Under the Microscope focuses on the medical theories and policies that impacted U.S. Pacific Coast immigration enforcement in the early 20th century. When contemplating past and present health regulations and protocols, underlying questions about responsibility, compassion, control, and safety arise. Under the Microscope is located in the hospital’s historic medical suite. Below are several topics discussed in this exhibit.
On-board inspections, line inspections, and bacterial exams were used to assess the health of immigrants arriving on the Pacific Coast during the first part of the 20th century. These medical evaluations impacted whether or not immigrants were allowed to enter the country. Screening practices shifted as new research emerged and as policies and public opinion changed.
ON-BOARD INSPECTIONS
Initial inspections took place on board arriving ships to ensure immigrants were physically fit and legally admissible. First-class passengers, who were mostly white and wealthy, were given hasty exams in the privacy of their rooms—and were then allowed to land in the US.
LINE INSPECTIONS
Most second- and third-class passengers were taken to Angel Island for further inspection. These line inspections were conducted to detect excludable diseases and physical or mental “defects.” Immigrants were instructed to line up beside one another and had little to no privacy.
BACTERIAL EXAMINATIONS
Doctors collected blood and stool samples from certain detained immigrants—mostly Asians. Such samples were examined under a microscope to detect parasitic diseases that were classified as “dangerously contagious.”
Medical policy often reflected an evolving understanding of diseases as well as racist ideas about specific immigrant groups. Additionally, medical policy was used to justify certain immigrants’ exclusion from the US. Over time, emerging medical research, community protests, and changes in public opinion led to new medical screening policies.
In the 1800s, deadly outbreaks of cholera, smallpox, and bubonic plague sparked widespread fear. Public health officials, scientists, and doctors began researching the causes of these epidemics. They developed ways to save lives and slow the spread of disease.
As the first federal immigration laws were established in the US, some policies were implemented under the guise of protecting the health of Americans. These policies were often used to discriminate against certain nationalities and classes of people—and sickness was seen as an avoidable flaw.
At the Angel Island immigration station, scientists and administrators dubbed germs “the most democratic creatures in the world.” They believed they could use science as a tool to screen immigrants objectively, regardless of skin color or social status. However, not all immigrants underwent the same types of exams, and certain groups were subject to additional scrutiny.
Immigrants were also evaluated based on their perceived fitness and wealth. They were excluded from the US if they were labeled a “likely public charge” (LPC), which meant they were considered to be a current or future economic burden to the country.
Some immigrants were ruled LPCs because of “physical defects.” Single women were often seen as “moral risks” and then deemed LPCs as a result. In many cases, LPCs were admitted into the US if they could post a $500 public charge bond. Those who could not afford to pay faced deportation.