angryapihistory:
For today’s bit of Angry API History, we wanted to touch on something that makes us rage.
While a lot of the immigration discussion often comes back to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island as the shining beacon of what the US has to offer to immigrants, it’s important to remember the other side of that history. While the Europe-facing Ellis Island may have been a symbol of welcome on the East Coast, Asian immigrants (and others) coming through the West met a very different “welcome”… At the time of the Chinese Exclusion Act, and other Anti-Asian restriction laws, Angel Island (in San Francisco Bay, just north of Alcatraz) served as a detention center enforcing the exclusion . Asians were treated differently from Europeans, even within the Angel Island Immigration Station. They were subject to extended detention and interrogation to determine their eligibility for entrance to the United States. They were given a smaller outdoor area compared to Europeans held at the facility- despite being more numerous. The walls still bear the scars of stories carved to bear witness to the hardships faced by Asians hoping to enter the US. During WWII, the Station saw a new purpose- holding Japanese and German POWs.
The air of history still hangs heavy at Angel Island, and is definitely a worthwhile trip for any of you in or visiting The Bay. Remember our history, and that the shining narrative of welcome they teach in school wasn’t so for many of those who came before.
photos courtesy jvalasimages.