Not Made In America

12 million immigrants were processed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954. Many came before. Many arrived since. Immigrants came to America through portals other than Ellis Island too. Now, their stories will be told at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. There’ll be a special wing at the museum called “The Peopling of America Center.” Visitors will learn about the arrival of groups including native Americans who migrated here, blacks imported as slaves, Mexicans who became “annexed” Americans, Asians who came in a wave across the Pacific and a multitude of other groups in more recent times. This is a wonderful idea for all of us to learn about America’s diverse heritage. Near to the Statue of Liberty and the multi-cultural city, New York, there’s no more fitting place to have this remembrance than right here in our harbor.