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Angel Island

Label showing images from Angel Island reading, "Angel Island Immigration Station, in San Francisco Bay, became the Pacific port of entry for 300,000 immigrants arriving from 1910 to 1940. Created as a detention center for interviews and medical inspections, it also helped enforce the Chinese exclusion laws. Tens of thousands of Chinese applicants were subjected to weeks or months of detainment amid harsh conditions and interrogations, by far longer than any other immigrant group. In contrast to Ellis Island on the East coast, which was seen as a gateway to a new life, Angel Island was often the first of many hurdles for Chinese immigrants, whose search for a better life was no different from their European contemporaries."
Image of a man inspection a room of young Chinese boys. Caption: "The tradition of Chinese culture has a lot to do with how we handle being on Angel Island... the culture teaches you how to cope with life. And everybody know that life is not like a piece of silk. You have to take the bad with the good."
A label with old photos of small children reading, Because the Chinese Exclusion Act allowed U.S. entry only to certain individuals like merchants and relatives of American citizens, officials conducted lengthy interviews to determine whether applicants were who they claimed to be. Purchasing a false identity and pretending to belong to a family who had already immigrated was fairly common practice after the 1906 earthquake destroyed all citizenship records. It was vital for applicants and their sponsors to present identical details in their interviews, so the “paper sons” and “paper wives” memorized coaching notes on the ship.
A label with photos of Chinese poems carved into the barrack walls reading, To convey their frustration and worry, some Chinese detainees carved poems into the barrack walls. Leaning on the rich tradition of poetry in Chinese culture, perhaps the act of expression provided some comfort. Though layers of paint and putty have covered the carvings for decades, the poems are a testament to the determination of Chinese immigrants to make their mark in America. Today, Angel Island State Park welcomes visitors to tour the barracks and view more than 100 poems.

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