1. Our Trip to Ellis Island A pril 21st 1950

2. The Passage Most immigrants came from Eastern and Southern Europe. Some came to escape poverty and religious intolerance. The trip across the atlantic lasted 2-3 weeks. Almost 3,000 immigrants crowded a ship at one time.

3. WELCOME TO NEW YORK!

4. People would cheer when they spotted the Statue of liberty because it was the famous symbol of America. Some would even weep with joy.

5. WE HAVE MADE IT! *CHEER*

6. You have now arrived to Ellis Island

7. You have docked in New York Harbor. Health officials now board the ship to look for signs of diseases. If the ship passes inspection, doctors will check the health of first and second class passengers. But, if you are a third class passenger you could wait for hours or days until a smaller ferryboat takes you to Ellis Island for processing.

8. The Baggage Room

9. You arrive and officials are yelling at you to get off the ship. Officers pass out numbered identity tags. If you don’t know how to speak english, the commotion is most likely very overwhelming. Wearing your numbered identity tags, you enter the baggage room and leave all your belongings here until the inspection is over.

10. The Stairs to the Registry Room

11. The immigration process begins on the winding stairs that lead to the Registry Room. Doctors stand on the second floor and watch each person. They looked for people who had trouble walking or breathing or showed signs of other health problems. If you get a letter written on your clothing, you will require further examination.

12. The Registry Room

13. You arrive into the registry room, also nicknamed The Great Hall because of it’s large size. You must wait in between long metal rails for order and wait for legal and medical inspection. Officials here decide if you can enter the country right away or if you are required further review.

14. The Medical Exam

15. If you were marked walking up the stairs then you are pulled out for further examination. Those who passed the first test were sent to see the eye doctor. Here they checked for trachoma by using a metal tool to pull your eyelids away from your eyes.

16. The Legal Inspection

17. One by one you are called forward to speak with a uniformed inspector. You are asked 29 questions in total. If your answers to the questions to not satisfy the official, you could be detained for further questioning.

18. Detainees

19. If you have failed the health or legal inspections, Ellis Island was the “Isle of Tears.” You have become a detainee. You will live in a dormitory on the third floor and must wait days or months for your case to be heard. If you are in the hospital you may stay and be treated for weeks, or even months. -Eventually, a Board of Special Inquiry will review the medical report and decide whether to allow you into the United States or to send you back

20. The Stairs of Separation

21. After you have passed the legal and medical inspections, you arrive at the top of another staircase. The staircase has three aisles -if you are being detained you walk down the middle -if you are going to the west or south you walk down the right -if you are going to New York City or the north you walk down the left At the bottom of the stairs there are places for you to exchange your money to American money, a place to buy railroad tickets, and social workers if they needed help.

22. The Kissing Post

23. An area on the first floor of the building became known as “the kissing post.” It got the nickname because this is where family and friends waited for their loved ones. They kissed and hugged and shouted with joy and relief. For the immigrants the long journey was over. They were in America!

24. Welcome to New York!