Throughout the years, America had become a symbol for hope and prosperity and this was seen as a gift by the world, which would lead to a high immigration rate inside the U.S. that required the formation of certain immigration ports such as New York and San Francisco. The end result would be the movement of over 10 million people into the U.S. over a 20 year span, which would lead to similar acts of nativism by the people that we sometimes face today. In my essay I will explore the early years of immigration through Ellis Island, how Ellis Island was important for being the torch in the East and how the geography would affect the situation immigrants faced. Before the torch, before the arrival of millions of people into the U.S. seeking …show more content…
The first job and probably the most important job was the Inspector. The inspector’s job according to Doc 1, was to conduct face to face interviews with all immigrants in a crucial proceeding known as immigrant inspection. Every passenger was required to go through inspection. If they decided not to, they would not enter the U.S. The inspector usually worked in the Registry Room on Ellis Island. The next position on Ellis Island that was important to the well being of the group was the Clerk. Due to the vast amount of paperwork that came through Ellis Island, only a clerk would be able to challenge the piles of important immigration papers lying around. “The clerks - both male and female - kept a running tabulation of the number of immigrants flowing to the island for inspection each day, the disposal of their cases and their subsequent departures.” (Doc 1). …show more content…
They were the main officials of the U.S. Public Health Service. On Ellis Island they had another name, surgeon. According to Doc 1, they were in charge of the Ellis Island Hospital and the medical examination of immigrants in a routine procedure called the line inspection. As long lines of immigrants slowly entered Ellis Island's Registry Room, they were examined swiftly and expertly by the doctors for any sign of disease or signs of physical or mental weakness. Ellis Island doctors were particularly watching for signs of contagious diseases like trachoma, tuberculosis, diphtheria, and other states of health such as poor physique, pregnancy and mental disability. Any immigrant suspected of being in questionable health was chalk-marked with a letter of the alphabet ("B" for back problems, "F" for face, "H" for heart) and taken out of line and moved to a physical or mental examination room. Those with definite illnesses were sent to the Ellis Island Hospital. The role of the doctors on Ellis Island was confined to the medical examination, diagnosis, and treatment of the immigrants. Doctors played no role in deciding the fitness of a person to enter the country. This decision was left exclusively in the hands of the U.S. Immigrant Inspectors. Ellis Island's doctors were not involved with quarantine - this operation took place on Hoffman and Swinburne Islands, two isolated islands off the coast of Staten