ellis island. ellis island new york city, ny four out of ten americans trace their heritage to ellis...
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Ellis Island New York City, NY
Four out of ten Americans trace their heritage to
Ellis Island.
1892-1954
Class System
Ellis Island showcased some of the best
aspects of the United States, but also some of
the worst. Its very existence was testimony
to a class system.
1st Class Ticket
Immigrants who could afford a first- or second-class ticket aboard the big ocean liners from Europe were briefly
inspected aboard ship and allowed to pass
directly into the United States.
Steerage PassengersOnly the poor were required to
undergo an inspection at Ellis Island, and the poor
comprised, by far, the majority of immigrants.
These steerage passengers-so called because they
traveled in the lowest levels of the ship – did not always receive a warm welcome.
The wharves were large enough to receive immigrants from 2 ships simultaneously.
Once ashore, they went straight into a giant hall and a maze of aisles where they waited their turn to talk with a registry clerk, and a
medical inspection.
Medical Inspections
A mother and her children wait formedical examination. At the far left of the photograph, a doctorcan be seen checking a child’s
eyes for signs of trachoma.
A doctor examines a woman who bearsa chalk mark on her dress, courtesy of
a sharp-eyed inspector.
The symbols used were:• B – Back• C - Conjunctivitis• CT – Trachoma• E – Eyes• F – Face• FT – Feet• G – Goiter• H – Heart• K – Hernia• L – Lameness
• N – Neck• P – Physical and Lungs• PG – Pregnancy• S – Senility• SC – Scalp (Favus)• SI – Special Inquiry• X – Suspected Mental
defect• ⓧ – Definite signs of
Mental defect
After passing the medical examination, immigrants waited anxiously inthe Registry room to be summoned to an inspector’s desk for the legal inspection.
Those who failed to pass the initial inspection, due to improper papers or failed health screenings, were placed in a wire-screened enclosure. Sometimes
paperwork could be corrected. Sometimes immigrants were placed in quarantine. Many times,
these immigrants were just sent back home. Sometimes family members would be separated.
The Ellis Island hospital andcontagious wards containedbeds for 700 patients.
Deportation:Expulsion of someone from a country.
Immigrants who failed inspection were often sent home. Pictured
are immigrants who are awaiting deportation in an outdoor area of Ellis
Island.
Having passed all inspections, immigrants were permitted to send telegrams notifying
relatives of their safe arrival to America.
Angel Island Immigration Station
• Open from 1910-1940• Processed and detained mostly immigrants from
Asia, but also some from Latin America• The Chinese Exclusion Act was still in effect (1882-
1943)• Nevertheless, over 56,000 Chinese immigrants came
through Angel Island between 1910-40• Unlike at Ellis Island, immigrants on Angel Island
were detained anywhere from several days up to several months or longer
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