Gateway to Another Land

“The main building impressed upon immigrants that America was a substantive and wondrous land; the power of the federal government and the American nation made their stamp on the immigrant immediately” (122).

The Book

American Passage: The History of Ellis Island gives the reader a glimpse into one of the iconic places in American history. Author Vincent J. Cannato chooses to present a biography of a place, detailing the birth, growth, and retirement of Ellis Island.

Ellis Island opened in 1890 as a federally-run immigration station. From 1892-1924 twelve million immigrants arrived. Eighty percent were processed in hours, while twenty percent took days or weeks to process at Ellis Island. In 1900, the current building opened. Immigrants were observed and examined for physical and mental health issues, some were detained for long periods of time while others were sent back to Europe. The politically appointed commissioners attempted to enforce an often confusing immigration law, appease national sentiments, cater to immigration societies, and humanize the process.

During the two World Wars, Ellis Island served as a detention center for “enemy aliens” and, ironically, a place of deportation. Throughout the aftermath of the World Wars, Ellis Island became linked to national security. During this time, the buildings fell into disrepair and the station officially closed in 1954. With time, historians and children of immigrants begin to emphasize the importance of Ellis Island. After restoration, it reopened as a national immigration museum in 1990.

Overall, American Passage is a well written, detailed, and interesting book. Cannato provides an unbiased and honest history of Ellis Island, intertwined with the history of immigration. He does not gloss over the anti-immigrant protests and sentiments of the past or the corruption. Yet, the book is sprinkled with stories of immigrants who found a new life once they passed through Ellis Island. As I read American Passage, I couldn’t help but draw parallels to the current immigration debate. Cannato does a superb job addressing this parallel in his epilogue.

The Place

Ellis Island is synonymous with immigration and the Statue of Liberty. In school, we learn of the immigrants traveling to America, glimpsing the Statue of Liberty, and then processing through Ellis Island.

Just like the Statue of Liberty, there is only one way to reach Ellis Island. Statue Cruises provides a ferry to Ellis Island. Once on the island, there are several places to explore. The Great Hall provides a visitor an idea of what it was like to arrive as an immigrant. In this large open space, immigrants would wait in lines to be processed. Guided tours are available for those that want an in-depth understanding of Ellis Island. Visitors can also search the manifests of ships for ancestors that may have arrived at Ellis Island.

Ellis Island is still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Sandy, so some exhibits and locations are unavailable. It is always a good idea to check the website prior to visiting.