Immigration Stories
Germany: Why did most German immigrants come to the United States?
They wanted to escape being punished for their religious beliefs.
Stop #1: Tells about the immigrants' journey
Stop #2: Tells about which passengers had to go through Ellis Island.
What are the names of these stops?
Stop #1: The Passage
Stop #2: The Arrival
What did the Statue of Liberty mean for most immigrants?
Freedom
Russia: How did Russian immigrants keep their culture alive?
They used music to keep their culture alive.
What are the two major types of immigration?
Voluntary and Involuntary
What is the story Teacup about?
A boy who had to leave his home and find another.
Stop #3: Passengers left their baggage here.
Stop #4: Doctors were at the top of these watching incoming immigrants.
What are the name of these two stops?
Stop#3: The Baggage Room
Stop #4: The Stairs to the Registry Room
When was Ellis Island the immigration station in New York?
From 1892 to 1954
Italy: Where did most Italian immigrants move to in America?
New York
What are the two types of voluntary immigration?
Legal and Illegal
What was the focus of The Story of Immigration?
It focuses mainly on people who have immigrated to the United Sates from many different parts of the world.
Stop #5: This room is nicknamed the Great Hall. It was an area for immigrants waiting for their legal and medical inspection, and where officials decided who could enter the country right away or whether that person's case required further review.
Stop #6: It was during this stop that doctors performed the "six-second physical"
What are the names of these stops?
Stop #5: The Registry Room
Stop #6: The Medical Exam
Where were most of the immigrants who went through Ellis Island from?
Eastern and Southern Europe
Ireland: Why did Irish immigrants move to America?
There was a potato famine that left people without food.
What type immigration means that you came to the country on your own free will?
Voluntary
In The Journey why did the family leave at night?
To avoid being seen
Stop #7: Here immigrants were asked twenty-nine questions. An immigrant could be detained for further inquiry if his or her answers differed from the answers listed on the manifest.
Stop #8: It was during this stop that a Board of Special Inquiry would review an individual's medical report and decide whether to allow him into the United States or to send him back.
What are the names of these stops?
Stop #7: The Legal Inspection
Stop #8: Detainees
Why did doctors stand at the top of the stairs at Ellis Island?
They were looking for people who had trouble walking or breathing or showed signs of other health problems.
China: Where did most Chinese immigrants move to in America?
San Francisco, CA
Why do refugees leave their country?
Many refugees are forced to leave their country due to war, persecution, or violence.
What was the major event that changed Rama's life in the story Stepping Stones: A Refugee Story?
There was a war
Stop #9: This stop had three aisles. Immigrants who were being detained were often brought down the center aisle. People who were traveling west or south walked down the right side of the staircase. Those going to New York City or to the north walked down the left side.
Stop#10: This stop got its nickname because it is where family and friends waited for their loved ones.
What are the names of these stops?
Stop #9: The Stairs of Separation
Stop#10: The Kissing Post
Who was the first immigrant to go through Ellis Island?
Alice Moore, a 15-year-old Irish girl, was the first immigrant to go through Ellis Island.
Sweden: What did immigrants do at their cultural festivals?
They wore bright and colorful costumes, danced, and played live music.
Why do people immigrate?
People immigrate for many reasons: Push/pull factors are the reasons that push people from their country or pull them to another country.
Here are some examples:
Push: Lack of jobs, Poverty, Poor education, Persecution or fear (religious or other), Lack of medical care, War or natural disasters, Corrupt government, Shortage of food/famine, Family separation
Pull: Job opportunities, Greater wealth, Educational opportunities, Freedom (religious or in general), Medical care or medicine, Safety or security, Fair government, Food availability, Family together