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POPULAR DESTINATIONS
The Icon

Statue of Liberty

She is a national treasure, and one of the most recognizable figures in the world. Each year millions who cherish her ideals make the journey to experience her history and grandeur in person. She is the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of freedom, inspiration and hope.

American Passage

Ellis Island

Ellis Island may not appear large on a map, but it is an unparalleled destination in United States history. After welcoming more than 12 million immigrants to our shores, Ellis Island is now a poetic symbol of the American Dream.

The Mission

Foundation

The Foundation works to preserve and honor two of our country’s greatest landmarks. We pursue a diverse range of educational and community building efforts and work to create meaningful connections between island visitors and the dense fabric of American history.

Tours + Tickets

Visit

Visiting Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty is an inspiring, striking experience. As dual symbols of freedom and hope, these incredible monuments give proof to the story of immigration, and recognize the human spirit of our nation’s ideals.

The Foundation proudly participated in RootsTech 2024. Our CEO, Jesse Brackenbury, presented on the main stage, and Jon Da Silva from the American Family Immigrant History Center addressed Archives and Records Custodians Symposium attendees. The Foundation also contributed two on-demand webinars about researching family history. 

Click HERE to learn more and access the presentations for free.  

The Foundation’s Chief Advancement Officer, Rich Flood, was integral to the success of the Statue of Liberty Museum. Throughout this journey, Rich worked closely with campaign chairperson Diane von Furstenberg and collaborated with the French Embassy and French Consulate in New York.

In recognition of Rich’s contributions to preserving French-American History, the French Government made him a Knight in the National Order of Merit, the highest honor a non-French national can receive.

Read on for more about Rich’s achievements and this unique honor.

What is the symbolic significance of Ellis Island? Which were the largest and most influential immigrant groups in Ellis Island history?

These are just a sample of the questions posed by Corrado Parlati, editor-in-chief of the Italian culture website MentiSommerse, during a recent exchange with Foundation president & CEO Jesse Brackenbury.

Click here for the full article, which also includes words from Raffaele Vivinai’s “Scalo Maritime.”

After 30 years and some 800,000 names, the original American Immigrant Wall of Honor is full. Luckily, the Foundation is able to expand the monument, fulfilling the wish of many who thought they’d missed this unique opportunity to celebrate their family’s immigration history.

The Wall of Honor expansion is currently under construction. The inaugural panel will be unveiled in the summer of 2024. To be included on the inaugural panel, donors must submit names by DECEMBER 31, 2023.

Check out the Wall of Honor page for more information.

Nothing says Halloween quite like a good scary story. While it’s easy to think of the world of horror as a “boys club,” plenty of women have contributed to the terrifying literature, films, and TV shows we come back to on All Hallows Eve!

In honor of the season, we’re highlighting some of the women in horror – both on and off the screen – who have ties to Ellis Island and the port of New York. From a pioneer of early cinema to the star of one of Netflix’s most popular shows, some of these connections may surprise you!  

READ ON IF YOU DARE!

Special thanks to Grace Felder, Research Assistant at the American Family Immigration History Center at Ellis Island, for this post.

Italian journalist Rosario Pipolo recently visited Liberty and Ellis Islands – a return trip 30 years in the making. In his Travel Diary post, Pipolo shares memories of his first visit in 1992 and describes his thoughts about the millions of Italians who came to the Port of New York on their way to a new life in an unfamiliar world.

READ THE POST

We are celebrating New York Comic Con 2023. The display Century of Comics is on display at the American Family Immigration History Center on Ellis Island through October. The content shares the stories – and Ellis Island connections – of many creators, contributors, and artists who helped shape this unmistakably global phenomenon.

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From food to entertainment to the sciences and more, the influence of Italian immigrants and their descendants permeates American culture.

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It is estimated that 12 percent of Americans are of German descent, making German Americans the largest ancestral group in the nation. In 1983, in recognition of the tricentennial of Germantown, Pennsylvania, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed October 6th German American Day.

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In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Foundation remembers Yma Sumac, the influential Peruvian-born singer, composer, actress, and model.

A music pioneer, Yma Sumac can be found in the Ellis Island Passenger Database as she passed through the Port of New York while traveling back from a tour in Europe. She was held at Ellis Island for seven days for charges that were not made public.

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In its September newsletter, the Battery Park City Authority invited readers to attend the Foundation’s upcoming virtual event, Unforgotten: Ellis Island, on October 18 (12:00-1:00 pm ET). The event will feature a screening of this documentary short followed by a Q&A with director Aaron Asis and Stephen Lean, Director of the Foundation’s Family History Center.

Click HERE to RSVP.

Ellis Island may not appear large on a map, but its significance is great, having welcomed more than 12 million immigrants to our shores. Yet, when its role as the country’s first Federal Immigration Station became obsolete, Ellis Island was unceremoniously abandoned in 1954.

Join the Foundation’s Stephen Lean, Director of the American Family Immigration History Center, on October 18 (12:00-1:00 pm ET) for a Q&A and virtual screening of Unforgotten: Ellis Island, a short film about the unrestored spaces of Ellis Island.

Click HERE to learn more and HERE to RSVP.

September 10th marks 33 years since the unveiling of the Ellis Island restoration, which at the time was the largest historical restoration ever undertaken in the United States. 

If walls could talk, spaces throughout Ellis would have endless stories to tell. Ellis Island is a place that represents hope and tears. It is a place that needed to be restored to honor the millions of Americans who passed through the famous immigration station. 

LEARN MORE

Family Tree Magazine‘s podcast recently featured the Foundation’s Ellis Island Passenger Database as one of the genealogy industry’s best websites. Kathryn Marks, Manager of the Family History Center at Ellis Island, spoke with Lisa Lousie Cooke about this important resource. Kathryn explains the details found on the ship manifests featured in our database and provides search tips to make the most of your family history research experience.

Click HERE to listen to the episode.

Coney Island and Atlantic City have delighted generations of Americans seeking respite from the summer doldrums. The innovative ideas and hard work of immigrants helped create the lively and diverse experiences that made the boardwalk a symbol of fun in the sun. 

American Family Immigration History Center research experts Dana Ebralidze and Jon Da Silva explored the relationship between Coney Island, Atlantic City, and Ellis Island. The breadth and depth of immigrant connections are impressive: from the daughter of Russian immigrants who grew up to become Miss America to the Romanian immigrant whose imagination led to the building of the Wonder Wheel to a young immigrant from Belarus who would later be nicknamed “the Mob’s Accountant” for his alleged connections to the seedier side of the glittering seaside casinos. 

Read on for a sampling and check out this content (on display at the Family History Center through September 2023) to learn more about Atlantic City and Coney Island.

Special thanks to Stephen Lean, Director of the American Family Immigration History Center at Ellis Island, for contributing to this post.

This summer, our Foundation welcomed six interns to our team who supported three departments. We appreciated their enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication to supporting our mission. We’re excited to reflect on their accomplishments.

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