Description: If the Statue of Liberty was the symbol of a new life in America, the neighbouring
Ellis Island was the reality – an institution of the state wherein federal employees put a value on each human life.
In order to control and restrict the number of immigrants spilling out at the New York docks one central inspection and processing centre was required. The location chosen was an island out in the bay named after a Welshman, Samuel Ellis. Opening on 1st January 1892, by the time it closed for good in 1954 some
12 million people passed through its doors.
Its aim was to weed out those who would not be a benefit to the nation. Experts were employed to asses the health (physical and mental), education and personal resources of those who were directed here (notably, only the steerage-class passengers wound up here – first and second class passengers were processed on board ship). Family, friends or communities already established in the US that would sponsor the new arrivals and ensure that they did not become a ‘public charge’ counted in favour. For many, fleeing the cruel hand of state repression, victims of pogroms or police actions, the first sight of the great processing hall and the stern uniformed figures must have filled them with terror. I had heard of it as a fearful, ill-omened place.
Yet, as the exhibitions at the
Ellis Island Immigration Museums show, in reality only 2% of prospective immigrants were turned away. Yes, the doctors were vigilant at spotting the infirm, the mentally-challenged and those who showed signs of communicable diseases, but the vast majority were allowed to enter the new land of hope (partially this is due to the steamship companies carrying out their own inspections; any passenger refused access would have to be trasnported back to their port of origin at the shipping line’s expense). It is now thought that over 100,000,000 American citizens (one third of the population) have ancestors who first stepped on American soil on Ellis Island. 3,000 people died on Ellis, mostly in the hospital facilities. While this is a high number it is nothing compared to the numbers of people who arrived here – on 17th April 1907 alone 11,747 immigrants were deposited at the quayside here.
The Museum on Ellis Island is rather a celebration of the dreams of all those who made it here to seek a new life. It chronicles their courage and enterprise. There is a centre on hand to help people trace their own ancestors who might have come through these doors. There are different exhibitions exploring different elements of the immigrant experience. A good starting point I found was the introductory film feature
‘Island of Hope, Island of Tears’ narrated by gene Hackman. This atmospheric 30-minute documentary is showed frequently in different cinemas and free tickets for slots can be obtained from the information desk on the ground floor. Other exhibitions show statistical analyses of the people that made up ‘America’, look at the peak immigration years before the first world war and examine how immigrants were processed. The ways in which immigrants were utilised to fuel the growth of the nation - encouraged to move on to where they were needed to power industry or settle new areas – and the reactions to their arrival from existing citizens are explored. The third floor has displays of items brought by the travelers and also photographs of the wilderness that reclaimed the island and centre once it was closed down in 1954. These mournful vignettes of an abandoned Ellis Island are very powerful; certain buildings elsewhere on the island are still like that though restoration of – for example – the hospitals are ongoing. These all surround the two great halls – the ground floor Baggage Hall, and the upstairs two-storey Registry Room (officials were once stationed to scrutinise those climbing the stairs. Shortness of breath would indicate an unfit individual). The Registry Room has been left appealingly bare, a great vaulted institutional space, though images of it in different configurations exist, such as a maze of mesh walls directing people to the registrars’ desks.
We found ourselves spending much longer at Ellis Island than we had anticipated. Even without having the cultural history of ancestors who sought entry to the US here Rebecca and I found ourselves moved by the individual tales of struggle and confronted with the obvious question of how to deal with immigration. At base the process seems heartless, a simple economic calculation of whether any given individual would be a net profit to the United States or not. Families would be torn asunder when some members were judged productive and others non-productive. But I found enough evidence of triumph and compassion to restore my faith in humanity, whether it be unwashed and in rags or in a uniform with a rubber stamp.
Tickets for are bought from the Statue Cruises ticket booth at
Castle Clinton in Battery Park. A $12 ticket covers access to both Ellis Island and Liberty Island as well as the boat ride across. Don’t arrive too late or spend too much time at the Statue of Liberty to fully take in the exhibitions at Ellis. You can also book your ticket in advance via the
Statue Cruises website. Thankfully, the museum is under cover so you are protected from the elements. Food and drink can be bought on both islands, though it is pricey (I bought a bacon cheeseburger at the Ellis Island café and it cost $9.47), so bringing grub with you could be advisable. I’m not sure whether the same item can be bought cheaper on Liberty Island or Ellis Island – due to an administrative quirk the original Ellis Island is in New York state, but the reclaimed and infilled land that completely surrounds it is in New Jersey, and the two states have different sales taxes. But the biggest piece of advice would certainly be to schedule enough time to take in all the history on display here.
Close