Immigration Through Ellis Island - Award Winning Documentary Video Film

Island of Hope - Island of Tears; Charles Guggenheim; National Park Service; AVA15996VNB1 1992 (1989); From 1892-1954, Ellis Island was the port of entry for millions of European immigrants. Fascinating archival footage tells the moving story of families with dreams of opportunity, leaving their homes with what they could carry. CINE - Golden Eagle Award 1990; Columbus International Film and Video Festival - Chris Award 1990; Earthwatch; Institute Film Award - 1991; National; Educational Film & Video Festival - Bronze Apple 1991. Director: Charles Guggenheim; Producer: National Park Service; Creative Commons license: Public Domain; Credits; Uploaded by Public.Resource.Org under a joint venture with NTIS. Rebroadcast of "Island of Hope - Island of Tears" is made possible on the Internet by a grant from Joseph McFadden of Philadelphia. Between 1892 and the early 1950s, nearly 15 million people streamed through Ellis Island in search of a new life. Here are the stories of those extraordinary immigrants, largely in their own poignant words. Coming primarily from Southern and Eastern Europe, and from widely diverse backgrounds, the émigrés represented in this remarkable volume recount their adventures with dignity, wit, and unflagging honesty. From 1892 to 1954, over twelve million immigrants entered the United States through the portal of Ellis Island, a small island in New York Harbor. Ellis Island is located in the upper bay just off the New Jersey coast, within the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. Through the years, this gateway to the new world was enlarged from its original 3.3 acres to 27.5 acres by landfill supposedly obtained from the ballast of ships, excess earth from the construction of the New York City subway system and elsewhere. Before being designated as the site of one of the first Federal immigration station by President Benjamin Harrison in 1890, Ellis Island had a varied history. The local Indian tribes had called it "Kioshk" or Gull Island. Due to its rich and abundant oyster beds and plentiful and profitable shad runs, it was known as Oyster Island for many generations during the Dutch and English colonial periods. By the time Samuel Ellis became the island's private owner in the 1770's, the island had been called Kioshk, Oyster, Dyre, Bucking and Anderson's Island. In this way, Ellis Island developed from a sandy island that barely rose above the high tide mark, into a hanging site for pirates, a harbor fort, ammunition and ordinance depot named Fort Gibson, and finally into an immigration station. Despite the island's reputation as an "Island of Tears", the vast majority of immigrants were treated courteously and respectfully, and were free to begin their new lives in America after only a few short hours on Ellis Island. Only two percent of the arriving immigrants were excluded from entry. The two main reasons why an immigrant would be excluded were if a doctor diagnosed that the immigrant had a contagious disease that would endanger the public health or if a legal inspector thought the immigrant was likely to become a public charge or an illegal contract laborer. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson declared Ellis Island part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Ellis Island was opened to the public on a limited basis between 1976 and 1984. Starting in 1984, Ellis Island underwent a major restoration, the largest historic restoration in U.S. history. The $160 million dollar project was funded by donations made to the Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. in partnership with the National Park Service. The Main Building was reopened to the public on September 10, 1990 as the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Today, the museum receives almost 2 million visitors annually. Creative Commons license: Public Domain

Category:

Education

Tags:

• immigration
• illegal
• immigrants
• immigrant
• ellis
• island
• legal
• americans
• american
• USA
• europe
• european
• United
• States
• country

[GreenBaron757]

Nice documentary.

[rosaryfilms]

@GreenBaron757 - thanks!

[tonytonycam]

the ppl who founded this country and those who came thru ellis island were very humble , not to mention the conditions on the ships, living with strangers and that sort of thing, and now look at us, making negative comments to one another, not so humble any more. watching this video should renew our hope , its not so important as to where we came from, but its what we do when we get to where we are going, we need to remember where we come from and why we left, and not to repeat the past.

[mrchrmedone]

@quiltingrammie and now you fucking european/american bitches.. are crying like babyes because mexicans come to america.. did yall forgot that everybody from every single corner of the globe has come to the u.s in search of a better life..lol we are a nation of laws also nation of immigrants.. (legal immigrants of course.) we all did came from somwhere else to the u.s at some point.. why are you guys making such a big deal about the mexicans coming to the u.s? i just dont get it.

[motorheadbanger90]

@mrchrmedone because of the crimes and chaos they bring. Im not saying all of them, but alot of them come here to deal drugs, to illegally get around the government and work under the table and avoid taxation, to take advantage of so many benefits illegally here in the US.

[BreezesofConey]

We need to start fumigating immigrants again as well as travelers. We were once a fairly un diseased un buggy society and now it's all coming back.

[BreezesofConey]

I was born and raised in England. While I still do have reverence for my native country I now hold allegiance to my new home, America, where I took up citizenship 35 years ago. I do not call myself British, I am American now. I pledged to be at naturalization and that is what my my passport says. My husband's ancestors came from Russia. He calls himself an American because this is where he was born and raised so don't give me that hyphenated nationality shit unless you really are dual citizen.

[BreezesofConey]

@mrchrmedone I can tell you why. 1: Many are tryin to get away with not following the laws all of us have had to follow, coming into the country illegally 2: defrauding the system to get benefits that are supposed to be for the aid of American citizens 3: separating yourselves by clinging to your Mexican heritage instead of becoming Americans. Using this country like a whore to help your own people out without any concern for those who you expect to not only accept but support you.

[VictumRoManius]

@mrchrmedone Many many many Mexicans are Europeans to. O_o

[11l11b]

Everyone in the United States had ancestors that came here. Even the Native Americans had ancestors who came here from most likely Asia. It didn't belong to them and it doesn't belong to any of us. Land is part of the Earth. In my opinion, I believe that if you are going to come here and make a living and not cause crime, then you shouldn't be pushed away.

[repoman174]

@mrchrmedone Part of the problem is that a german american will still call himself german,or on irish american will still call himself an irishman.However an american who's ancestors came from England in 1619 will not call himself english, but only american.And we may call indians native americans and exclude them,but remember that they arrived 40,000 years before us,we were still in the stone age when they were already here.

[repoman174]

@mrchrmedone I will tell it like it is,if you were born in this country form european immigrated parents,you are an american.However,you are not a senior in this country,you are not as american as someone who's ancestors arrived in 1720,because they built this country when it was nothing,compared to everyone else who arrive only because it was nice.And yes native americans are more american than all of us.

[mrchrmedone]

@repoman174 but if u see a native american. u wouldnt call them americans. u have to call 'em native americans which is fine too. but if u see white blonde blue u would call 'em just americans. just coz theyre white. how come u dont call em europeans/americans. we all know they are euro/americans theyre italian german irish polish blood etc,. anyway whatever in my eyes we are all americans.