Immigration and Citizenship Policy By: Taylor Cummings Immigration is the movement of people into another country or region to which they are not native in order to settle there. During the 1860’s through the 1900’s there were millions of immigrants coming for a new start in the United States.

Ellis Island Immigration is the movement of people into another country or region to which they are not native in order to settle there. During the 1860’s through the 1900’s there were millions of immigrants coming to start new in the United States.

What is Ellis Island? Ellis Island was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation’s busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 to 1954. The earlier Ellis Island was Fort Gibson and later a naval magazine. Ellis Island was the busiest immigrant inspection station until 1954. The island was made part of the Statue of Liberty Nation Monument in 1965 and later in 1990 there was a Museum of Immigration started on the island.

How was Ellis Island used? The registry room had 12 aisles that the immigrants would go through and be examined by doctors. Those who were sick they kept in the islands hospital until they were better. The people who had incurable diseases were sent back to their home. They were also questioned to make sure they weren’t “feeble-minded” and would be able to earn money. Some immigrants feared the island so much that they called it the “Island of Tears.”

Where is Ellis Island? It was located in the bay between New York City and Jersey City.

Naturalization Process? Naturalization is the legal process by which non-citizen in a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. There is a different naturalization process for each country. The processes usually include minimum legal residency requirement, knowledge of the national dominant language or culture, and a promise to obey and uphold the country’s laws. Sometimes they require an oath of allegiance such as the United States Pledge of Allegiance. Some also ask that you renounce any other citizenship that you currently hold, forbidding dual citizenship.

What is Immigration? Immigration is the movement of people into another country or region to which they are not native in order to settle there. During the 1860’s through the 1900’s there were millions of immigrants coming to start new in the United States.

What did Immigrants do when they came here? The Chinese immigrants received jobs here in the U.S. working in gold fields. When the gold fields ran out, they started laying railroad tracks. The Irish, Norwegian, and Chinese immigrants built the western railroads. The African immigrants originally came to work in tobacco fields until the news spread about cotton being able to grow well in heat. Then Africans were taken against their will and sold as slaves. In 1807 slave trade was banned in the U.S. Illegal slave trade still went on until the Civil War made slavery illegal in the United States.

What is the Chinese Exclusion Act? The Chinese Exclusion Act was a United States Federal Law. It was signed by the president at the time, Chester A. Arthur. It was signed on May 6, 1882. This law prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers. This act followed the revisions made to the U.S.-China Burlingame treaty of 1868. These revisions allowed the United States to prohibit Chinese immigration. This act was supposed to last ten years, but was renewed in 1892 and later made permanent in 1902. Later it was repealed by the Magnuson Act on December 17, 1943.

Sources Ellis Island History, http://www.ellisisland.org/genealogy/ellis_island_history.asp Immigration, Kids Discover, 2003, Pages 1-5 Ellis Island, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Island