Tagged With "Tears"

  The Berlin TV Tower  (German:  Fernsehturm ) is a television tower in central Berlin, Germany (close to Alexanderplatz in Berlin-Mitte).       The tower was designed by East German architects Fritz Dieter, Günter...

Visiting the former immigration center, Samantha finds it was both a new start for many and the end of a dream for others.

I live in England and have spoken with many folks in the US with similar surnames ( Family names ) as mine. They are tracing their family back to England.. 100 years or so ago. But because their surname is spelt differently to mine then it presumed they aren't descended from my ancestors. Before attending school became compulsory many people could not write their own names. They would just sign it with an X. So when immigrants were boarding a ship - from here in Liverpool - to New York they...

It has been years since I visted Ellis Island. I really enjoyed "going back" when I read your article and looked at your excellent photos. Thank you for the memories; awesome place everyone should visit!

As Garry points out, many people had their names altered or lost in the immigration process...and that was particularly true for people whose language was far different from that of the U.S. immigration inspectors. In those cases, the inspector wrote down what he thought he heard, or cared to, and voila! Bzorkinowitz becomes Burke. As a child, I knew families that were split: Some members used the original East European names, and heaped scorn on their cousins who used what they referred to...

Great blog! To get the other side of the picture, see the Emigrants to a New World Gallery at the Merseyside Maritime in Liverpool. Really a must see pairing if you have enjoyed going to one of them.

It's also been a number of years since I visited Ellis Island, which we coupled with a tour of the Statue of Liberty (it's neighboring island). I also recall it being an eye-opening experience. Lots of interesting exhibits and you definitely leave with a different perspective of those immigrants than when you arrived. They were brave people, entering a strange new world that was for all purposes free of any tangible benefits except for freedom and opportunity. And opportunity comes with a...