One of the last former detainees—and perhaps the oldest—at the Angel Island Immigration Station, where many Chinese immigrants were held and interrogated under the Chinese Exclusion Act, has died in San Francisco at the age of 102.
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When it comes to islands in the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz's famed jail hogs all the attention. But sitting pretty just beyond the prison isle is another Bay Area gem: the often-overlooked Angel Island.
The Angel Island Immigration Station is a valuable public history resource for scholars, educators, students, and the public. From the physical structure (where immigrants inscribed their hopes, fears, and observations) to the memories and perspectives of those who were processed and detained, the site serves as an important reminder of racist and exclusionary immigration laws and the humanity of the individuals who have been subject to them then and now.
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For those of you unfamiliar with Angel Island Immigration Station, it was an immigration facility that operated from January 21, 1910, to November 5, 1940, where immigrants entering the United States were detained and interrogated. It has served other purposes since then and today is managed and maintained by the nonprofit organization Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF).
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In the early 20th century, Chinese immigrants to San Francisco were interred [on Angel Island] for quarantine purposes and to prove that they had certificates from the Chinese government allowing them entry into the United States. The Immigration Station became known as “the Ellis Island of the West.”
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The year 2022 marked the 140th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act. A series of events in the San Francisco Bay Area revolving around the Angel Island Immigration Station re-engaged with questions pertaining to exclusion, migration, race, and incarceration amidst a new wave of anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The historic Angel Island Immigration Station will host a Family Day this Saturday. The sold-out event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Attendees will receive a round trip ferry ride from either Tiburon or San Francisco, a shuttle service to the Immigration Station and lunch from Shef, an online marketplace for cooks to connect with customers in their community and earn income selling homemade dishes.
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Asian American history is complex and multifaceted—there are, after all, 50 ethnic groups that speak 100 different languages that fall under the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) umbrella. For this APAHM, AFAR suggests six museums and tours that touch on the richness and diversity of the Asian American identity—read on to learn more.
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From afar, Angel Island appears a vision of paradise.
Yes, but: Run your fingers along the plaster peeling off the building's walls, and you'll find a different story.
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One Sunday this month I ferried from the Port of San Francisco to Angel Island Immigration Station (AIIS), a National Historic Landmark. After 111 years, I retraced the journey of Moi Chung, my paternal grandfather, a Chinese immigrant, to Angel Island. He arrived in America with a student visa to learn English in 1912.
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When Lenora Lee, an artistic director, dancer and choreographer, debuted Within These Walls in 2017, she had no idea what the impact would be on the audience. The immersive work was performed by a cast of 14 dancers on San Francisco Bay’s Angel Island.
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For outdoor lovers, Angel Island, the largest island in the Bay, is a must-visit. Enjoy a picnic in the individual or group picnic areas, visit the campsites, and head over to the Barracks Museum and the Angel Island Immigration Museum.
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The California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) is pleased to announce the five recipients of the 2022 Governor’s Historic Preservation Awards. Each of the projects represents exemplary achievements on behalf of preserving California’s richly diverse heritage.
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Activities and attractions offered on the island include picnic sites with breathtaking views, fishing and sunbathing at coves and beaches, hiking trails through wooded terrain, biking on the five-mile Perimeter Road, camping, historic military sites and buildings, and an educational tram tour. The most popular attraction, however, is the old Immigration Station at China Cove.
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Along the pale, cracking wood of Angel Island’s barracks, etched symbols from that time are still visible today. Since the California Department of Parks and Recreation took possession of the island and made it a State Park, 220 Chinese poems have been identified.
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Hearing the stories from descendants of Chinese immigrants was both eye-opening and emotional for students who participated in a four-week summer program that explored early Chinese immigration to the United States through a visit to and study of Angel Island.
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The only ferry route connecting San Francisco to Angel Island will continue on a long-term basis under the management of Golden Gate Ferry following a board vote on Friday. The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District took over the ferry route in December under a one-year trial run.
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The project is sponsoring a series of music and dance performances, exhibitions and public conversations, using Angel Island’s immigration station as a jumping-off point to start discussions about race, global migration and architectures of incarceration.
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Study abroad trips are opportunities for students to get on-the-ground cultural and linguistic skills that they may not learn in a classroom. Living and working abroad can also influence educational and career choices.
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When visiting San Francisco, many tourists will no doubt take the opportunity to visit Angel Island State Park, a National Historic Landmark since 1997. But as those who visit the island soon find out, the history of Angel island turned rather ugly at the beginning of the twentieth century when it served as an immigrant processing station.
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