On the United States’ 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence a flotilla of ships from around the world will sail past Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty to salute those two historic symbols of a nation built by immigrants who sought to live in a land of opportunity founded on freedom.
With an international parade of ships representing the homelands of countless immigrants, there could be no better place than Ellis Island to hoist Old Glory on the day the United States celebrates this historic milestone. It was here that more than 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island’s Great Hall over a period of 60 years, carrying with them their dreams of a better life and their belief in a nation they could only have imagined.
They came from places such as Italy and Ireland, Poland and Greece, Russia and Austria — fleeing poverty, persecution, and war. Under the eyes of immigration officers carrying out the laws of our land, they were examined, reviewed, processed and, if they met all the legal requirements, sent on their way into the New World. The America we celebrate at 250 was built, in no small part, by these individuals who arrived on that island.
To mark our 250th national birthday without considering the role of Ellis Island is to miss an essential chapter. The anniversary is not just a celebration of those who bravely fought for independence or the authors of our founding documents. It is also a celebration of everyone who followed the people who built, envisioned, celebrated, and defended the United States of America.
And for a crucial moment in time Ellis Island sat at the heart of our evolution as a nation.
Our current debate over immigration is not unique. We have been wrestling with who and how immigrants were welcomed even before we declared ourselves as “these United States.” Yet each time we have found a pathway that allowed millions of hopeful newcomers to become part of the American experiment, leading to a nation that remains the dream of millions worldwide.
Ellis Island will always be part of our American heritage, but also its present and future. It reflects the historic reality that we have always wrestled with immigration policies. Who belongs, who contributes, and who gets to secure their American identity.
In that context, revisiting Ellis Island during our 250th is not about nostalgia. It is about reaffirming our principles now and into the future. The descendants of those 12 million Ellis Island immigrants became senators and scientists, teachers and soldiers, artists and business leaders. Their contributions are proof of what immigrants can create when welcomed thoughtfully and legally.
This year, as our nation reaffirms its identity as a place shaped by the arrival of millions of people who crossed oceans because they believed in the promise of America, Ellis Island stands at the epicenter of that year-long national celebration. Ellis Island may be the physical monument to a 250-year journey, but, in truth, it is found today in the family histories of tens of millions of Americans whose ancestors helped forge this country of immigrants, and in the aspirations of all who legally follow them to our shores.
Kazeminy is chairman of the Ellis Island Honor Society.