Indulge me, just for a moment, my dear friends and clients. Last Saturday, my mom, my daughter and I spent the day at Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. For those of you who don’t know, 12 million immigrants to the United States were processed at the Ellis Island Immigration Station between 1892 and 1954. Today, over 100 million Americans, one third of the population, can trace their ancestry to the immigrants who passed through Ellis Island.
I don’t have the words to describe how awed the three of us were as we combed through the museum, looking at pictures of the immigrants, searching for records on our family, reading placards about the immigrants’ experiences and about their hopes and dreams for their newly adopted country. These immigrants, all 12 million of them, came looking for the American Dream.
One of my favorite placards read as follows:
“I came to America because I heard the streets were paved with gold. When I got here, I learned three things; first, the streets were not paved with gold. Second, they were not paved at all. Third, I was expected to pave them.”
These new Americans were ready to work as hard as was necessary to make a new life. Many men came alone to get established before sending home for the rest of their families. They wanted to get a job, work as hard as possible and provide a comfortable existence for their loved ones. Over and over again, we saw stories that ended with, “…I bought a modest home and sent for my family.”
There it is, the American Dream, home ownership. The dream that rings as true today as it did 100 years ago.
Dear reader, if you ever get to New York/New Jersey, I strongly encourage you to visit this gem of a museum. When you re-board the ferry to leave Ellis Island and ferry over to the Statue of Liberty, you will be filled with a sense of awe. As the Lady’s long shadow looms before you, you will most certainly feel your ancestors wrapping their warm arms around you, sharing their first moments in their new land. Lady Liberty’s welcoming beacon was the first image they saw when they entered the harbor on their way to their new lives and the American Dream.
I’ve always wanted to go. Thanks for sharing your experience!