| Synopsis: |
On January 1, 1892, Ellis Island Immigration Center opened in New York Harbor. The first people processed were Europeans who had come to America on ships Nevada, City of Paris, and Victoria. By the time Ellis Island was closed in 1954, more than 12 million immigrants had walked through its gates to make a new start in the United States. To many immigrants, Ellis Island was a scary place. They were afraid that they would be sent back to the countries from which they had fled. Today, more than 100 million Americans are descended from those immigrants who came through Ellis Island. Many of these descendants visit the island, which is now a national park, each year. |