2.  In my book the two sisters Pearl and May have to go to Angel Island before they are allowed to go into America. They stay at Angel Island for 5 months. Their questioning is 8 hours long and they went into the questioning separately. Since they were really illegal immigrants the only reason they were allowed to come to America was because May had her baby. Because the baby was born technically in the USA it was an American citizen. So they were allowed to go to California and live with their husbands.

3.  Angel Island was considered “the Ellis Island of the West”.  Ellis Island and Angel Island were both immigration stations. Angel Island served as an immigration station from 1910 to 1940.  Immigrants from Asia would come to Angel Island before they were allowed to go to America.

4.  Angel Island is just off the coast of California.

5.  Men and Women were put into separate living areas.  Sometimes the people stayed for a few months others a few years.  The immigrants usually had coaching books. The books told them what to say when they were being questioned.  Immigrants would write poems on the walls of their living areas about how difficult it was to try to make it to America.

6.  It was a very long and grueling process. Sometimes it would take up to 5 hours for one round of questioning. There were usually about 5 rounds of questioning  Strict immigration laws were passed so the questioning got even harder. The immigrants had to prove that their husband or wife was an American citizen otherwise they would be deported.  The US immigration offices hoped to deport as many people as possible by asking very difficult questions about the villages that they lived in. Some of the questions were: How many trees did you have in your front yard?, How many rooms did you have in your house?, Where did you eat your dinner?, Did you have any pets?

7.  In 1940 a fire destroyed the immigration station. The US immigration offices decided to close the station.  It is now a state park. They give tours around the whole island.  The immigration station has been restored and it is now a museum.