Triage of the immigrants at the golden gate of the promised land: Ellis Island
Between 1892 and 1954, a center for the reception and processing of immigrants, who, especially until the First World War, arrived in large numbers to the USA, was established, under the auspices of the Federal Government. It was located on the tiny Ellis Island, in New York Harbor, wher...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Institute of Ethnography, SASA, Belgrade
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Glasnik Etnografskog Instituta SANU |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0350-0861/2024/0350-08612402183P.pdf |
| _version_ | 1827053743042985984 |
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| author | Prošić-Dvornić Mirjana |
| author_facet | Prošić-Dvornić Mirjana |
| author_sort | Prošić-Dvornić Mirjana |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Between 1892 and 1954, a center for the reception and processing of
immigrants, who, especially until the First World War, arrived in large
numbers to the USA, was established, under the auspices of the Federal
Government. It was located on the tiny Ellis Island, in New York Harbor,
where the Hudson and East Rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean, in the immediate
vicinity of the Statue of Liberty. Immigrants from Eastern and Southern
Europe dominated, hoping for a better life than the one they had left behind
in their homelands. They were poor, anguished, exhausted and often exiled
people of various nationalities, who had additionally suffered inhumane
conditions as steerage passengers during the ocean crossing since they could
not afford better accommodation. The triage process they were subjected to,
crucial for their fate, told through the history of the center and of
immigrants, but also of employees, reflected the state of American society
in that period: conflicting views on immigration expressed through debates
by politicians, experts and members of the academic community, opinions of
business circles and the emerging labor unions, writings of the free press
and the public opinion, greatly manipulated by groups interested in their
own welfare, the passing of legal regulations and their implementation. All
this determined the future of the newcomers: would they pass through the
Golden Gate to the Promised Land, or would they be deported from the Isle of
Tears back to their country of origin? Who was considered eligible to be
accepted to the American society, and who was deemed undesirable and even
dangerous and therefore rejected? From the immigrants’ point of view, the
overseas trip to America and the stay on Ellis Island represented a liminal
phase of this crucial rite of passage in their lives, and it is estimated
that over 25% and even up to 40% of today’s Americans are the descended of
the twelve million settlers who passed through the center during that
period. |
| first_indexed | 2025-02-18T17:05:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7f1fda151b7c4b569a7a85cee6b29ba3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0350-0861 2334-8259 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-18T17:05:06Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Institute of Ethnography, SASA, Belgrade |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Glasnik Etnografskog Instituta SANU |
| spelling | doaj.art-7f1fda151b7c4b569a7a85cee6b29ba32024-10-23T07:04:16ZengInstitute of Ethnography, SASA, BelgradeGlasnik Etnografskog Instituta SANU0350-08612334-82592024-01-0172218322410.2298/GEI2402183P0350-08612402183PTriage of the immigrants at the golden gate of the promised land: Ellis IslandProšić-Dvornić Mirjana0https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2835-5640Univerzitet Nortvud Midland, Mičigen, SADBetween 1892 and 1954, a center for the reception and processing of immigrants, who, especially until the First World War, arrived in large numbers to the USA, was established, under the auspices of the Federal Government. It was located on the tiny Ellis Island, in New York Harbor, where the Hudson and East Rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean, in the immediate vicinity of the Statue of Liberty. Immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe dominated, hoping for a better life than the one they had left behind in their homelands. They were poor, anguished, exhausted and often exiled people of various nationalities, who had additionally suffered inhumane conditions as steerage passengers during the ocean crossing since they could not afford better accommodation. The triage process they were subjected to, crucial for their fate, told through the history of the center and of immigrants, but also of employees, reflected the state of American society in that period: conflicting views on immigration expressed through debates by politicians, experts and members of the academic community, opinions of business circles and the emerging labor unions, writings of the free press and the public opinion, greatly manipulated by groups interested in their own welfare, the passing of legal regulations and their implementation. All this determined the future of the newcomers: would they pass through the Golden Gate to the Promised Land, or would they be deported from the Isle of Tears back to their country of origin? Who was considered eligible to be accepted to the American society, and who was deemed undesirable and even dangerous and therefore rejected? From the immigrants’ point of view, the overseas trip to America and the stay on Ellis Island represented a liminal phase of this crucial rite of passage in their lives, and it is estimated that over 25% and even up to 40% of today’s Americans are the descended of the twelve million settlers who passed through the center during that period.https://doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0350-0861/2024/0350-08612402183P.pdfimmigration to the usa in the late 19th and early 20th centuryellis islandimmigration policytriage of eligible and ineligible immigrantsintegration or deportation |
| spellingShingle | Prošić-Dvornić Mirjana Triage of the immigrants at the golden gate of the promised land: Ellis Island Glasnik Etnografskog Instituta SANU immigration to the usa in the late 19th and early 20th century ellis island immigration policy triage of eligible and ineligible immigrants integration or deportation |
| title | Triage of the immigrants at the golden gate of the promised land: Ellis Island |
| title_full | Triage of the immigrants at the golden gate of the promised land: Ellis Island |
| title_fullStr | Triage of the immigrants at the golden gate of the promised land: Ellis Island |
| title_full_unstemmed | Triage of the immigrants at the golden gate of the promised land: Ellis Island |
| title_short | Triage of the immigrants at the golden gate of the promised land: Ellis Island |
| title_sort | triage of the immigrants at the golden gate of the promised land ellis island |
| topic | immigration to the usa in the late 19th and early 20th century ellis island immigration policy triage of eligible and ineligible immigrants integration or deportation |
| url | https://doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0350-0861/2024/0350-08612402183P.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT prosicdvornicmirjana triageoftheimmigrantsatthegoldengateofthepromisedlandellisisland |