Face to Face – A College Group Observes the Immigration Process at Ellis Island (1908)
📌 Discover the powerful story of a father's unwavering faith in his son and the bureaucratic processes at Ellis Island through the eyes of a group of college students. This emotional narrative sheds light on the challenges and hopes of immigrants in the early 20th century.
Face to Face – Students Observe the Immigration Process at Ellis Island (1908)
Overview and Relevance to Immigration Studies 🌍💬
The article "Face to Face – Students Observe the Immigration Process at Ellis Island" offers a unique, human-centered account of the immigration process in the early 20th century, using the experience of a group of college students as a lens to explore the often heart-wrenching decisions made at Ellis Island. By following the personal story of an elderly Italian immigrant and his search for his son, the narrative captures both the bureaucratic side of immigration and the deeply emotional journeys that many immigrants undertook.
This article is highly relevant to teachers, students, genealogists, and historians, as it provides rich context for studying immigration laws, family reunifications, and the personal stories of immigrants arriving in the United States. The emotional intensity of the narrative is impactful for anyone seeking to understand the human side of historical immigration policies, while also offering valuable insights into the detailed workings of Ellis Island during its peak years.
United States Immigration Service Boat. Assembly Herald, January 1908. GGA Image ID # 218fd39878
They had gone down from the Battery to Ellis Island—these thirty-five girls from an eastern college—on the little vessel that carries into the United States more aliens than any other afloat.
On the lower deck had been many swarthy faces whose broken English had brought them here for a time that was more or less short. Their eager eyes and animated manner bespoke their errand. No academic students of immigration, they themselves had come into our country not so long ago, half uncertainly, on that very same boat.
Now, full of assurance, they faced Ellis Island to greet those to whom the separation had been long—fathers and mothers, children, sweethearts—for the reunion meant, in many cases, a new home and a new land.
Looking down from the upper deck upon this motley and noisy gathering, the college girls had been discussing the "hordes of undesirable immigrants."
Yes, they had voted wisely in the recent debate on the question of immigration when they decided there should be more bars to keep out immigrants. They were now proving their theory.
They were promptly received and shown through the various departments of the huge establishment in New York Harbor, where Uncle Sam's deputies swiftly and discriminatingly sifted the applicants for admission to his domain.
At last, they sat in the Commissioner's room. He was passing judgment on the cases which, debarred by the judges, appealed from the sentence of deportation. The guests rejoiced that here, at least, they would see admission refused to aliens who, from the first, should have stayed at home.
A man entered. The record showed he had come from Italy to join his son in Virginia, with whom the officials had vainly tried to make a connection. The man was sixty-three years old. Probably in a land with strange customs and climate, with all the competition of young life, a man past three scores would fall by the way.
Therefore, as all are excluded and seem likely to become a public charge, it was decreed that he should be returned to Italy that day—after six clays' fruitless waiting to hear from the silent son—by the ship on which he had come.
Was there an error in the record? An interpreter's aid was invoked. Question and answer elicited the facts as already stated. The interpretation of the question and answer went on. "And you believe you will hear from your son?" the Commissioner asked. "So, you want me to say you may wait here longer?"
"That is just what I want."
"Suppose you do not hear from your son at all?"
"But I surely shall hear from him."
"Suppose, however, you should hear nothing." persisted the Commissioner, "do you suppose you could earn your living here in America?"
Many people had asked the older man many questions, and he had been half shy and always respectful. He still was respectful, but with a self-respecting gesture of independence came the answer.
"No man has ever been asked to do anything for me. I can earn my way anywhere."
"But America is full of strong young men. What chance would you have among them?" Again, the man's head was erect and his frame tense.
"I may not be as strong as I was thirty years ago, and I may not be able to do as much as men half my age. But I can still do a man's work. I can earn my living anywhere."
"You are sixty-three?"
"Yes."
"Well, what made you leave your country at your age and come to a strange land? Why didn't you stay at home, where you were well enough off? Tell us."
Irish Immigrant Family - One of the Immigration Commissioners is on the Left. Assembly Herald, January 1908. GGA Image ID # 218fdb3aac
The Commissioner asked wisely: Why had not the old Italian stayed in his own country and saved all this fuss? The college girls listened to his answer.
"I'll tell you. I lived in a little place in Italy. I had married my wife there. It had always been her home. There came to us one son. We three lived there, worked together, and were happy."
The shadow on the older man's face deepened, and his figure bowed more. "But eight months ago." he went on, "my wife died. Our boy said after a little, he couldn't stand it any longer there without his mother.
Everything spoke of her. He said he was going far away to some other place—bigger, with more things to do—since she was gone. So he went to America. I was left alone. Four months ago, I heard from him. He was in Virginia, doing well.
He sent me a ticket and wrote to me to come. He was earning two dollars and a half a day, and he could take care of me so we could be together in a new home. So I came. And I know he is waiting for me."
"But why does he not answer our telegrams?"
"I do not know. But he will."
"We have telegraphed four times already."
"Yes."
"How do you explain it?"
"I do not—cannot."
"Maybe he has forgotten you?"
"Oh, no! He would not forget his father —he could not forget!"
"Why, then, does he not reply in any way?"
The father's face showed a strange look of mingled assurance and doubt, with the assurance uppermost.
"Oh, perhaps his work took hint away, far away, for some days. Maybe Saturday night, he will come back and get one—two—three four telegrams, and then you will hear from him. But he has not forgotten me. He could never forget me."
