Ellis Island was the gateway therough which more than 12 million immigrants passed between 1892 and 1954 in their search for freedom of speech and religion, and for economic opportunity in the United States. After the NPS took over and converted it into a historical monument, Ellis Island todays hosts a large number of memories of those 12 million people. Let us all see those artifacts and think for a moment what these people had to go through to come inside the United States and then let us think back how some of us came in during the 21st century. Let us appreciate for what oppurtunity we have been given to come to this land. (for those who have come)
Date(s): December 31, 2004. Album by Karthik Nagaraj. Photos by Karthik M Nagaraj. 1 - 61 of 61 Total. 1455 Visits.
enlarge 117KB, 800x600 1 At the entrance. We were to take a self-guided audio tour of the main building.
enlarge 169KB, 800x600 2 People wait in lines with their luggages outside Ellis Island to get in to the building for screening and immigration. Yes, those are the actual luggages of those people who came in.
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enlarge 131KB, 600x800 4 the Immigration briefing room on the second floor. Here is the place where all the people were made to sit and were called one by one by the immigration officials for clearance.
enlarge 151KB, 800x600 5 An atual picture showing how the people were packed in. It is said people were sitting there holding their breath and waiting to be called and praying that they be allowed to enter the land of oppurtunities.
enlarge 159KB, 800x600 6 Priya listens to the audio commentary on the benches that were once seated by those people who immigrated into this country.
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enlarge 105KB, 800x600 8 These are the 3 sets of stairs that lead to different rooms for the people who were detained and not allowed to get inside. These rooms served as further examination rooms.
enlarge 93KB, 600x800 9 After the gruelling session with the immigration officers, people were allowed to enter through America's Gate.
enlarge 113KB, 800x600 10 Once in, the people would go through medical exam. Doctors would check to see if the people were physically sound enough to enter the country and not be a social burden. Also people were sent to the infirmary if they were found to have some diseases.
enlarge 90KB, 600x800 11 Typical eye exam to see if people had any eye diseases like glaucoma etc.,
enlarge 81KB, 600x800 12 A chart that explains the process of entering into the United States from Ellis Island.
enlarge 77KB, 800x600 13 Legal Inspection room - people were checked to see if they have a job, who the relatives they were trying to meet etc.,
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enlarge 113KB, 600x800 15 List of all the passengers who wanted to enter New York through Ellis Island.
enlarge 96KB, 800x600 16 Courtroom for holding any arguments regarding the right of landing in America.
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enlarge 106KB, 800x600 18 Picture shows how people waited in lines to enter into New York once all the legal mumbo-jumbo was over.
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enlarge 108KB, 600x800 21 Then people would go to the money exchamge to convert their currency to the United States Dollar ($).
enlarge 103KB, 600x800 22 A coffee shop selling coffee and candy to people. On the right you can see the old age cash counter machine used in those times.
enlarge 135KB, 800x600 23 Look at the actual money exchange center where people stood in lines to get their currency exchanged.
enlarge 96KB, 600x800 24 After the money exchange people would go to the train schedule and maps so they can decide how they can go further to their loved ones from New York.
enlarge 98KB, 600x800 25 People buying tickets to their destinations.
enlarge 140KB, 800x600 26 Look at the map of the Southern Pacific Company Railroad.
enlarge 83KB, 800x600 27 Mental testing - people were tested for IQ with some simple brainteasers and some of the tests showed how they behaved towards certain pattern of blocks and diagrams.
enlarge 100KB, 800x600 28 One such testing pattern.
enlarge 85KB, 800x600 29 Some puzzles and simple tests for the people coming in.
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enlarge 89KB, 600x800 32 A detailed doctor diagnosis further inside.
enlarge 98KB, 800x600 33 Many people who came into Ellis Island were public servants like Doctors, nurses, inspectors, matrons, etc., These people worked really hard when the immigration was high.
enlarge 112KB, 800x600 34 Many people would get married the moment they were free to enter the country. Ellis Island had its own Marriage contract bureau to issue marriage certificates.
enlarge 96KB, 800x600 35 New York that attracted people to migrate into America.
enlarge 148KB, 800x600 36 The temporarily detained were not allowed until further information was heard from their point of contant in United states.
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enlarge 101KB, 800x600 39 Letter of notice for the concerned person to appear on Ellis Island and identify the person trying to get into the country.
enlarge 86KB, 600x800 40 The Bill of fare for the dining room service.
enlarge 76KB, 600x800 41 The dining room and the actual cutlery set that were used by these people.
enlarge 117KB, 800x600 42 For some it was Island of hope and for some it was tears and for some it was broken promises and were sent back. But all in all the Island held something for everybody.
enlarge 104KB, 600x800 43 Some of the deportees who were sent back to their country.
enlarge 123KB, 800x600 44 The bunks in the detainee room where 1/2 people shared the small bed and mant others slept on the floor while their immigration took months to process and get cleared.
enlarge 95KB, 800x600 45 Ellis Island in 1854
enlarge 83KB, 800x600 46 In 1897
enlarge 97KB, 800x600 47 In 1903
enlarge 105KB, 800x600 48 In 1923
enlarge 101KB, 800x600 49 In 1940
enlarge 138KB, 800x600 50 On the last leg of the audio tour, Priya takes a breather and the background is so touching for how many people came to this country in the hope of finding a better life and how many of them got lucky and how many of them were dissapointed.
enlarge 127KB, 800x600 51 The infirmary where people were taken for treatment of diseases and hospitalized until they got clearance from the health department that it was safe for them to enter the country.
enlarge 113KB, 600x800 52 On the first floor, the museum has some of the up to date facts of Ellis Island. The globe shows a lighted pathway of how people immigrated into the US at different times.
enlarge 143KB, 800x600 53 The 3-D bar graph shows the immigration distribution of each continent.
enlarge 155KB, 800x600 54 A tribute to all those migrated into the US.
enlarge 150KB, 800x600 55 On the other side the American flag slowly starts to blend in.
enlarge 142KB, 800x600 56 Now the flag is complete.
enlarge 137KB, 600x800 57 The Immigration tree
enlarge 72KB, 800x600 58 Some of the pictures showing the people who immigrated and their stories of hardship and success.
enlarge 74KB, 800x600 59 The gallery of such people.
enlarge 129KB, 800x600 60 The number of In and Out of the country at various times.
enlarge 88KB, 800x600 61 The population of Asian Indians in the US according to the census bureau. Califonia tops the chart and next is New York followed by New Jersey. This brings us to the end of Ellis Island tour.
