Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty are clearly the most iconic monuments to the American Dream that our country has to offer.  Our trip here offered an inspirational snapshot on the history of immigration to the United States.  It was here that most American citizens’ ancestors first crossed the shore into the country.   The journey was anything but easy and many of them traveled in steerage at the bottom of the boat. 

The Statue of Liberty

The poem  below can be found inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty modeled by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles.  From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame,
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips.  "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

by Emma Lazarus, New York City, 1883

 

The Statue of Liberty itself was at first a gift from the French commemorating the American and French Revolutions and the idea of independence, but due to its proximity to Ellis Island has since become synonymous with immigration and the American Dream.  After passing the statue, which was shipped in pieces and later assembled in the United States, at Ellis Island, some of them faced cultural and linguistic barriers in the new foreign land.  We did learn however that when crossing through customs, inspectors from just about every language were available to help the newcomers to the country.  In some cases recreation and entertainment were even provided for immigrants at Ellis Island accounting not only for the immigrant’s health, but also the soul.   This was of great necessity to account for the multitude of cultures arriving at the country’s largest immigration center.   According to our guide, once at Ellis Island, the newcomers were subjected to a variety of questions.

Ellis Island

What is your name?

Where are you from?  Where are you going?

Are you a criminal?  Are you an anarchist?

What is your occupation?  What skills do you have?

Who paid for your ticket?

These are great questions for students to consider when studying the immigration process of the late nineteenth to mid twentieth century.  This also of course leads to great discussion of genealogy.   Students naturally often take ownership in learning about their own culture.  Ellis Island has the technology to look up particular surnames and attempt to trace one’s family tree lines and this is a great extension for the classroom for students that are interested.   Our guide also provided us with a wealth of resources by jump drive including two PowerPoint presentations and primary sources such as naturalization applications, the citizenship oath, and much more.  How helpful, this will be!  It must have been our lucky day!

Hard hat tour of the hospital renovation at Ellis Island

Artifacts used by surgeons examining immigrants at Ellis Island.

Ultimately 98%  made it through Ellis Island with a meager 2% being deported, half for medical and half for legal reasons.  During our time in the classroom, we were asked to examine some of the artifacts common at Ellis Island and determine who might have used them.  What a great way to engage students!  After arriving, the true test would come later when it became time to find a home and job.  Political parties like the Know Nothings and other ethnic and nativist groups did not always exactly welcome incoming immigrants.  Many of them feared that the newcomers would provide much more competition for them at the workplace.

After taking the ferry back to New York City, with the Yankees game penciled in for tomorrow, I quickly realized it was my last chance to sight see in the big city.  I took the subway to 5th Avenue and checked out Rockefeller Center.  Highlights included St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Atlas statue, and FAO Schwartz toy store minus Tom Hanks.  The rain came down and I stopped to get an umbrella at Grand Central Station.  After wandering out, I quickly realized what a spectacle New York City really is.  There were literally thousands of people walking the streets all quickly hustling this way and that.  I enjoyed the sites and stopped at Staples for packaging tape and boxes to ship home school supplies and souvenirs.  After purchasing the materials, I quickly scampered off to the Marriott to drop off my hands full of junk that had been accumulated throughout the day, not realizing that I had left my wallet.  The cashier came running after me on to 5th Avenue to get my attention.  I told him this was something that would never happen to me at home in Pueblo, but when consumed with the hustle and bustle of New York it did.  He smiled and said, “See and we even returned it”!  “New York has a bad reputation”!  Thanks again amigo! 

Atlas Statue

St. Patrick's Cathedral

FAO Schwartz toy store

Next I rode the C train back to Borough Hall/Jay Street and scurried back to our stomping grounds, the Brooklyn Marriott.  There was more left to see and I had not yet been to Coney Island.   I quickly made haste with Lindsay and we boarded the F train on what seemed like an endless expedition to the South end of Brooklyn.  The trip must have literally taken an hour and trains were almost vacant.  We literally stopped 3 times for about 15 minutes at a time do to traffic ahead.  When we finally reached Coney Island, it was close to 11:00 PM and I felt a sense of accomplishment.  I had a Nathan’s Original Hot Dog, bummed around for awhile and boarded the train back to the hotel all in what seemed like a New York minute.

Nathan's Original Hot dog stand. Home to the world famous hot dog eating contest each 4th of July.

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