The wing has been carefully restored to its appearance during the period 1918 to 1924. For an unfortunate 2%, it meant exclusion and a return trip to the homeland.ĭuring Ellis Island's busiest years, this wing contained legal hearing rooms, waiting rooms for witnesses, detention quarters, and staff offices. For others, it meant a longer stay with additional testing or a legal hearing. Ellis Island's main function was to screen out those considered undesirable – the incurably ill, the impoverished, the disabled, criminals, and all others barred by the immigration laws of the United States.įor the vast majority of immigrants, Ellis Island meant three to five hours of waiting for a brief medical and legal examination prior to admittance. The exhibits in the west wing on the second floor of the museum describe step-by-step what most new arrivals experienced on Ellis Island, the federal government's first immigrant inspection depot. Maintaining their legacies is our shared responsibility a duty shouldered by an entire nation. Rich with history and full of meaning, they honor the struggle that made our lives possible, and symbolize the ideals that unite us as a people. Statue of Liberty NM, National Park Service. Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty are national treasures. Approximately 15 to 20% of the aliens who appeared before the boards were ultimately denied admission to the United States.Įxhibit island located in the Through America's Gate Exhibit. An immigrant who received an unfavorable decision from the board, could appeal directly to Washington, D.C., with the help of a lawyer often provided by an immigrant aid society. Each board held 50 to 100 hearings daily in the presence of an interpreter and a stenographer.Įach board based its decision on the testimony of the immigrant and of friends or relatives allowed to speak on the immigrant's behalf. Three boards were usually in session all day, and during busy seasons a fourth board was added. Those thought "liable to become public charges," or suspected of being contract laborers or worse, received yellow cards marked "S.I.," which meant that their cases would be decided by a Board of Special Inquiry. About 10% of the persons arriving at Ellis Island were held for a legal hearing. Located in the "Through America's Gate" exhibit, the "Hearing Room," has been restored to look as it did around 1911, during the period when it served as a Board of Special Inquiry hearing room. Photographs of the room during other time periods can be seen on the east and west ends of the balcony. The Registry Room has been restored to its appearance in 1918-24, including several original wooden benches. Here they encountered the complex demands of the immigration laws and an American bureaucracy that could either grant or withhold permission to land in the United States. It was here that immigrants underwent medical and legal examinations. For most immigrants, this great hall epitomized Ellis Island. On many days, over 5,000 people would file through the space. For example, for the Port of New York, copies of the Customs Passenger Lists were used as a substitute for the Ellis Island records which were destroyed in. Nearly every day, for over two decades (1900-1924) the Registry Room was filled with new arrivals waiting to be inspected and registered by Immigration Service officers. For the immigrants, however, the room was often a loud, confusing and frightening place. Today, the enormous arched windows and immense open spaces of the Registry Room evoke a feeling of grandeur. Statue of Liberty NM, National Park Service The records are in German.The Registry Room or "Great Hall," today. Although most passengers travelled beyond Europe, a significant number sailed to the UK. Search and browse passenger lists of ships leaving Hamburg in Germany on ( £). Aliens’ entry books (1794-1921)īrowse aliens’ entry books, 1794-1921, including indexes to certificates of alien arrivals (HO 5/25-28) on .uk ( £). The records can be searched by name of alien, date and port of arrival and country/place of origin. Search and download certificates of alien arrivals (HO 2) and returns and papers (HO 3) on .uk ( £). Certificates of alien arrivals and returns and papers (1810-1869) These lists do not include passengers who joined ships en route. Search and download ( £) lists of passengers boarding at UK and Irish ports and travelling to places such as America, Canada, India, New Zealand and Australia between 18 (BT 27) on the .uk website and also on the .uk website. Search and download lists of passengers arriving in the UK on ships that departed from ports outside Europe and the Mediterranean, though lists include passengers who joined ships at European and Mediterranean ports en route to the UK, between 18 (BT 26) on the .uk ( £) website.
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