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American Passage: The History Of Ellis Island

"By bringing us the inspiring and sometimes unsettling tales of Ellis Island, Vincent Cannato’s American Passage helps us understand who we are as a nation.” — Walter Isaacson “Never before has Ellis Island been written about with such scholarly care and historical wisdom. Highly recommended!"—Douglas Brinkley, bestselling author of The Wilderness Warrior The remarkable saga of America’s landmark port of entry, from immigration post to deportation center to mythical icon.

Hardcover: 496 pages

Publisher: Harper (June 9, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0060742739

ISBN-13: 978-0060742737

Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.5 x 9 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #106,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #48 in Books > History > Americas > United States > Immigrants #107 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Emigration & Immigration #1221 in Books > History > Americas > United States > State & Local

When I speak at community meetings, it is almost inevitable that someone stands up and tells me that when his great-grandfather came over from Germany in the 1870s he did it the right way, not like these immigrants today. "He came legally and had to pass a bunch of tests at Ellis Island, he had to have a sponsor to vouch for him and only then was he allowed in." The person then usually says "We need a new Ellis Island."Of course, when his great-grandfather came, there were no tests for newly arriving immigrants, anyone who wanted to come could immigrate here (so long as they weren't Chinese), so saying he came legally is meaningless, and the Ellis Island immigration station did not exist.In fact, if your ancestors came before 1892, they definitely did not come through Ellis Island.But since so many people think their families got their start there, the truth may be less relevant than the perception.I am always on the lookout for books on American immigration history, so I was happy to come across a new history of Ellis Island. American Passage, unfortunately, is only partially successful in telling the story of the iconic place of American immigration.There are many ways to tell the story of Ellis Island. Vincent Cannato chooses to begin his telling with the story of feuds between various officials at the immigration station. Bureaucratic infighting is rarely interesting, and the fights among the big-wigs at Ellis are no different. The first third of the book is taken up with who said what to who sort of nonsense. Hardly a grabber.

American Passage: The History of Ellis Island Island Of Hope: The Story of Ellis Island and the Journey to America The Passage: The Passage Trilogy, Book 1 The Passage: A Novel (Book One of The Passage Trilogy) Ellis Island: An Interactive History Adventure (You Choose: History) The Long Way Home: An American Journey from Ellis Island to the Great War Ellis Island (You Choose: History) At Ellis Island: A History in Many Voices JR & Art Spiegelman: The Ghosts of Ellis Island What Was Ellis Island? If Your Name Was Changed At Ellis Island From Ellis Island to JFK: New York`s Two Great Waves of Immigration Working Toward Whiteness: How America's Immigrants Became White: The Strange Journey from Ellis Island to the Suburbs Ellis Island: Ghosts of Freedom Children of Ellis Island (Images of America) The Orphan Of Ellis Island (Time Travel Adventures) National Geographic Readers: Ellis Island What Was Ellis Island? (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island, 1910-1940 (Naomi B. Pascal Editor's Endowment) Island Passages: An Illustrated History of Jekyll Island, Georgia