New York City has always been a major immigration point of entry for the United States. In the country’s early years, the majority of immigration came from countries in Europe, and ships would cross the Atlantic to land in New York City. Because of the large number of people entering the country through New York City, a federal immigration depot was opened on Ellis Island in order to expedite the processing of new arrivals. From the time it opened in 1892 to the day it closed in 1954, more than twelve million immigrants stopped at Ellis Island Immigration Depot on their way into New York City. It is estimated that nearly a third of the population of the United States is descended from immigrants who passed through Ellis Island upon arrival in America. Not far from Ellis Island—where the Depot itself has been restored and is now a museum dedicated to immigration—is Liberty Island, which houses another New York City icon: the Statue of Liberty. Since its construction in 1886, Lady Liberty has welcomed new arrivals with the infamous words: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”
Although immigrants don’t typically arrive by ship anymore, and the Ellis Island station has not been used for over half a century, the Statue of Liberty still stands in the harbor as a monument to immigration in the United States. She represents freedom and hope to the thousands of immigrants who arrive in this country every year. Immigration demographics have changed dramatically over the years, and New York City is certainly not the only place where people enter the country. However, America is still seen by many immigrants as the land of opportunity, a place where people can make their dreams come true.
