New York Harbor Symbolism

On December 31, 1890 a transition in history occured. New York City would start a new era in the history of the United States starting with the opening of Ellis Island as an immigration depo. This attracted many immigrants to the United Stated because of more job opportunities and as means to start a new life. As more immigrants came to America, it began to be known as the "land of opportunities". Immigrants coming in filled work spaces in industries with the hopes of someday becoming successful. These immigrants helped prove to other future immigrants that if you moved to America then you could start a better life for yourself and your families. On the other hand with positives come negatives and there were many involving

The United States of America is known for its diversity in ethnicity and culture. It was created by the surge of immigration which began at the point when the new world was first discovered, to its peak when the United States was a new country. This surge was driven by the promise of a new beginning, and for the hope that things could become better. The Statue of Liberty became known as the mother of exiles as it became a symbolic representation of the promise of America. The statue gave new arrivals the hope that things would get better, the promise for a fresh start and a better life. The hope, the new beginning, and the ideas the Statue of Liberty represented is the definition of the promise of America.

Ellis Island, the portal for immigrants to access a developed, prosperous land, the United States of America, and seek opportunity that would they would otherwise not discover in their home country. Opened in 1892, the island was the gateway for foreign people across the globe to enter salvation from their native country. With this new structure set in place, Americans had mixed feelings on immigration. The two conflicting ideas of immigration in this time period can be demonstrated through two poems: “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus and “Unguarded Gates” by Thomas Bailey Aldrich. While both literary works highlight the ideal “American dream” and personify the Statue of Liberty, they differ in the fact that they have different points of view on immigration.

Over twelve million immigrants infiltrated the United States of America from 1892 to 1954 through a small island in New York Harbor called Ellis Island. Throughout the years, Ellis Island served as a gateway for

Ellis Island was 'the door to America' which was opened on January 1st, 1892. Immigrants came here from their countries to stay in ours. It was a major immigration station for the United States from 1892 to 1943. It has been part of the Statue of Liberty since 1965. Between 1880 and 1900 9 million immigrants arrived in America, which was the largest number of arrivals in a 20 year period. The immigrants mostly stayed in the New England areas, such as New York and Massachusetts. This alarmed older Americans, because they feared that the country and system would fail because of the new 'impurities' in the land. In other words the shift in nationalities. The first immigrants to come to Ellis Island were from Ireland, Germany,

In the famous poem The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, America is deemed a land of “world wide welcome” for those who seek a new place to call home. The Statue of Liberty is established early on in the piece as a symbol of freedom and protection, a statue symbolic of the spirit of America. In the piece, Lazarus refers to immigrants as the “poor, huddled masses” to whom the United States offers a pair of open “golden doors.” However, many immigrants today feel far removed from the land of freedom referenced in The New Colossus. The promise of a blue sky with endless possibilities is far from reality for the Americans that the poem calls the huddled masses. It is clear that America’s promise of freedom and opportunity, characterized by the

Since the founding of the United States of America, immigrants have always been welcome to pursue for a better life on the soil of the United States, which is known for freedom and also called the land of the free. The symbol of liberty on Ellis Island called The Statue of Liberty, which was gifted to the country from France, has an engraved sonnet by the famous American poet Emma Lazarus which writes, "Give us your poor, your tired, your huddle masses yearning to breathe free..." Which defines the country and opens the arms of the United States to immigrants. With the country opening its arms, the number of immigrants entering United States soil have increased immensely. With such a vast number of immigrants attempting to gain access into the

The Statue of Liberty is quite the monument, welcoming and astonishing immigrants since the year of 1876. Standing over 305 feet tall and weighing approximately 225 tons, this woman of independence has been the symbol of the United States for people all over the world. At the bottom of Lady Liberty, there is a poem by Emma Lazarus. It reads, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” These words are altogether eloquent, and they display the message that brings millions of people flocking to the U.S. every year. However, more and more people are beginning to question the words

The symbol of the Statue of Liberty clearly represents the idea of immigration. According to the Collins Dictionary, the definition of immigration is, “The movement of non-native people into a country in order to settle there.”