Children's Roof Garden at Ellis Island. National Geographic Magazine, May 1907. GGA Image ID # 1d9d0c19a8
Hurriedly, a messenger came to the Commissioner. The father's heart had divined the truth. When the young Italian had the word that his father was at Ellis Island, he trusted no uncertain device of steam or electricity. Still, he came in hot haste, fearful lest he should be too late to keep his father from the threatened return. "Bring him at once."
The Commissioner's words were English and had no meaning to the father whose faith was so near its reward. The young man came in and, obeying a gesture from the Commissioner, stood directly behind his father, who had not seen him enter.
Again, question and answer brought out the story of the unshaken trust of that father's heart in the son whose silence might have any other interpretation save that he was either forgetful or uncaring. And then the Commissioner asked.
"Would you know your son?"
"Oh, yes !"
"Would you know hint here?"
"I would know him anywhere—I would know hint among a million !" And so he would. "Look around in this room and see if there is anyone like him."
Bewildered as he saw only the Commissioner and interpreter with the bevy of girl guests, the older man protested that his son was not hidden among the young ladies. "But look all around the room. Do not stop until you have looked everywhere." urged the big-hearted, father•hearted man in the official chair.
And so, from side to side, he turned until—led by the others' glances—he turned completely round and found himself face to face with his son. Neither spoke. Swiftly, their hands were locked. Slowly, their arms were extended until they stood close, and kisses and sobbing at last expressed their steadfast love. "My son! My son! My own son!"
The father repeated it over and over as if, long ago, the exact words measured the love of Israel's king for a less worthy son.
As the young ladies filed out of the room, they were less sure than when they came in that the college's vote on immigration had been right.
"Face to Face," in The Assembly Herald, Volume 14, No. 1, January 1908, pp. 25-28
Key Highlights and Engaging Content 🌟
The Perspective of Students Observing Immigration 🧑🎓👀
The article introduces 35 college girls who travel to Ellis Island to witness the immigration process firsthand. Their perspectives are initially shaped by theoretical ideas about immigration control, but the emotional impact of witnessing the real-life dramas of immigration shifts their views.
This first-hand experience is invaluable for students studying immigration, as it highlights the contrast between theoretical knowledge (such as debates on limiting immigration) and the emotional reality that many immigrants faced.
The Elderly Italian Immigrant’s Story 👴💔
One of the most compelling aspects of the article is the story of a 63-year-old Italian immigrant who arrives in the U.S. to join his son in Virginia, only to face deportation due to a lack of communication with his son. Despite the bureaucratic reasons for his potential deportation, the father remains unwaveringly hopeful that his son will come through for him.
📸 Noteworthy Image: "Irish Immigrant Family - One of the Immigration Commissioners is on the Left", which provides visual context for the immigrant families processed at Ellis Island. It humanizes the immigrant journey and helps genealogists and historians visualize the conditions under which families traveled and waited for reunification.
The Climactic Father-Son Reunion 👨👦❤️
The emotional pinnacle of the article is the dramatic reunion between the elderly man and his son. After days of uncertainty, the father’s faith in his son is rewarded when they finally meet at Ellis Island.
This moment of emotional catharsis serves as a powerful reminder of the human cost of immigration policies and the unbreakable bonds between family members, even in the face of bureaucratic hurdles.
The father’s unwavering belief in his son, despite the unanswered telegrams, serves as a poignant example of the hope and resilience that immigrants often carried with them, something that is deeply relatable for genealogists tracing family histories.
Bureaucratic Procedures and Immigration Laws 📝📜
The story also offers insights into the bureaucratic side of Ellis Island, particularly through the Commissioner's office, where immigration officials make critical decisions on admittance and deportation.
The scene where the Commissioner questions the father, trying to assess his fitness to live and work in America, provides a glimpse into the detailed screening process that immigrants underwent.
This content is highly relevant for historians and students studying early 20th-century immigration laws, and the complexity of determining whether someone was a public charge or had sufficient means to support themselves in America.
The Emotional Impact on the Observers 😢🤔
The article ends with a reflection on how the college girls were changed by the experience. Initially firm in their belief that the U.S. needed stricter immigration controls, their views were challenged by the emotional reality of what they witnessed.
This shift in perspective offers students valuable lessons in critical thinking and empathy, as it demonstrates how personal stories can challenge preconceived notions and encourage a more nuanced understanding of immigration issues.
Educational and Historical Insights 🏫📚
For Teachers and Students: This article is a perfect example of how personal narratives can be used to teach about immigration history. The emotional journey of the father and son provides an excellent starting point for discussions on immigration policy, family reunification, and the human cost of the immigration process.
For Genealogists: The story of the elderly Italian immigrant provides insight into the real-life struggles many ancestors may have faced when emigrating to the U.S. Genealogists can use this narrative to connect their own family histories with the broader context of immigrant experiences at Ellis Island.
For Historians: The article offers valuable insights into the immigration laws of the early 20th century, particularly in terms of how they impacted family reunifications and the broader narrative of immigration to the U.S. Historians studying this period can use the article to explore the human side of these policies.
Final Thoughts 🌟
"Face to Face – Students Observe the Immigration Process at Ellis Island" offers a rich, emotionally charged exploration of immigration during a crucial period in U.S. history. Through the personal story of an immigrant father and his reunion with his son, the article paints a vivid picture of both the bureaucratic procedures and the human toll of immigration policies.
This piece is invaluable for teachers, students, historians, and genealogists, providing historical insights while fostering empathy and a deeper understanding of the immigrant experience. The human stories contained in this article offer timeless lessons about the power of hope, the importance of family, and the struggles for a better life that many immigrants faced when coming to America.
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