Angel Island Immigration Station facts for kids
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Angel Island
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Angel Island Dormitory
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 Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Tiburon, California |
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| Area | 20 acres (8.1 ha) |
| Built | started 1905; opened 1910 |
| Architect | Walter J. Mathews |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000164 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 14, 1971 |
| Designated NHLD | December 9, 1997 |
The Angel Island Immigration Station was a place in San Francisco Bay where immigrants coming to the United States were held and questioned. It was open from January 21, 1910, to November 5, 1940. Angel Island is an island in San Francisco Bay. Today, it is a State Park run by California State Parks and a California Historical Landmark.
Long ago, the island was a fishing and hunting spot for the Coastal Miwok people. Later, it became a safe place for Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala. It was then used as a cattle ranch. During the Civil War, the island became a U.S. Army base.
When it was an Immigration Station, hundreds of thousands of immigrants passed through. Most came from China, Japan, India, Mexico, and the Philippines. The station was built on the island because its isolated location made it easy to control immigrants. It also helped stop the spread of diseases and enforce new immigration laws. The station is now a museum. It helps us remember our shared history as a nation built by immigrants.
Contents
History of Angel Island
In 1850, President Fillmore said Angel Island would be a military area. It is the second largest island in San Francisco Bay. During the Civil War, forts were built there to protect San Francisco Bay.
Before Angel Island, new arrivals to San Francisco were processed at the Pacific Mail Steamship Company docks. These docks became too small and unhealthy. So, in 1904, a study suggested building a new immigration station. It would be on the isolated Angel Island.
In 1905, the War Department gave 20 acres of land on the island's north side for the new station. Architect Walter J. Mathews designed the station. It included a detention center with an outdoor area and a guard tower. There was also an administration building, a hospital, a power station, and a pier. This pier was later called China Cove.
The Angel Island Immigration Station is sometimes called the "Ellis Island of the West." Construction began in 1905, and it opened on January 21, 1910. Building the station meant leveling an old Coast Miwok village site. This included ancient shell mounds and buried remains.
The main difference between Ellis Island and Angel Island was where immigrants came from. Most immigrants at Angel Island were from Asian countries. These included China, Japan, and India. The station was built to control the number of Chinese immigrants. This was after the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed in 1882. This law only allowed certain Chinese people to enter. These included merchants, religious leaders, diplomats, teachers, and students. Laborers were not allowed.
At Ellis Island, only 1 to 3 percent of immigrants were turned away. But at Angel Island, about 18 percent were rejected. Chinese immigrants were especially targeted. This was because many were arriving in the U.S. Some Americans saw Chinese immigrants as a threat. They often took low-wage jobs. After an economic downturn in the 1870s, many Americans lost their jobs. This led to more unfair treatment against Chinese people. They were seen as "unsuitable" because of how they looked and their social status.
The detention center opened in 1910. This was after several laws were passed that greatly limited Chinese immigration. Immigrants came from 84 countries. Chinese immigrants were the largest group entering San Francisco until 1915. Then, Japanese immigrants became the largest group.
How Immigrants Were Processed (1910–1940)
The time immigrants spent at Angel Island varied a lot. Some stayed only a few days. Others stayed for months. The longest recorded stay was 22 months. This was very different from Ellis Island. Ellis Island had more relaxed rules. Many immigrants could enter the U.S. on the day they arrived.
Questioning was longer at Angel Island because of unfair treatment against Asians. Chinese immigrants, mostly men, often claimed to be sons of Chinese Americans. They did this because of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Children of U.S. citizens are also citizens, no matter where they are born. So, they could not be denied entry if they proved their family link. Immigrants who falsely claimed family ties were called "paper sons" or "paper daughters." Some Chinese American citizens helped with this. They pretended to be parents in exchange for money. Or they did it to help other people from their home country.
Because of this, a very tough questioning process was created. It was meant to find people making false claims. The person would appear before a Board of Special Inquiry. This group had two immigration inspectors, a note-taker, and a translator if needed. For hours or days, the person would be asked very specific questions. Only a real family member would know the answers. These questions were about their family history, their village, and their homes.
However, some people found a way around these questions. They would prepare months ahead with their sponsors. They would memorize the answers. To check if the person was telling the truth, witnesses from the U.S. were called. These were often other family members. They had to confirm the person's story. Sometimes, these "family members" lived far away. This made the process even longer. If there was any doubt, the questioning continued. If their story did not match the witnesses' stories, the person and their family could be deported.
