Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Heights Park, Grimaldi’s and Pier 17

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Once again a fabulous day!  We were off a private tour of the 30 buildings on the Jersey side owned by Save Ellis Island foundation.  In order to get there we took a delightful ferry ride, which passed by the Statue of Liberty.  Upon docking we were escorted to the Ferry House or what used to be called the Customs House which New Jersey has claimed.  Ellis Island was a processing station for immigrants.  In this station lower class mostly northern European were processed through medical and legal inspections.

First class passengers usually were treated better and passed through inspections fairly easily. Since they traveled as first class passengers the thought was they probably had money and might even be able to speak English and considered more likely to succeed.

Steerage passengers typically traveled on the bottom of the boat, in dark, hot, crowded, smelly, and cramped conditions.  No one bathed, babies sat in dirty diapers, and seasickness was rampant.  If the weather was good, immigrants could get up on deck for some fresh air. After inspections at New York Harbor they would be brought to Ellis Island for a medical exam.  They would also be asked their name, where they were going, occupation, who paid for their ticket and who they were meeting, in order to make sure they could support themselves and that they were not dissidents.  Officials also wanted to make sure the person purchasing tickets.  Immigrants did not want to say they had a job – the key phrase was I don’t have a job but I can work and I paid for my own passage.  Indentured servant hood was against the law.  When my students are complaining about homework next year, I will remind them about these immigrants, the difficulties they faced, to put their children in the same place they are currently sitting in.  So, get over it and get on with it!

Regarding women immigrants women officials wanted to know who had come to pick them up.  Prostitution was illegal and officials wanted to make sure women would be taken care of so they did not turn to crime and illegal activities out of desperation. Many marriage ceremonies took place on Ellis Island before women were released to young men.

Marriage before leavng Ellis Island

The medical exam actually began as soon as a person walked off of the boat, as officials  watched to see if a person could make it up the ramp with no problem.  Then they checked them for diseases, physical disabilities, and mental issues. Inspectors looked for wheezing, cough, scratchy eyes, and any visible medical issues. Eyes were checked with a button hook, which most likely frightened most of these people to see such an item coming towards them.

Checking eyes with a button hook! Holy cow!

Inspectors were given 6 seconds to complete checking  eyes, ears, and breathing.  If immigrants  were suspected to have problems they remained at Ellis island to be attended to by doctors who were top notch  in their field.  After coming such a long way people did not want to be deported as they were going to be sent back to nothing.  If a child were to be deported, a parent would be needed to return to their home country with them.  Some immigrants may have traveled to Canada and found a new port of entry from there, simply turned the chalk marked coats inside out so that they could pass through inspection without the marks being detected.

Chalk mark on coat

Medical services were not free and the longer immigrants stayed even after treatment they could then could be deported. Although they would not put you on a ship if you were going to die.  If the steamship company brought sick immigrants they were fined $100 and required to send them back.  Upon death bodies would be sent to Potter’s field.  Only 240,000 out of 12,000,000 sick.

Teaching immigration after being at Ellis Island and going through some of the 30 abandoned rooms will give me the ability to relay to my students what some of the buildings were used for such as infectious, contagious, mental health and death wards.  As I looked through the window of the rooms people were sent to die, it struck me as ironic that many knew they were dying and the statue of liberty was in their view, but they would never experience the new world.  I think it will be beneficial to recreate various wards or stations in the classroom and assign different roles, such as doctor, surgeon, nurses, immigrants, children, etc. and recreate our own Ellis Island.  I will use pictures taken at Ellis Island and hang them on the classroom wall.  Students will dress up and try to understand how the immigrants might have felt.  This tour was awesome and will be invaluable to teach this unit.

Ellis Island

Later Cody took Eva, Loyda, Kelli Jo and I to Brooklyn Heights Park which was situated overlooking the river.  There were lovely old mansions, and browstones complete with lovely flower gardens.  I even noticed children and their nannies.  These nannies were in their 50s or more and the children played as they sat on the bench.  One child was throwing a fit and I overheard another one say, “Now, you see that little boy over there, you don’t want to act like him do you?”  These ladies probably make more money than I will ever make – very interesting to watch.

Next, we walked the length of the walkway and ended up by a lovely river garden.  The prices for dinner began at $90 a plate. We decided to brave the line at Grimaldi’s pizza, which was worth the wait.

Grimaldi

Afterward we took the subway over to Pier 17 and stumbled upon a Puerto Rican holiday complete with band and dancing.  I saw Eva’s eyes light up and we watched couples dance in the street.  I began to feel like these people had watched Dancing with the Stars and took lessons.  Pretty cool!  We headed back to the hotel and I went swimming.  Very cool day!

US Missile Strike in an extremist stronghold in NW Pakistan has killed 15 suspected militants.