Took the ferry from Battery Park to Ellis Island where we were able to take a tour of the un-restored hospital buildings on the island.
Ellis Island Immigration Center - Island 2
It was very interesting to learn about the layout of the facility. It was basically set up like a spine with rooms offset down the main area so as to prevent cross ventilation. Upon walking into the measles ward you could almost get a sense of the sick that had been treated there.
Ellis Island - Hospital - One of the Measles Wards
I had always been of the opinion that the immigrants who came through Ellis Island were shuffled through in droves and that thousands upon thousands were refused entry into the country. I was also under the impression that there were not interpreters available and that many of the immigrants were forced to change their names or denied entry because they did not understand the questions that were being asked. In actuality, approximately 12 million people came through Ellis Island and only 2% (about 240,000) were sent back. The reasons were about 1% medical / 1% legal. It was reassuring to know that the majority of the people who worked on the island were very conscientious of these new arrivals and were attentive in the care that they gave. One thing that never occurred to me was that those who were detained on the island would have had to pay for their care. This of course makes sense and would deter many ailing people from coming to America and becoming immediately dependent on the government. If a person was deported for medical reasons, the steamship was responsible for their return and were fined $100. I was also reassured to find out that if they did not have an interpreter on the island when immigrants arrived, they would send someone to the Lower East Side to find someone who spoke their language.
Being the history nerd that I am, it is wonderful to see that these buildings are being restored and that they are doing so according to guidelines and plans of the buildings showing exactly what the individual facilities were used for. It will be very interesting to revisit the area in the next decade to see what they have accomplished.
I liked the activity that we participated in where each table was given a bag with particular items in it and were given the task of figuring out what role they would have fulfilled on the island. This concept could easily be adapted to any unit or lesson where you could find artifacts (or replicas). This object based learning concept is innovative and unique.
One fact that really struck me was that Ellis Island was not the only immigration processing center in the country; there were several others including one in New Orleans. These others were not near as big as NYC, but I wonder why these are never mentioned? Did they provide the same care as Ellis Island? Where were these other immigration centers located?
Can’t thank Jessica enough for supplying us with the thumb drive with documents and pictures. This truly is a god send to the classroom teacher.
In the rain I then traveled to Liberty Island to view the Statue of Liberty.
Traveling to Liberty Island
As cheesy as it may sound, it is still awe inspiring to come upon this majestic woman in the harbor that symbolized so much for so many. Even though my ancestors immigrated from France, through Canada and down into Massachusetts, I can still sense the wonderment and connection those who came through Ellis Island must have felt. To know that you were entering a new land, with hopes and dreams, and that statue symbolized everything you had left behind and everything that your future had to hold, brings a tear to my eye. Can you imagine the fears and hopes that they held?
After dropping off the books and items I purchased throughout the morning, Marie and I walked to Grimaldi’s for some true NY style pizza. It definitely lived up to our expectations!
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