When did people stop immigrating to Ellis Island and Why?

My grandparents and my husband’s grandparents. landed at Ellis Island.

@Dutchess_III I don’t know my family background as far as coming to this country. But, I think I will try to find out. However, the point of my question is not who landed there, but why is it not being used anymore?

What is an “immigration embassy”?

@RANGIEBABY Oh, I know…OK! The last wave was in 1954. “Once the war was over, immigration quickly revived and more than 560,000 immigrants came through Ellis Island in 1921. Despite this, new immigration quota laws limiting the number of immigrants made administering immigrants at Ellis Island more difficult. Later, the Immigration Act of 1924 restricted immigration even further and marked the end of mass immigration to the United States.

This meant the end of Ellis Island as an immigration processing station. After 1924, Ellis Island became the “center of the assembly, detention, and deportation of aliens who had entered the U.S. illegally or had violated the terms of admittance,” says The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation. In the next several decades, the buildings at Ellis Island began to fall into disuse and bad condition. Ellis Island once again saw itself as a detention center for alien enemies during World War II. After the Internal Security Act of 1950, which banned immigrants who had been members of Communist and Fascist organizations, and the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952, fewer and fewer people came through Ellis Island. In November 1954, Ellis Island closed its doors.”—http://www.immigrantconnect.org/?p=1348

@jaytkay I meant processing immigration papers at our embassies. Sorry for the wording.

Well, Ellis Island was a good spot for our European immigrants, who came by boat, to land. However, the advent of the plane probably had something to do with it getting phased out. Plus, if we’re talking about Mexican immigrants, Ellis Island doesn’t really make sense. Just my thoughts.

Ellis Island eventually became unsuitable as the building aged and different modes of transportation saw people arriving it ways not suited to immigration processing offshore.

Despite legislation to restrict immigration, both legal and illegal immigration continues.
The USA has place and work for its people. The concentration or economic power in the banks and few remaining domestic industries has created and maintains the poverty and lack of employment opportunities for the sake of their own profits. They have become the real government because they buy and sell far too many elected officials, including judges.

They are the Mafia of today.

@Dutchess_III But, why did they stop using the idea of Ellis Island for immigration? Could it be because our country failed to monitor who was coming and going legally or illegally? Therefore, what would be the point in going to Ellis Island? I am talking about ALL immigrants.

@RANGIEBABY I think it was pretty well monitored then, but things changed with the advent of planes and stuff, and yes, they probably lost control.

Ellis Island was not used much after the Immigration Act of 1924, which was spurred by nativist hysteria over “dark” and “swarthy” people.

Plus ça change.

@jaytkay Perhaps we need to reopen a new up to date version, because it is a fact we need to do something.

@RANGIEBABY I agree, we need to do something, but what would stop undocumented non-citizens from simply by passing such a place?

@Dutchess_III Close the borders, and have immigrations stations in strategic locations. Make the penalty for by-passing legal immigration so harsh nobody would want to take that chance.

@RANGIEBABY Close the borders

You know that border crossings have dropped drastically in the past few years, right?

Immigration numbers are down, because job opportunities have dried up.

@jaytkay No, I didn’t know that. I like the sound of it, but do you have any references?
@RANGIEBABY With regards to Mexico, how would we close the borders? And what penalty could be worst than death, which is what they risk when they cross over illegally?

@Dutchess_III I know quite a number of illegals that have come and gone and come back several times. The number that are dying are small compared to the number that are making it. They are not all crawling on their stomach across the desert. Working prison, up at work by 8am, work and 8 hour day, 6 days a week, where they actually make the money, touch it, and then have to hand it over.
As for closing the border, I know it sounds harsh but run the first fence, then the second fence electrified, then a third fence to enclose the second.

