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Beginning in 1892, the United States Bureau of Immigration began using Ellis Island to receive and screen immigrants to America. Sitting about a mile from Manhattan, in New York Harbor, Ellis Island has ushered in more than 12 million immigrants.
The bulk of immigrants passed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1924. In 1943, Ellis Island served as a detention center for enemy aliens. In 1954, the facility closed and, in 1965, it became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Ellis Island began a restoration process in the 1970s that lasted into the early 1990s.
Between 1892 and 1954 about 17 Million people entered the country through Ellis Island. Up to 10000 daily!
Against the common horrorstories, Ellis Island was a beautiful richlydecorated complex with first class health facilities, a roof garden and good food
The immigration officialsprocessed about 5000 arrivals a day, but they performed their duty with efficiency and not a little compassion.
Only about 2 percent of applicants were denied entrance. The list of those who could be denied admission included prostitutes, lunatics, polygamists, anarchists or those with contagious diseases.
Ellis Island was a dazzling display of the wealth, efficiency and respect for the common person of the New World and it made many truly believe that tehy had passed into an earthly paradise.
But once landed on Manhattan they would immediately discover the drawback of Eden.
PROBLEMS
Only few newly arrived immigrants were not fleeced in some way within their first days.
In the 1860ies 1,2 million people- three quarter´s of NYC´s population were packed into just 37,000 tenements.As many as 25 people were sharing a single windowless room!
Crime, prostitution, begging, disease and almost every other indicator of social deprivation existed at levels taht are all but inconceivable now.On average an Irish immigrant around the mid century survived only 14 years in America.In 1888 in the Italian quarter one third of the babies did not survive the first year.
Gangs roamed the streets, robbing and mugging.
Although NY had a police force since 1845, it was thoroughly corrupt and ineffectual.
Against such a background it is hardly surprising that many immigrants fled back to Europe.
Perhaps as many as one third of all immigrants eventually returned to their native countries.
None the less the trend was relentlessly upward.
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