WEGAI - Immigration (Lesson)
Immigration
The period from about 1880 to 1920 is known as the "New Immigration" when about 38 million immigrants arrived in the United States. About 27 million immigrants settled permanently in the United States while about 11 million "birds of passage" worked in the United States for a time and then returned to their home country. This influx of immigrants contributed to an incredible population growth in the U.S.--from 50 million in 1880 to 106 million by 1920. Moreover, the varied population of immigrants contributed to the diverse culture that is modern America.
Millions of the "new immigrants" entered the United States through Ellis Island, a small island in New York Harbor. For many of these immigrants, one of the first things that they saw was the impressive Statue of Liberty as they approached New York. (Immigrants from Asia were processed through Angel Island on the Pacific Coast---an Ellis Island counterpart.)
Read the following information from Boundless on Ellis Island:
In the 35 years before Ellis Island opened, over eight million immigrants arrived in New York and were processed by New York State officials at Castle Garden Immigration Depot in lower Manhattan. The federal government assumed control of immigration on April 18, 1890, and Congress appropriated $75,000 to construct America's first federal immigration station on Ellis Island. Artesian wells were dug; and using landfill from the construction of New York City's subway tunnels and ballast of incoming ships, Ellis Island was expanded to six acres--or twice its original size. While the building was under construction, immigration processing took place at the Barge Office located nearby the Battery.
After opening, Ellis Island was expanded with landfill and additional structures were built. By its closing in 1954, the U.S. Bureau of Immigration had processed 12 million immigrants there. It is estimated that 10.5 million immigrants departed for points across the United States from the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, located just across a narrow strait. Others would have used one of the other terminals along the North River (Hudson River) at that time. The peak year for immigration at Ellis Island was 1907 with 1,004,756 processed immigrants passing through the processing stations there.
Generally, immigrants who were approved spent from two to five hours at Ellis Island. Arrivals were asked 29 questions including name, occupation, and the amount of money carried. The American government wanted to ensure that the new arrivals could support themselves and had enough money to get started. The government wanted immigrants to have an average of between 18 and 25 dollars. Those with visible health problems or diseases were sent home or held in the island's hospital facilities for long periods of time. More than 3,000 would-be immigrants died on Ellis Island while being held in hospital facilities. Some unskilled workers were rejected because they were considered "likely to become a public charge."
About 2% of immigrants were denied admission to the U.S. and were sent back to their countries of origin for reasons including having a chronic contagious disease, a criminal background, or being deemed insane.
Ellis Island was sometimes known as "The Island of Tears" or "Heartbreak Island" because of the 2% who were not admitted after the long transatlantic voyage.
After the Immigration Act of 1924 was passed, which greatly restricted immigration and allowed processing at overseas embassies, the only immigrants to pass through the station were displaced persons or war refugees. Today, over 100 million Americans (one-third of the population) can trace their ancestry to the immigrants who arrived in America at Ellis Island before dispersing to points all over the country.
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