Synopses & Reviews
For most of New York's early history, Ellis Island had been an obscure little island that barely held itself above high tide. Today the small island stands alongside Plymouth Rock in our nation's founding mythology as the place where many of our ancestors first touched American soil. Ellis Island's heyday — from 1892 to 1924 — coincided with one of the greatest mass movements of individuals the world has ever seen, with some twelve million immigrants inspected at its gates.
In American Passage, Vincent J. Cannato masterfully illuminates the story of Ellis Island from the days when it hosted pirate hangings witnessed by thousands of New Yorkers in the nineteenth century to the turn of the twentieth century when massive migrations sparked fierce debate and hopeful new immigrants often encountered corruption, harsh conditions, and political scheming.
American Passage captures a time and a place unparalleled in American immigration and history, and articulates the dramatic and bittersweet accounts of the immigrants, officials, interpreters, and social reformers who all play an important role in Ellis Island's chronicle. Cannato traces the politics, prejudices, and ideologies that surrounded the great immigration debate, to the shift from immigration to detention of aliens during World War II and the Cold War, all the way to the rebirth of the island as a national monument. Long after Ellis Island ceased to be the nation's preeminent immigrant inspection station, the debates that once swirled around it are still relevant to Americans a century later.
In this sweeping, often heart-wrenching epic, Cannato reveals that the history of Ellis Island is ultimately the story of what it means to be an American.
Review
"This measured book helps to place in perspective discussions — sure to matter to genealogists and those engaged in political discourse — of Ellis Island and the idea of immigration as a privilege rather than a right." Library Journal
Synopsis
Like a latter day Plymouth Rock, Ellis Island was the point of entry for many new Americans. During its heyday between 1892 and 1924, twelve million immigrants passed through its gates. For some, the nation's preeminent immigration inspection station marked the beginning of a new life. For others, it was the only time they would set foot in the United States, before being deemed unfit and sent back home.
In American Passage, Vincent J. Cannato recounts the fascinating history of Ellis Island, from its early role as host to public hangings to its rebirth as a national monument. At its heart lies a question that is still relevant today -- is everyone entitled to enter the United States? American Passage reveals that the story of Ellis Island is ultimately the story of what it means to be an American.
Vincent J. Cannato teaches history at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He is the author of The Ungovernable City: John Lindsay and His Struggle to Save New York and has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post.
"Anyone with a stake or even a fleeting interest in the overhaul of the nation's immigration policies should read Vincent J. Cannato's American Passage ... Maybe no book can be definitive, but Mr. Cannato's comes close." -- New York Times
Synopsis
"By bringing us the inspiring and sometimes unsettling tales of Ellis Island, Vincent Cannatos
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 Americas landmark port of entry, from immigration post to deportation center to mythical icon.
About the Author
Vincent J. Cannato teaches history at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He is the author of The Ungovernable City: John Lindsay and His Struggle to Save New York and has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.