ELLIS ISLAND IMMIGRATION MUSEUM

A must-see in New York. Reopened with great fanfare in 1990 after six years of restoration work (cost of the operation: 160 million dollars), the imposing buildings of Ellis Island saw 12 million immigrants, mainly from Eastern Europe, pass through between 1892 and 1954. Ellis Island, named after its original owner, Mr. Samuel Ellis, was purchased by the New York government in 1808 before being converted into an immigrant reception center from 1892 to 1943. From 1943 to 1954, it served as a detention center for illegal immigrants. For its historical role, this small island was attached to the Statue of Liberty and declared a historical monument. A museum has been built there, dedicated to the memory of the immigrants who passed through the Golden Door. A visit that rhymes with emotion. In the hall, a long procession of trunks, suitcases, baskets and baskets testifies to departures with no spirit of return, but also to the poverty of those who fled famine, lack of future or oppression. The United States, symbol of freedom of expression, opinion, religion and economic opportunities for all these people, represented a real promise for the future. The visit allows us to understand how the United States welcomed all these people, but also the criteria according to which certain minorities were denied entry, quarantined and sent back to their distant country. The immigration process took one day at best. Ships would unload their cargoes of exiles in Manhattan. The wealthiest could pass through immigration on the boat itself, and did not have to stop at Ellis Island. The others boarded barges, which took them to the island. If you were admitted, you could go to Manhattan or New Jersey, to a future paved with hardship. That's how millions of immigrants came to populate this America, armed with a bundle, a few dollars and a free train ticket. Today, more than half of New York's population is descended from these adventurers. In the museum, you can see the Great Hall where newcomers anxiously awaited their turn for medical examinations and followed the administrative procedures. If the results did not meet the selection criteria, the immigrants were sent back to their countries. You can attend a screening of the film Island of Hope, Island of Tears, a fictional story inspired by these characters. About thirty galleries present objects of daily life, personal or religious, family photos, jewelry and clothing bequeathed to the museum by the descendants of the immigrants, but also historical photos or maps. The famous American Immigrant Wall of Honor displays the names of more than 600,000 people honored by their descendants, including the names of George Washington's great-grandfather, John F. Kennedy, and the families of Gregory Peck and Barbra Streisand. A place full of history and very moving.

The museum inaugurated in May 2015 two new rooms, which make up the Peopling of America Center. This extension of the museum tells the story of immigration to the United States pre- and post-Ellis Island, that is, before 1892 and after 1954. It is notably about the arrival of Native Americans, European settlers, slaves from Africa, and more recently populations from Ireland or Mexico. These rooms also evoke the evolution of the means of transportation, from the one-week crossing by boat to the three-and-a-half-hour flight on the Concorde. Testimonies of new arrivals who explain what the United States means to them intersperse the different sections on the history of immigration to America.

Since 2014, it is possible to visit the Ellis Island hospitals. This is where, between 1902 and 1950, immigrants who were not healthy enough to be granted entry to the United States ended up. The medical examination was the first step when disembarking from the ship; at a glance, the doctor was able to determine the general health of the immigrants. Those with contagious diseases were quarantined on two small islands off Staten Island. The others remained within the walls of Ellis Island Hospital until their condition improved. Then they could finally enter the United States. 275,000 patients passed through the hospital, 4,000 lost their lives, and 350 babies were born there! The hospital tour takes 90 minutes. It is not part of the standard tour and can be booked separately on the website: www.statueoflibertytickets.com.

A word of advice: take the first few boats, as there are many people and access to the statue and the museum is limited. The visit can be exhausting (about 3 hours), especially in summer, and the wait at the ticket office, as at the ferry, is endless (from 45 minutes to 1h30). It would be a shame not to be able to enjoy it or to spend the day waiting for your turn. As much as the hall is spacious, the spaces allowed to visit are narrow. If there are more than ten people in each room, it is suffocating.