“About 38 million foreign-born people lived in the U.S. in 2008, or 100,000 fewer than in the previous year, according to an analysis of Census data by William H. Frey, demographer at the Brookings Institution” _ – Wall Street Journal – September 23, 2009

“The number of foreign-born people living in the United States declined last year, particularly among low-skilled immigrants from Mexico, according to a Census Bureau report released Tuesday. ” – Washington Post – September 22, 2009

”...a look at statistics from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency and the FBI indicate that both the number of illegal crossers and violent crime in general have actually decreased in the past several years.” CNN – April 30, 2010

@RANGIEBABY Are you proposing to do the same with the US border with Canada?

The terrestrial boundary (including small portions of maritime boundaries on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic coasts, as well as the Great Lakes) is 8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi) long, including 2,475 kilometres (1,538 mi) shared with Alaska.

That would require some 7,000 X 3 = 21,000 miles of fencing to keep Canadians from trying to sneak into the USA to live. Guess what? We love to visit but very few of us would want to live in the USA.

But…as far as I know, people in Canada are pretty happy with their country….why would they want to live here? (EDIT) Sorry…just read the rest of your post!

The best way to stop the problem of mass emigration is by better spreading / sharing the wealth between nations. Promote trade, exchange of knowledge, stop erecting trade barriers, etc..

And stop buying drugs. (That is particularly relevant for Mexico, where a large proportion of its increasing, economy disrupting, crime stems from US drug use.)

@Dr_Lawrence The great lakes could be monitored via radar as our coastal waters can be. However, where one could just hike across the border, yes I say fence it and provide proper places for entry. You never know who has entered Canada that is really heading for the USA. Those are the people I am talking about.

@whitenoise I have to agree with the US drug use issue. I will agree with exchange of knowledge. If we don’t have some kind of balance in trade, then all of our manufacturing companies will go to countries where their product can be made much cheaper and they will never come back to the USA. Therefore, no jobs for Americans. I think the government need to lower some of the restrictions, fees and stop running the manufacturing companies out of our country. Reduce the minimum wage back so all of the products will have to follow suit if they want to sell their products. Beside, if nobody can afford the products, the manufactures will have to lower their prices to form a balance. Then if everything comes down in price where it is reasonable, people will work and purchase. Just in my life time a car costs more than a house did when I was a little girl. And I am not through living yet. The price of everything is way out of proportion, when some people have to choose between food or medicine.

We need to get a little broader view of the world, beyond our own political geography.

The time in which a particular country could just ignore its neighbors needs is long past. The idea of creating a fortress filled with treasure in a world full of dangerous technology and interwoven interests is just too simple. It may last an other couple of years, but in the end we all will just need to learn to share.

@whitenoise Sharing is wonderful. But, we are in such debt, we have nothing to share, except knowledge, hands on assistance, oh, and those barge loads overproduction of food that we dump in the ocean.

@RANGIEBABY That would be a very big fence. Most of the Canada-US border can be crossed without anyone noticing. Despite rumours to the contrary Canada Customs and Immigration turns away many people who are inadequately documented every day including a fair number of Americans with criminal records for as little as failure to appear in a US court as ordered that results in a contempt of court citation. Anyone with a DUI or any crime that resulted in any jail time are routinely turned away and refused entry. Even a misdemeanour sentence with a fine is basis for exclusion from Canada for five years and then they must apply to be deemed to have been rehabilitated.

Your Atlantic and Pacific coastlines are much more likely places to dangerous people to enter the USA than the border with Canada.

I would guess that fence with Canada would cost over $7,000,000,000 to build and one quarter of that every year to guard and repair from winter damage.

Go ahead, make my day!

@Dr_Lawrence I am not trying to make anyone’s day, I am only trying to get ideas of how to solve this problem. If there are so many places to walk in and out of Canada, what prevents the undesirable, that have been kicked out of Canada for 5 years, from walking back in?

They could reenter, I am sure that is true but a single traffic stop, would result in an arrest and imprisonment. They would then have a serious criminal record which would follow them forever. They could never travel anywhere outside the USA because they would not qualify for a passport or visa. They could have difficulty getting a loan or a job and so on. Most people would not take such a risk. A use of their credit card could result in their arrest. Canada customs works with the RCMP very closely. They could not work, rent a place to live or buy a vehicle without getting caught.

