Angel Island translated reveals painful past
Every now and then, writing is unearthed that brings a long forgotten history back to the forefront. This was the case when a ranger noticed foreign etchings all over the walls of Angel Island Immigration Station.
While Angel Island was maintained as Ellis Island’s west coast cousin (1910-1940) with an entry point in the San Francisco Bay, its detainees sometimes lived a much harsher experience. Detention periods were longer, and its primarily Chinese immigrants came in greater numbers and were deported more often than their European counterparts.
Rescued from demolition in the 1970s, Angel Island has just reopened after a $16 million refurbishment. The walls tell the stories of the detainees who suffered there — in Chinese, Japanese and German, among others:
“Sadness kills the person in the wooden building.”
“Thinking of affairs back home… Unconscious tears wet my lapel.”
“Get me out of here fast!”
“Close the doors. There’s a draft.”
“100 days. Tara Singh.”
Read full story in the Los Angeles Times
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