, Inc., the nonprofit partner to the National Park Service, is dedicated to restoring, rehabilitating and adaptively reuseing Ellis Island's remaining 30 heretofore unrestored buildings. Our websites listed above will give you a fairly comprehensive picture of the future we envision for this international icon which as incredible relevance today in addition to its rich history. Thanks so much for your prescient comments.
Posted by Judith R. McAlpin | August 28, 2008 8:06 AM