Ellis Island Immigration

Opening in 1892, Ellis Island quickly became the most active immigration station (and largest in America) for Immigrants entering the U.S.; mainly from Europe. For these Immigrants, Ellis Island was the entrance point to "the land of opportunity" and they had worked hard and spent a lot of hard earned money to get there. The immigrants that came to the America were coming partially because of the prospect and promises of prosperity and happiness and that America was “the land of opportunity”, but mainly because of drought, famine, war, and religious persecution in their home countries. From 1892 to 1954, Ellis Island processed over 12 million immigrants. For most people, Ellis Island was a wonderful place that would be the entry point beginning of their new life, but for some others it was a miserable experience. The unfortunate people that were denied entry to the U.S. for various reasons, (sometimes because of their occupation; if they were contract laborers, polygamists, paupers, convicted criminals, anarchists, and other times because of a health or financial problem), would have a miserable time at Ellis Island (only 2 percent of the immigrants arriving were denied entry). They would have just wasted a huge amount of money, wasted a lot of time,

Once arriving at Ellis Island, the immigrants had both medical and legal inspections partially by the U.S. Immigrant Inspectors. In the Inspection process, Interpreters (employed at Ellis Island) were frequently needed to help the Immigrant Inspectors communicate with the immigrants. Doctors also did a quick inspection of all of the immigrants slowly coming though in a big,slow line for any obvious illnesses or health problems. This whole process took 3 to 7 hours, but those who did have a health problem were treated at at the Hospital located on Ellis Island by the Ellis Island