Ellis Island Interviews

The stories in this book are the firsthand accounts of the last surviving original immigrants who came to America through Ellis Island’s mythical Golden Door. The immigrants describe in detail the life they left behind - why they emigrated, what they endured in coming here, and what became of them after their arrival in the New World. This book is a testament to their courage and conviction, a final opportunity to capture on record a crucial piece of America’s past before it is lost forever.According to the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, "more than 40 percent of the U.S.population, or over 100 million Americans, can trace their roots to an ancestor who came through Ellis Island.” Celebrities such as Bob Hope, Rudolph Valentino, Otto Preminger, and Abraham Beame make up their ranks, as do the unsung heroes all, who weathered the crossing to gain a new life. Open a window on the past and relive the experience with the immigrants themselves, as they take you on a journey to America as they remember it – in their own words.