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Looking to get involved? Learn about volunteer opportunities at Angel Island State Park and at Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation! Click here for details.

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Stephen Louie

Immigrant Voices

AIISF is pleased to present the following stories about the immigrant experience.  As we celebrate 100 years of Pacific immigration from 1910 to 2010, these stories, which reflect diverse experiences in different eras, underscore the common desire for a better life held by all immigrants.  These stories offer testimony to the perseverance, courage and tenacity of immigrants whose belief in the American ideals of freedom and justice was unshakable despite hardships and discrimination.

To contribute your immigrant story, please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  We wish to thank all the contributors whose stories enrich all our lives.

Click here to read more...

 
Stephen Louie

Extensive News Coverage Highlights Angel Island Immigration Station Centennial

It is always gratifying to know that news reporters and editors grasp the significance of the Angel Island story. We want to share with you the many articles that greeted readers this week, including front-page coverage in the San Jose Mercury News and the San Francisco Chronicle. We also wish to thank the editors at the Los Angeles Times for printing an Op Ed by Erika Lee and Judy Yung on the importance of learning from Angel Island’s past. The link below will bring you the full Op Ed and a pathway to all the articles, podcasts, and video clips.

Read articles...

 
Presidential Procliamation

President Barack Obama Commemorates the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Immigration Station, Angel Island

We are pleased to share with you the highest recognition ever bestowed upon Angel Island.  We deeply appreciate President Barack Obama’s message that as we learn from the past, we continue to build a better future.  View pdf here.

Read Proclamation...

   
The immigration experience is a common thread binding the histories of most Americans. Whether escaping persecution, poverty or lack of economic prospects, immigrants have come to the United States for the ideals it represents — freedom, democracy, and opportunity. Most Americans know the story of Ellis Island, where immigrants crossing the Atlantic Ocean were processed. But the story of its West Coast counterpart, Angel Island, is little-known.

Located in the middle of San Francisco Bay, Angel Island Immigration Station was routinely the first stop for immigrants crossing the Pacific Ocean. The Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF) is the nonprofit partner of California State Parks and the National Park Service in the effort to preserve, restore and interpret the historic immigration station.