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Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
In the year 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act which prohibited all immigration from China but was also enforced on other east Asian immigrants. This was a direct result of growing public sentiment after an economic crisis in the 1870s, that immigrants were hurting the economy by taking away American jobs. This exclusionary Act laid the groundwork for the later establishment of the Angel Island Immigration Station. (https://www.history.com)
Photo: Britannica -
Construction of the Immigration Station
The construction of the official Immigration Station began in 1905 and ended with the grand opening on January 21st 1910. While mistakenly called "Ellis Island of the West" the facility's focus was on systematic exclusion rather than just processing immigrants. While Ellis Island had a 3% rejection rate for newcomers, that number was 18% for Angel Island. However, all arriving immigrants had to endure the emotional toll of intense questioning before being passed through. (wikipedia)
Photo: wiki -
Angel Island Immigration Station Opens
From when the immigration station was opened in 1910 until its closure in 1940, it processed about 175,000 Chinese immigrants. Since many were formerly excluded under the Chinese exclusion act, they adopted false identities as "paper sons" or "paper daughters" of people who already lived in the U.S. and could be used as witnesses. (https://www.aiisf.org/history)
Photo: Britannica -
Period: to
Angel Island Immigration Station is active
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The Immigration Station during WW1
During World War 1, the political impact of Angel Island expanded beyond an immigration station, as it was repurposed to detain people who allegedly posed a risk to national security. When the U.S. entered the war, non-citizen residents from the central powers of the war were detained there alongside U.S. citizens with such ancestry who were accused of being spies because of their origin. Additionally, the station received 169 German POW's captured off the coast of Samoa. (AIISF) photo and text -
The Administration Building burns down
After a fire destroyed the administration building of the immigration, all further processing of immigrants was moved to mainland SF. This marked the end of its 30 year operation as a detainment center. The barracks were further used during WW2 to detain Japanese immigrants.
(AIISF History)
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Japanese Internment during WW2
During WW2, almost 700 Japanese immigrants were sent from Hawaii to the mainland after Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan on December 7, 1941. They were held in the repurposed immigration barracks on the island.
(AIISF)
Photo: AIISF -
Discovery of Chinese Poetry in the Barracks
After the former detention station was declared a state park in 1963, the site was largely abandoned. However, shortly before its scheduled demolition in 1970, Chinese poems were discovered in the detention barracks, carved into its walls by the detainees. These poems reflect on the struggles of leaving their home and being treated harshly by the American guards. This saved the barracks from destruction and showed the importance of preserving its historical significance. (AIISF) source + photo -
Reopening of the Immigration Station as a Museum
After numerous restoration efforts and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent by the state of California, the former immigration center barracks reopened as a museum. They now represent and continue the legacy of those who passed through it in search of a better life. (AIISF) source+photo