I-Where is Ellis Island ?
- Ellis Island is a land of about 130 000 square meters situated near New-York, at the mouth of the Hudson River.
- It is predominantly in Jersey City, New Jersey, but a very small part of it belongs to New York City.
- A center of immigration was made here to replace another one in New York City: it was built on this island to limit the risk of infection and diseases in New York, coming from the immigrants.
- The immigrants came by boats and many of them where sent back home by the same boats: because they were on an island, they couldn’t escape and stay in the USA if they were to be sent back.
One should not forget that Ellis Island’s immigrants were often poor, coming to do their “American dreams” and most of them got rejected because of their bad health (pandemic).

II- What is Ellis Island today ?
- A Museum in the Main Building, principally, which shows how the immigrants where treated form 1892 to 1954 in Ellis Island.
- A historical place, which is part of the Statue of Liberty National Movement. (since 1965)
- One of the most visited Island in the world: an economical advantage for the USA.
- There is a Wall of Honor outside the main building -> the legend is that it lists all immigrants that processed here in the 19th century.
- A place of expositions (aiming for a more equal world, for most of them)
- Many movies take place in Ellis Island: Frank Capra's The Strong Man (1926); We Americans (1928), starring John