By: Tara Giandomenico
We have been in quarantine for over a year now. Covid-19 has kept many people from traveling and this can be hard for some people who travel yearly. However, what if I told you that you can go on a trip from the comfort of your own home? Well, I am telling you because your can! There are so many virtual field trips that you can access right now on your phone or computer. I know it’s not the same as actually traveling, but you can still see places around the world without spending money!
I took a virtual field trip to Ellis Island! I have always wanted to go here and now I can do it for free! I was able to read descriptions about certain parts of the island, along with pictures that were provided. The trip began with a back story about who came to Ellis Island and why they came. Many people immigrated from their home countries and came to this island to become citizens of the US. It was explained that most of the immigrants that came to this island were from eastern and southern Europe. The immigrants would take a steamboat and travel for two weeks overseas to come here. The first pictures that were provided are all about the passengers on the ships. These ships were crowded and there were all kinds of different people. The second stop on my virtual field trip was the arrival of these immigrants. One of the first sights of America that the passengers saw was the Statue of Liberty. Seeing this statue was the best feeling for these passengers after traveling for two weeks in horrible conditions. The first and second-class passengers would be checked in almost immediately after the boat’s health check was passed. However, the third-class citizens on the steamboat would have to wait for hours or even days until a smaller boat took them to Ellis Island for their immigration processing. The pictures shared were amazing! The passengers in the pictures looked beyond happy once they saw the Statue of Liberty. There was an audio recording by Lawrence Meinwald from Poland. He described his experience on the steamboat. He explained that the food was awful and the conditions were horrible.
Once the passengers left the boat, they were taken to the baggage room where they were met by officers. There was a lot of commotion, this was especially overwhelming for the immigrants who did not speak English. These people would enter the baggage room with their number tags on so that they could be easily identified. This is where their belongings would be inspected by the officers. The pictures shown contained many people carrying big sack bags full of their personal belongings. Next, the passengers would head over to the Registry Room. That is where the medical and legal inspections took place. There is an audio recording by Manny Steen. He came from Ireland and arrived at Ellis Island in 1925 while he was 19 years old. He described arriving at New York Harbor and he stated that it was crowded, noisy, and smelly at Ellis Island. Once the passengers arrived at the Registry Room, officers would look at everyone’s body language and health check them to see if there were any diseases. Officials who were in the Registry Room would decide if each person could enter the country right away or if that person’s case demanded a further review. There were medical exams for those who needed it during this time. They did what was called a “6-second exam” and those who passed it would carry on into the inspection room. The steamboats crew gave the Ellis Island officials the list of all the names and descriptions of all the passengers. The officials would ask each immigrant 29 questions that they already knew the answers to. If someone answered falsely, they could be detained for further inquiry. Those who failed the health and legal inspections were considered detainees. These people lived in a dormitory room on the third floor. Some had to wait days while others had to wait a month for their case to be reviewed in the Hearing Room. Those who had medical conditions were treated but eventually, the Board of Special Inquiry would review a passenger’s medical report and decide whether to allow them citizenship in the United States or to send them back. Lastly, if the passengers passed everything, they would be able to leave. On their way out, there was a post office, a ticketing office for the railways, and social workers to help the immigrants who needed support. There was also an office to exchange money from their country for U.S. money. Once they left this, they were able to go to the “kissing post” this was where family and friends waited for their loved ones once they were ready to enter America.
Overall, this was a great experience because I had always wanted to go to Ellis Island. I learned so much about what these people went through to live here. My great great aunt came to the US from Italy through Ellis Island. This place is full of history and I am so glad that I was able to take this virtual tour and learn more about it.
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