The oral histories have been edited for length and to follow chronological order. Each oral history includes reading comprehension questions and a graphic organizer. Some oral histories include photographs of the immigrants and their families.
COUNTRY of ORIGIN
|
IMMIGRANT
|
YEAR
|
IMMIGRATION STORY
|
AUSTRIA
|
NELLY RATNER MYERS
|
1940
|
Jewish girl escapes the Holocaust, only to be detained at Ellis Island because she is deaf
|
BARBADOS
|
VERA CLARKE IFILL
|
1921
|
Black immigrant faces poverty, prejudice in the U.S.
|
CHINA
(Hong Kong)
|
GEM HOY "HARRY" LEW
|
1951
|
Interrogated at Ellis Island for two months
|
CROATIA (formerly part of
Yugoslavia)
|
PAUL FRKOVICH
|
1950
|
Illegally enters U.S. by bicycling from Argentina with a friend
|
GERMANY
|
OTTO HEINEMANN
|
1930,
1933
|
Twice enters U.S. illegally, once as stowaway escaping Nazi officials
|
IRELAND
|
MARY MARGARET MULLINS GORDON
|
1925
|
Vivid description of Irish Civil War and processing through Ellis Island
|
IRELAND
|
EMANUEL "MANNY" STEEN
|
1925
|
Denied a job in the U.S. because of his religion
|
ITALY
|
JOSEPHINE GARZIERI CALLOWAY
|
1922
|
Spends a year at Ellis Island's hospital for treatment of her trachoma
|
ITALY
|
LEO MANZONE
|
1921
|
Illiterate brother denied entry to U.S.
|
LEBANON
|
RICHARD HERBERT
|
1913
|
Mother and children escape from father to U.S.
|
RUSSIA
(born in Romania)
|
LOU WINNICK
|
1922
|
Knowledge of English forces him into a parental role for Yiddish-speaking parents
|
SWEDEN
|
LINNEA HALLGREN
|
1924
|
"Feeble-minded" sister denied entry to U.S.
|
TURKEY
(immigrant is ethnically Greek)
|
DOUKENIE BACOS
(NOTE: This is required reading for all on-site programs.)
|
1921
|
Underage girl enters U.S. to study to become a doctor, but unscrupulous family members force her to make a hard decision
|
UKRAINE
(formerly part of both Russia and Poland)
|
BARBARA BARONDESS
|
1921
|
Jewish family escapes pogroms, revolution only to be detained at Ellis Island. Later becomes a movie actress.
|