The Statue of Liberty in New York harbor, a destination for many of the early American immigrants, reads an inscription, ?Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" (National Park Service, 2016). This excerpt from a poem by Emma Lazarus encompasses the American spirit that led to the American Revolution and separation from England. America was a country comprised of immigrants who came to the New World to make a home of peace, safety and, as the statue stands, liberty.

As is documented by (Foner, p29) Mary Antin's recalls the cruelty she had to go through together with her family to get into America. This included eating hard bread and hot water, having no place to sleep and being carried like cattle in a car that had no seats. With the advanced technology, it is just a matter of hours in an aeroplane where the immigrants are served meals. The clearing process was too vigorous for the early immigrants including being fumigated for health safety so that they do not carry cholera to the host country. Currently, it’s a natural process that takes few hours and is civilised. The earliest immigrants’ entrance was thus marked by the great images that they left at the entry of the City such as the Elis Island which is currently a monumentalport as it was an entrance for the immigrants. This is not the case with those entering the City today (Foner, p1) where they come through John F. Kennedy airport. However, despite the lack of monuments to trace the immigration of the new immigrants their presence is still felt by their activities in the city. The determination that led the first immigrants to succeed in America will always be honoured. For example in the book ‘the God Father' which immortalises the

America is considered to be the "melting pot of the world" and was built from the lives of immigrants; rather than continuing to let others "discover a new world", the border wall will prevent others from what settling Americans were granted. In 1886 the Statue of Liberty was given to the United States by France as a sign of friendship and thanks for openly accepting all immigrants no matter what nationality. Now, immigrants are looked at as pests and a threat to American's way of life. Most often those crossing over the US-Mexico border are from poor, violent, or war-torn countries where they have no chance of bettering their lives; their only hope is to escape to a different country in order to continue their survival. Jakota Herring, a psychotherapist who writes for Delmarva Now,

Without context, Italian Family Looking for Lost Baggage, Ellis Island looks like an organized family portrait, but after researching the history of the island and its immigration admissions processes, it is clear that the photograph reveals so much more. This article explained how the Ellis Island was chosen and prepared for the task of examining and admitting new citizens to the U.S. as well as explaining what was expected of citizen hopefuls. When simply viewing Italian Family Looking for Lost Baggage, Ellis Island, it is impossible to tell just what went on in the New York Harbor in 1905, but after researching the context, the heartbreaking truth comes to light. The article went into detail about how families without father figures were

When asked the purpose of the trip, Savin said, “It is to explore the museum for immigration and the history of immigration. We used to go the Holocaust and the 9/11 museum, but we since we changed the curriculum, we changed the trip to Ellis Island, the immigration museum, and the Statue of Liberty.”

Emma Lazarus’ poem, The New Colossus, depicts America as a welcoming harbor for all immigrants seeking freedom. She begins her writing by contrasting Greece and America. Different from the tyrant Greeks, she perceives the United States as gentle and hospitable. While the Greek conquer land to land, America sits as an open door, welcoming the migrants and foreigners. In the poem, Lazarus says: “A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles.” In this example, Emma Lazarus is referring the Statue of Liberty to a Mother of Exiles. This means she is welcoming and sympathetic to all types of settlers and outsiders. By using this comparison, Lazarus is claiming that America is a country of immigrants, meaning all citizens originally migrated to the United States from somewhere else. The sirens of America sing about the Mother of Exiles to all newcomers, promising them a new beginning. They claim to welcome all outcasts and rejects, regardless of any flaw. Throughout the second stanza of Lazarus’ poem, she implies that exiles are in need of freedom. For this reason, Lazarus writes: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Here, she indicates America is the golden door to prosperity and freedom for all cultures and foreigners. The sirens of America sing this alluring motto to the incoming settlers. The “golden door” - Lazarus compares this to Alice Island - is where they lie, enticing and tempting migrants from all over the world. Throughout The New Colossus, Emma Lazarus suggests the American Dream is amiable and welcoming to settlers,