I don’t know if that’s something to be proud of but I have the dubious
proud of but I have the dubious
proud of but I have the dubious distinction of being last resident of
distinction of being last resident of
distinction of being last resident of Liberty Island yes walking around the
Liberty Island yes walking around the
Liberty Island yes walking around the island at night and looking up at the
island at night and looking up at the
island at night and looking up at the Statue of Liberty it’s quite an
Statue of Liberty it’s quite an
Statue of Liberty it’s quite an experience seeing all different ways she
experience seeing all different ways she
experience seeing all different ways she changes some nights she’s actually a
changes some nights she’s actually a
changes some nights she’s actually a little bit of blue as opposed to green I
little bit of blue as opposed to green I
little bit of blue as opposed to green I had two sets of grandparents that came
had two sets of grandparents that came
had two sets of grandparents that came through Ellis Island I wonder what they
through Ellis Island I wonder what they
through Ellis Island I wonder what they would think if they found that their
would think if they found that their
would think if they found that their great-grandson was going to be the
great-grandson was going to be the
great-grandson was going to be the steward of the Statue of Liberty and
steward of the Statue of Liberty and
steward of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island think about going to a
Ellis Island think about going to a
Ellis Island think about going to a different country we may not speak the
different country we may not speak the
different country we may not speak the language and they show up everything
language and they show up everything
language and they show up everything that means the world to them is in this
that means the world to them is in this
that means the world to them is in this one one or two bags that they’re
one one or two bags that they’re
one one or two bags that they’re carrying and they’re told to drop those
carrying and they’re told to drop those
carrying and they’re told to drop those bags and go upstairs to be processed and
bags and go upstairs to be processed and
bags and go upstairs to be processed and they never even know if they’re ever
they never even know if they’re ever
they never even know if they’re ever going to see that picture of their
going to see that picture of their
going to see that picture of their parents or their children that they left
parents or their children that they left
parents or their children that they left behind they’re relying on their faith
behind they’re relying on their faith
behind they’re relying on their faith that everything’s going to be okay
that everything’s going to be okay
that everything’s going to be okay because this is a country that they want
because this is a country that they want
because this is a country that they want to come to
it’s been reported that we’ve never lost
it’s been reported that we’ve never lost a bag on Ellis Island guess the folks
a bag on Ellis Island guess the folks
a bag on Ellis Island guess the folks today could learn a thing or two about
today could learn a thing or two about
today could learn a thing or two about keeping tabs on bags everybody came from
keeping tabs on bags everybody came from
keeping tabs on bags everybody came from someplace in America except the Native
someplace in America except the Native
someplace in America except the Native Americans and it’s important to keep
Americans and it’s important to keep
Americans and it’s important to keep that alive I think I don’t know that our
that alive I think I don’t know that our
that alive I think I don’t know that our generation would be as gutsy as they
generation would be as gutsy as they
generation would be as gutsy as they were to come
were to come
were to come my grandmother was 20 and she never went
my grandmother was 20 and she never went
my grandmother was 20 and she never went back to Italy I don’t know why but I got
back to Italy I don’t know why but I got
back to Italy I don’t know why but I got emotional when I saw it for the first
emotional when I saw it for the first
emotional when I saw it for the first time I was crossing and I think he was
time I was crossing and I think he was
time I was crossing and I think he was just part of history it being there and
just part of history it being there and
just part of history it being there and it was just it was an emotional moment I
it was just it was an emotional moment I
it was just it was an emotional moment I mean even me being born here I guess I
mean even me being born here I guess I
mean even me being born here I guess I put myself in an emotion of all the
put myself in an emotion of all the
put myself in an emotion of all the people that came by boat and the first
people that came by boat and the first
people that came by boat and the first thing they saw was this statue in a
thing they saw was this statue in a
thing they saw was this statue in a sense walking them to a new new world to
sense walking them to a new new world to
sense walking them to a new new world to freedom right here at Ellis Island this
freedom right here at Ellis Island this
freedom right here at Ellis Island this is where my family became American my
is where my family became American my
is where my family became American my parents immigrated here from Hong Kong
parents immigrated here from Hong Kong
parents immigrated here from Hong Kong and China to be able to tell their story
and China to be able to tell their story
and China to be able to tell their story by using the site as a focus I just love
by using the site as a focus I just love
by using the site as a focus I just love it I mean there’s just no way around it
it I mean there’s just no way around it
it I mean there’s just no way around it our ancestors came over in 1914 from
our ancestors came over in 1914 from
our ancestors came over in 1914 from Lithuania when we walked up the steps it
Lithuania when we walked up the steps it
Lithuania when we walked up the steps it gave you the chills down your spine kind
gave you the chills down your spine kind
gave you the chills down your spine kind of what they went through when they came
of what they went through when they came
of what they went through when they came on the boat and came up here during our
on the boat and came up here during our
on the boat and came up here during our peak emigration period at Ellis Island
peak emigration period at Ellis Island
peak emigration period at Ellis Island we would average between 8 and 10,000
we would average between 8 and 10,000
we would average between 8 and 10,000 people a day in our biggest visitation
people a day in our biggest visitation
people a day in our biggest visitation we processed over 12,000 people
today our visitation during the summer
today our visitation during the summer is between 18,000 and 22,000 people a
is between 18,000 and 22,000 people a
is between 18,000 and 22,000 people a day
day
day so we’re welcome quite a few of more
so we’re welcome quite a few of more
so we’re welcome quite a few of more people of course we don’t process these
people of course we don’t process these
people of course we don’t process these people other than put in through
people other than put in through
people other than put in through security
October 29th 2011 we had closed down to
October 29th 2011 we had closed down to do some life safety renovations
do some life safety renovations
do some life safety renovations fortunately when Sandy hit none of those
fortunately when Sandy hit none of those
fortunately when Sandy hit none of those upgrades were damaged but our entire
upgrades were damaged but our entire
upgrades were damaged but our entire infrastructure were all destroyed while
infrastructure were all destroyed while
infrastructure were all destroyed while it was a very sad day for us we quickly
it was a very sad day for us we quickly
it was a very sad day for us we quickly realized it was also an opportunity to
realized it was also an opportunity to
realized it was also an opportunity to make this more sustainable Park it was
make this more sustainable Park it was
make this more sustainable Park it was also kind of moving in this devastation
also kind of moving in this devastation
also kind of moving in this devastation to see the Statue standing there the
to see the Statue standing there the
to see the Statue standing there the flag still flying proud and defiant and
flag still flying proud and defiant and
flag still flying proud and defiant and no storm was going to bother her
”
Be First to Comment