Some people appealed the Board's decision. This meant they stayed even longer at the detention center. The appeal process was very long and difficult. Also, the length of stay depended on the person's home country. Japanese immigrants often had documents from their government. This helped them enter the country faster. Because of this, most people held at Angel Island were Chinese. They had no choice but to go through the long questioning. The goal at Angel Island was to deport as many Chinese immigrants as possible. So, the whole process was much harder for Chinese people than for others.
After 1940
The detention center was used for thirty years. But there were many worries about cleanliness and safety for the immigrants. These safety worries proved true in 1940. A fire destroyed the administration building and the women's living areas. Because of the fire, all immigrants were moved to a facility in San Francisco. The old Immigration Station was given back to the U.S. Army. During World War II, it was used to process prisoners of war. In 1943, the U.S. government ended the Chinese Exclusion Act.
After the war, the Army closed its bases on the island. The old Immigration Station was left to fall apart. It wasn't until 1963 that the island became a state park. The buildings were going to be torn down. But they were saved in 1970. A park ranger named Alexander Weiss found Chinese poems carved into the wooden walls of the men's barracks. The poems were partly hidden by layers of paint. These poems are now a memorial. They remember all the people who passed through the harsh detention barracks. They were on their journey to a new life in the U.S.
Today, more than 200 poems have been found and restored. All parts of the station, except the detention centers, are open to the public. About one million immigrants were processed at Angel Island. Around 175,000 were Chinese, and 117,000 were Japanese. Between 75 and 82 percent of them successfully entered America.
Immigrant Stories
Most of the Chinese immigrants held at Angel Island were not welcomed in the United States. One person held in 1940 said: "When we arrived, they locked us up like criminals in compartments like the cages at the zoo." People were kept in these "cages" for weeks, often months. They faced many long and stressful questions. These questions were meant to check if their immigration applications were real.
Immigrants had to remember tiny details about their lives. Sometimes, translators did not speak the exact dialect of the immigrant. Most Chinese immigrants at that time were from southern China. Many spoke Cantonese. It was hard to pass the interrogations. Cases were appealed many times before someone could leave the island.
Often, successful immigrants wrote detailed instruction guides. These guides helped other people held there pass the questions. If anyone was caught with these guides, they would likely be sent back to China. Those who failed these tests often feared the shame of returning home.
Many people held at Angel Island wrote poems. They poured their feelings onto the walls that held them. Many of these poems were written with pencil, ink, or brush. Then they were carved into the wooden walls or floors. Some poems are sad and angry. Others are calm and thoughtful, or even full of hope.
America has power, but not justice.
In prison, we were victimized as if we were guilty.
Given no opportunity to explain, it was really brutal.
I bow my head in reflection but there is nothing I can do.
Another example:
I thoroughly hate the barbarians because they do not respect justice.
They continually promulgate harsh laws to show off their prowess.
They oppress the overseas Chinese and also violate treaties.
They examine for hookworms and practice hundreds of despotic acts.
A more hopeful example:
Twice I have passed through the blue ocean, experienced the wind and dust of journey.
Confinement in the wooden building has pained me doubly.
With a weak country, we must all join together in urgent effort.
It depends on all of us together to roll back the wild wave.
Angel Island Chinese Monument
The Angel Island Chinese Monument (37°52′13″N 122°25′32″W / 37.87023°N 122.42563°W) is a special stone structure. It honors Chinese immigrants who entered the United States through the immigration station. It was finished in 1978 and put in place in 1979.
The monument's words say: "Leaving their homes and villages, they crossed the ocean only to endure confinement in these barracks. Conquering frontiers and barriers, they pioneered a new life by the Golden Gate." These words are like the Chinese poems carved into the barracks walls by the immigrants.
See also
- California Alien Land Law of 1913
- Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (McCarran-Walter Act)
- Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965
- Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
- Immigration Act of 1990
- Paper Sons
- Tye Leung Schulze; the first Chinese American civil servant in the United States, who worked at Angel Island.
- Tyrus Wong, imprisoned on Angel Island when he was nine, he was later released and became the chief artist for Disney's Bambi.
- United States Immigration Station (Detroit, Michigan)