Not to mention that these people are from the USA so your fence is not meant to keep them out of America!

The problem isn’t Canada. Canada is a good place to live. Mexico is not. What would it take to make Mexico a good place to live so people wouldn’t want to leave?? (@RANGIEBABY ;)

@Dr_Lawrence Maybe the US should do the same thing as Canada.
@Dutchess_III I would say the uppity class in Mexico needs to either develop their country for the people should rise up and take over their country. There are a lot of things that could be done there, including Mexican owned manufacturing plants, Universities, mandatory education for all the children all the way up to College. Fair wage as per cost of goods. etc.
Get rid of the corrupt police, which are most of them.

@RANGIEBABY Well, the problem, as I see it, is if the violent drug lords are in control of the country….would you put your small children, or grown children or grand children or other family members at risk of being killed or beaten or tortured if you were to defy the the drug cartels? I honestly would have to think twice…Ima Chicken me thinks. I don’t know what I would do. Plus, mandatory education is a Socialist Thing. Like what we’ve had here for decades. Damn it! The gloves just hit the ground again!! And they were such nice gloves!!

@Dutchess_III If they don’t have mandatory education for the children, then the parents will just keep the kids working the farm or fishing. If all countries don’t have mandatory education, I believe that eventually the country will fall into hands of evil people with uneducated peasants that have no options. Education is the one and only thing that should be mandatory. Call it what you may . Here, I just picked up your gloves, so you can fight another day.

@RANGIEBABY Yeah…gotta go to bed. But NOT before I say keeping the people reasonably healthy so they can continue to contribute is important too. My son almost didn’t go in to ER the other day for this odd, dead-black “rash” on the back of his hands and up part of his arm, because he just finished paying off the last ER visit, and didn’t want to incur another $600 bill (which would have been a $25 bill had he had insurance.) But I insisted he go, and it turned out he had the beginnings of MRSA…..and he’s a viable contributor to the economy. We’re looking at being able to include him under my husband’s ins. policy starting next January…..for an extra $100 a month. But we have no idea how he’s going to get this latest bill paid….

@Dutchess_III 100% agree. Something must be done about health care in this country. Good healthy competition has always been a good to bring down cost. But the government and the states interfere with the crossing state lines competition. I really think the Insurance companies could handle this if the government would stay out of it. Look what the cost of cell phones has come down to. Long distant phone calls. Because of competition between phone companies and internet companies, I pay one menial price for my home phone, and I can call all over the US and talk as long as I want. I believe health insurance could work the same way.

@RANGIEBABY But the cell phone companies only work that way because of the competition. The health insurance companies have manged to form a monopoly, because when they started paying in, paying MAJOR bills with no question, the hospitals and doctors started charging outrageous fees BECAUSE the insurance companies would pay them because they weren’t paying attention. At this point the “little guy” insurance company can’t compete because of the outrageous cost of medical care….there is, virtually, no competition…..unless some Big Guy like the government steps in and says, “OK….we’ll be paying some of these bills, but they better not be exorbitant because we also have the legal power to shut you down.” I

@Dutchess_III As I said in the PM to you, the larger insurance companies are paying a large portion of Medicare bills. I am not even sure the government is paying any of it. If they didn’t have to do that, they could be more competitive for the smaller companies. Big Guy did step in am make them pay a good portion of Medicare, and they do not get premiums in return. Stop making them pay anything for Medicare and get the government back on track taking care of Medicare. If our government can’t handle Medicare without forcing Blue Cross etc. to pay, how are they going to handle health care for all??

@RANGIEBABY The larger insurance compaies are paying a large potion of Medicare bills? That’s the first time I’ve heard that. What makes you say that? (I.E. in Cirbryn-speak, what evidence do you have to support that claim?)

