Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation

AIISF will celebrate its Immigrant Heritage Awards October 1 with our annual fundraising event, “Our American Journeys” at the Hotel Intercontinental in San Francisco. Our honorees will be Jewish Family and Children’s Services; California Supreme Court Justice Joyce Kennard; May and Sinclair Louie, businesspersons and philanthropists; Andrew Ly of Ly Brothers Corporation/Sugar Bowl Bakery; and Olympic Gold Medalist and president of the Always Dream Foundation Kristi Yamaguchi.  We will have fabulous live and silent auction prizes and a raffle.

I'm happy to report that the Angel Island Immigration Station Hospital is on the mend.  It has looked rather sickly in recent years as water has poured through the building from a leaky roof and busted gutters.  Parts of the second floor have buckled and were substantially weakened.  Over the past few months, work crews supervised by West Bay Builders and California State Parks managers have cleared out much of the hazardous materials, removed decades of debris, and most importantly shored up the foundation of the 101 year old building.

Although the morning started out as a typical San Francisco summer day with fog and low clouds, sunshine burst out over the Immigration Station as the crowd of 1,500 people gathered for the dedication of the Immigrant Heritage Wall.  With a flurry of notes from his flute, Francis Wong heralded the opening of the ceremony as Melody Takata performed classical Japanese dance in a new work entitled, "Arrival."  

Visitors to the U.S. Immigration Station at Angel Island State Park are drawn to cast iron bell on the faux wharf. Set against the gentle waves lapping on the shore, the bell looms up like a beacon. It was a constant presence for the immigrants who were detained at the Immigration Station between 1910 and 1940. Throughout the night, it rang out its warning to passing ships and reminded those waking from sleep of their isolation on this beautiful but sad isle.