Ellis Island was established as a 'sieve' through which immigrants could be filtered, the desirable allowed to enter, the undesirable deported back to their countries of origin. Now the great wave of immigration is from Latin America, and because many of these people enter the country illegally, the question is whether this makes them 'undesirable,' even though many of them work productively and contribute to the national economy. In the early years of the 20th century, most immigrants came to the United States from Europe, and the question in the minds of many Americans was whether some of them (British, French, German) were more 'desirable' than others (Eastern and Southern Europeans). How could the Declaration of Independence's basic creed that all individuals were created equal mesh with the idea that some immigrants were desirable and others undesirable? That conflict between American ideals is central to an understanding of why Ellis Island was created in the first place.' Obviously, the story of Ellis Island remains pertinent today, for the issues it raises still vex and divide us. More importantly, it conflicted with the idea that the rights guaranteed in the Constitution were universal rights. But that idea came into conflict with other ideals such as America's traditional history of welcoming newcomers. On the other hand, it is the place where a deep conflict in American beliefs has been played out: 'The nation's immigration law was predicated on the idea that a self-governing people could decide who may or may not enter the country. On the one hand, it is deservedly celebrated as the country's gateway, not the only one but the largest and most important.

Cannato, 'attracting some 2 million visitors a year.' A small patch of land in New York Harbor, known two centuries ago as Gibbet Island because so many pirates were hanged there, it occupies a large but somewhat ambiguous place in American history. From The Washington Post's Book World/ Reviewed by Jonathan Yardley Ellis Island, through which 12 million immigrants passed between 18, is a museum and tourist attraction now, 'a success,' according to Vincent J.

American Passage by Vincent J. Cannato