[Physical examination of female immigrants at Ellis Island, New York City].
[Physical examination of female immigrants at Ellis Island, New York City], ca. 1911. Library of Congress.
Mental health exam puzzle.
Mental health exam puzzle, early 1900s. Division of Medicine and Science, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Mental health exam puzzle.
Mental health exam puzzle, early 1900s. Division of Medicine and Science, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Background
Between 1880 and 1920 over twenty million immigrants moved to the United States seeking work opportunities and a better life. The US government opened the Ellis Island immigration station in 1892 to process all the new arrivals and make certain they were fit to enter the country. About twelve million immigrants passed through Ellis Island before it closed in 1954.
Not every immigrant to the US had to pass through Ellis Island. First- and second-class ship passengers were exempt because of their wealth and social status, but all third-class passengers had to pass a legal and medical inspection to make sure they would not become a burden on society. The process could take up to seven hours. If someone did not pass inspection, they could be detained or returned to their country of origin.
Women faced additional challenges at Ellis Island. A woman without a male escort might be detained until she could prove that she would be able to support herself in her new country. But if a woman was escorted by a man who was not related to her, she could be detained under suspicion of prostitution. Women who were pregnant faced additional medical screenings. If a child was detained, their mother had to make the choice to stay with them until their fate was decided or leave and hope to be reunited later. In an instance where a mother was traveling with multiple children and only one was detained, this choice could be particularly heart-wrenching.
About twenty percent of the people who passed through Ellis Island were at least temporarily detained, which earned the immigration center the nickname “the isle of tears.” About 120,000 people were sent back to their country of origin, and 3,500 died during their detainment.
About the Resources
These images capture some of the experiences immigrants faced at Ellis Island. The first shows women undergoing the visual physical examination on Ellis Island. Doctors had only a few seconds to evaluate each individual. If a doctor found a suspicious symptom, the individual would be detained for further examination.
The second image shows the Feature Profile Test, a wooden jigsaw puzzle that government officials used to judge the mental capacity of the newly arrived immigrants. If someone failed to assemble it correctly, they could be sent back to their country of origin due to “feeblemindedness.”
Vocabulary
- immigrant: Someone who moves to another country with the intention to stay.
Discussion Questions
- Imagine what you might hear, see, and smell if you were standing in the group medical exam. How do you think you would feel in this situation?
- Why are the examiners testing mental capacity? What does this reveal about the priorities of the immigration officials?
- Why do you think immigrants were willing to undergo this stressful process? What does their decision to immigrate reveal about their lives in their countries of origin?
Suggested Activities
- Teach this resource together with Life in the Tenements for insight into the experience of newly arrived immigrants to the US.
- For a larger discussion of the experiences of, impacts on, and contributions of European immigrants during this era, pair this resource with any or all of the following:
- For a more comprehensive discussion of European immigration to the US, pair this resource with any or all of the following:
Themes
IMMIGRATION, MIGRATION, AND SETTLEMENT
