Ellis Island

A Milestone Documents E-text
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Ellis Island
https://doi.org/10.3735/9781961844551.book-part-011

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Abstract

Quick! What is your name? Where are you from? Do you have a job? Are you an anarchist? You have probably seen movies that depict European immigrants sailing into New York and exclaiming with joy and relief when they first glimpse the Statue of Liberty. Hollywood often skips over the hours, and sometimes days and months, immigrants spent at the immigrant inspection station on Ellis Island between seeing the statue and actually stepping foot in New York City. For millions of would-be Americans, navigating the immigration center was a stressful, bewildering, and sometimes frightening experience that often ended well. The process, though perhaps challenging, was designed to let most people in to the United States.

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