What happened during the immigrants Inspections at Ellis island?

Answer 1

The Ellis experience was traumatic for most newcomers, as they were closely observed from the time they set foot on the island. Inspectors looked for signs of sickness or infirmity, a limp, the empty stare of the feebleminded, or shortness of breath as they climbed the stairs to the registry hall. Arriving in the hall, the flow of traffic was channeled through metal pipe partitions so that the room assumed the look of a stockyard. Perhaps as a result of that negative image, the partitions were later exchanged for benches.

Sick, bewildered, and exhausted from the voyage, the immigrants huddled in the Great Hall of Ellis. On a daily basis, the vast registry area--frequently called the "Hall of Tears"--was filled to the walls with would-be Americans. With numbered identification tags pinned to their clothes, the immigrants awaited the battery of legal and medical examinations. Standing there today one can almost hear the voices, in a jumble of languages, echoing from the high-vaulted ceiling.

Family members were often separated as some were accepted and others rejected. The painful decision of whether to stay or return with a loved one had to be made on the spot. For most immigrants, these hours would be the most emotional and traumatic of their lives. Some could not face the disgrace or ruin of deportation, and it is estimated that there were three thousand suicides. A day spent on Ellis Island seemed like an eternity. What took place there was their first experience in America and overwhelmingly important. Would they be allowed into this land of opportunity or turned away at the door?

From the beginning, the immigrant understood that to enter the United States two things were important above all others: one must prove to be disease-free, and convince authorities that they could make a living in the newly adopted country. In its time, Ellis Island was a state-of-the-art processing station, but the machine was not without faults. The examinations were conducted in an efficient but callous manner.

The first doctors made quick examinations and noted any suspicions with a telltale chalk mark on the right shoulder of the immigrant's usually dark clothing. People thus marked were held back for further examination. A second group of doctors looked for contagious diseases. They were the most feared on the island. Trachoma, a potentially blinding and highly contagious eye disease, was the most common reason for detaining an immigrant in this phase of the examination. The medical inspectors at Ellis Island bore overwhelming responsibility in judging the health of as many as five thousand immigrants a day. Sometimes apprehensions were well founded, but most immigrants got a clean bill of health.

by greg krenzelok