Immigration Experience Case

Immigration Experience

Carrie Thomsen

HIS/120 - US HISTORY 1865 TO 1945

Due: 08/03/2015

Mr. John Visconti

Immigration Experience

        Peter,

I am writing this letter for you my son. I want you to know of our journey to America, our ancestry and the sacrifices made for you and me to have a better life. If ever there is a day when you cannot remember your childhood, I hope you will recall this letter and read it. We have been here in New York City for little under a year now and you are only five years old. The year is 1906 in the month of January. I think back to when crossing the vast ocean was only a picture in my mind. The day it became a reality was a scary day for me. I was only twenty-six and we had just buried your father. We were facing a desolate future in Poland if we lost the farm. So many neighbors and friends were speaking of new economic opportunities in America. My sister, your aunt and her husband had already left Poland and were living in New York City. In her letters she described such prosperity. Since your father’s death, we were destined to lose our land and soon our home. Where would we turn and how would we survive? I had to reach a decision, though painful to leave our country, our roots, it had to be done.

I sold everything we owned to purchase our tickets to make our journey to America. It took days to pass the tests I was given in order to be allowed to make the journey. I had to endure an eye exam, health exam and even a physical exam to make sure I wasn’t carrying disease. I carried only two luggage aboard the massive ship. Our journey across the ocean took twelve days. Twelve of the longest days of my life. The ship itself was gigantic, but there were so many people aboard that it felt like we could barely move and it smelled horribly, a smell I hope to never experience again. We slept in small bunks under deck and ate biscuits, oatmeal, rice, tea, sugar, and molasses. Rarely did we drink water because it was so filthy. One night sticks out in my mind, it was raining and the doors were closed to the upper decks so we wouldn’t flood. Everyone was sea sick and vomiting and we were being tossed around the cabin. One day thought, we had finally reached our destination! Do you know what I saw? A beautiful tall woman holding a torch. Her name was Statue of Liberty and I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief because we were safe.

Once the plank fell, the upper class passengers unboarded first, we were last. Men were sent one direction, while women and children were ushered another. We left our luggage in a large pile and then we boarded a barge to Ellis Island. We were checked by doctors, almost every part of us. Hair, eyes, face, neck, skin, looking for any sign of disease. After this, we were sent to wait for an interrogation. It was difficult and scary, but luckily there was an interpreter. I was asked my name, age, religion, home country, sex, civil status and if I had relatives in America. When I got my landing card, we had to exchange our money for American monies. We waited hours to board the barge again, but finally I got our luggage and we were ready to start our new life with my sister Victoria.