ELLIS ISLAND

ELLIS ISLAND:HOPE & TEARS

Ellis Island is a historical site that opened in 1892 as an immigration station, a purpose it served for more than 60 years until it closed in 1954. Located at the mouth of Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, Ellis Island saw millions of newly arrived immigrants pass through its doors.

WHAT WAS ELLIS ISLAND?

The main groups were the Irish, the Germans, the Italians and the Jews from Eastern Europe. They escaped from extreme poverty, famine, unemployment and religious and racial persecutions. Ellis Island was America's largest and most active immigration station, where over 12 million immigrants were processed

WHAT PEOPLE CAME TO AMERICA?

They also feared the registration procedure - a rigorous medical inspection and an aptitude test, they had to pass in Ellis Island as a condition to enter the United States

VARIOUS CHECKS TO BE MADE

Since September 1990 visitors can tour the Main Building of the former immigration complex, which is now home to the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. A world class experience, the Museum is home to an evocative series of exhibits and houses an amazing collections of artifacts from America's history.

TODAY ELLIS ISLAND

For the vast majority of immigrants, Ellis Island truly was an "Island of Hope" - the first stop on their way to new opportunities and experiences in America. For the rest, it became the "Island of Tears" - a place where families were separated and individuals were denied entry into the United States.

WHY IS ELLIS ISLAND KNOWN AS HOPE AND TEARS?

It was used for pirate hangings in the early 1800s. The first immigrants to arrive at Ellis Island were three unaccompanied minors. The island wasn’t the first place immigrants landed when they arrived in New York. It was used as a detention facility during WWI and WWII. It wasn’t opened to the public until 1976.

CURIOSITY

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