I don’t think anyone mentioned that you can look up your relatives who came through Ellis Island, I think people on this thread might be interested. It will say the date the person came over and the ship name, country of origin (my grandfather actually came from latvia, but it is listed as Russia. Not sure if it is an Ellis Island mistake or maybe that was during teh time of the Russian Empire and maybe Latvia was included? My history sucks, so I am unsure just speculating) port of origin, etc. Here is the site http://www.ellisisland.org/

@JLeslie Cool! Typed in Stroomer and got 4 hits, all from Holland. Thing is, I only know what my Gramma’s first name was, and she isn’t listed…...

@Dutchess_III Wait, is your Grandma a Stroomer? You would have to use her last name at the time of coming to the states, the records are not updated with any name changes for marriage. If a relative is missing there is a way to get them added if you have information about her coming through Ellis Island. Maybe one of those Stroomer’s is related to your family? Have you ever searched Stroomer on facebook? I found 2 cousins on facebook I had never met before.

My grandparents were married and had 3 kids. Grampa came ahead of her. She ended up making the sea voyage alone, with three children under the age of 5. Unbelievable….

@Dutchess_III That was common, the husband came ahead of the wife and children. My grandma used to tell me how unusual it was that her father came as a child with his whole family, his mom and dad and siblings all at once. Immigrant stories are typically unbelievable, especially back then. It makes me sad when I think of the hardship my relatives went through. Depending when your grandmother came, they probably did come through Ellis Island. I am sure I don’t have to tell you that the Dutch settled in New York, and there are many in Michigan also. I always mean to go to the tulip festival in Holland, Michigan; I lived there three years and never made it.

@JLeslie My family fetched up in the Kent Valley in the Seattle area (Boeing bought their farm from them in the 60’s or 70’s.) I can’t believe the hardships they went through either…..

@Dutchess_III I know. My paternal grandfather was the poorest and “least successful” of my grandparents and great grandparents if you measure by career, education, and wealth; but he, in my mind, is the one to be admired most because his childhood was horrific, then he immigrated to a country with a new language at the age of 14 across land and water, it must have been scary as shit for him. He wound up to be mentally ill, like most of his siblings (I believe ffrom teh hatred and trauma he indured) but went to work every day sewing slippers in factory to keep a roof over his family. He overcame more then anyone else I know personally.

Grandparents were dirt poor dairy farmers. They had nothing when they came. Pretty much left with nothing when they died (Boeing bought their land after they passed.) But they insisted that their kids speak English. :)

All first generation kids speak English pretty much. I have never met someone born here, or who came at schoolage and does not speak English. Why do you mention it?

Just because of this push about everything being in English AND Spanish. They wouldn’t have considered doing such a thing for the Ellis Island immigrants. My point was, my grand parents wouldn’t allow the kids who learned to speak in Holland to speak anything but English, if they could at all help it. They didn’t lapse into Dutch discussions in the privacy of their own homes. I imagine Grampa and Gramma between themselves, but Mom said they were adamant that the kids speak English and not Dutch. Which is kinda sad, if you ask me.

@Dutchess_III I have never met a Hispanic American born child who did not speak English. many of the people who came over, even back in the Ellis Island days, never learned English well, especially the women, but their children learned English as you pointed out, and unfortuneately back then they feared that knowing both languages would mean their children would have accents or not fit in as well. Since Latin Americans have been coming over for many many many years in large numbers, there is a constant flow of new immigrants who do not speak English, or don’t speak English well, but again, the next generation always does. Americans confuse this immigration over a long period as Hispanics not learning English. I think we should be tolerant of people who come as adults, especially if they are older adults.

Interestingly, a friend of mine just lost his mother, and when he went through her things he found a certificate of his grandmothers baptism, in a NY Catholic church, the entire document was in Italian.

Yes, none of my aunts and uncles had any problem speaking the English language. I’m not intolerant of people who come from another country who can’t speak English very well. Not at all. I’m just repeating what my mom told me, that my grandparents were adamant that everyone speak English and not Dutch, even just among themselves. I don’t know why they were so adamant. That’s just what Mom told me.

@Dutchess_III I would guess they were adamant about speaking English, so they could aspire to greater things. With the ability to speak the language of the country, it makes it easier to earn a good living.