Ellis Island Immigrant #1

On January 1, 1892, Ellis Island opened its doors to the world. 14-year old Annie Moore from Ireland became the very first immigrant to be processed there. She received a $10 gold piece in commemoration of the event and was front-page news. Once the “Wee Annie” accolades died away, she went on to make her way in her new country. Sadly, she led a fairly hard life on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. When she died at 50, Annie was buried in an unmarked grave in Calvary Cemetery in Queens; placed there with 5 of her 11 children. A recent film about Ellis Island led to curiosity about what happened to her. Filmmaker Megan Smolenyak and city Records Commissioner Brian Andersson searched through numerous records to uncover her fate. Once found, five of Annie’s great-grandchildren raised $25,000 to give the family matriarch a beautiful headstone and commemoration ceremony attended by 200 family and friends from America and Ireland. Though Annie’s life wasn’t easy, many of her descendants prospered here. That was America before Ellis Island. That was America in 1892 and the early 1900’s. That’s America today. Only in America are people from around the world welcomed as they are. God bless America for it.

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.