Use information at any of these sites to answer the following questions:
http://www.i-channel.com/features/ellis/
http://www.cmp.ucr.edu/exhibitions/immigration_id.html
http://wwwald.bham.wednet.edu/museum/museum.htm
Part 1 Ellis Island
1.How long was Ellis Island in operation as an immigrant-processing center?
2.What was the approximate total number of immigrants who passed through Ellis Island?
3.What were the years of Ellis Island's peak immigration period?
4.Immigrants had to undergo medical inspections at Ellis Island. If the doctors there diagnosed a person as having something wrong with them, they would put a chalk mark on their clothes. Find out what the following symbols meant:
X________ a circled X________ B________
C________ CT________ E________
F________ FT________ G________
5.What were the top three countries of origin for Ellis Island immigrants?
6.What proportion of Ellis Island immigrants stayed in New York City rather than moving on to other parts of the country?
7.What percentage of Ellis Island immigrants were deported? What were some of the reasons that they were deported?
8.What were some of the reasons that Ellis Island immigrants decided to come to America?
9.Do you feel that immigrants were treated fairly during their Ellis Island inspections?
Part III) New to America: The Immigrant Experience
Write a first-person essay from the point of view of an immigrant coming to Ellis Island around 1910 or so. You can choose your country of origin, age, and whether or not you are coming to America alone, with friends, or with family. Use your imagination to come up with interesting descriptions of common immigrant experiences, such as seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time, entering Ellis Island's Great Hall, waiting in lines, undergoing inspections and interviews, and taking your first steps on American soil on the streets of New York City.
Current Immigration Go to the following website: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/aboutins/history/teacher/resources.htm
Scroll down to the section on Becoming Americans.
10. Describe the current process of becoming an immigrant including what you think of the sample test questions.
The Future of Immigration
Answer any 2 of the following questions in your notebook.
11. The Immigration Act of 1990 set the current levels of immigration into the United States. What are these levels, why were they chosen and what effect(s) are they having on immigration to the U.S.? Are there too many, too few, or just the right amount of immigrants coming to theUnited States each year? Why do you think this?
12. Some people have to leave their homelands for fear of being persecuted or killed. We call them refugees,people outside their country of origin who need to begin a new life. Under what condition should the United States accept some of these refugees into America? Why?
13. How many legal immigrants came to the United States in 1998? Where did they settle? Is that a good number? If you were in Congress, what policy recommendations might you make?
14. About how many illegal migrants are now residing in theUnited States? What are the top 20 nationalities and where are the top 20 places they live? If you were in Congress, what policy recommendations might you make?
15. What are some pros and cons of trying to completely seal US borders from illegal migration? Is it really possible? Is it really desirable?
16. INS says about 40% of undocumented ["illegal"] migrants are in the United States after overstaying their legal visas. What could be done to prevent this? What are the pros and cons of your recommendations to do those kinds of things?
17. What are some of the best ways to welcome and then assimilate immigrants into American life? What are the pros and cons of each of these?