I made a brief visit to Ellis Island, yesterday. This is the island that truly defines the concept of the USA as an immigrant nation. Unfortunately, I didn't arrive early enough to see everything, and will have to go back some time. Anyway, below are a couple of photos of the museum that once was one of the greatest people funnels of the world. Still thousands were rejected there after having come all that way. And they spent a little while like cattle, though most of them were apparently processed quickly.
Where did the rejected ones go, if they didn't have the funds for a return trip back to their country of origin? Were they stuck on Ellis Island?
Posted by: deBeauxOs | August 04, 2008 at 08:06 AM
The steamship companies were required to take them back, so they effectively bought a return ticket when they departed on the westbound trip. The steamship companies were also originally responsible for doing the screening paperwork and questionnaires and preventing undesirables (like disabled people, for instance) from making the trip.
It was (percentagewise) relatively rare for anyone to be rejected at Ellis Island, but of course over time it added up.
Posted by: Mandos | August 04, 2008 at 09:10 AM